The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1905-06-15

Inc local game and fish laws for
the two counties are as follows: For
Aileganv, the Act of 1870. Chaper 80,
1872, Chapter IS; 1878, Chapter 4OS;
1884, Chapter 49,. Birds and game.
1896, Chapter &c; 1902. Chapters 27g
and 179. Fish and fishing: 1902, Chap
ters 274 and 543. Fishing regulated,
1904, Chapters 372 and 617.
Garrett cOunty-Birds, 1896, Chap
ter 4; 1894, CHAPTER GAO; 1900, Chapter
1879. Birds and game: 1902. CHAPTER
116. Game laws amended. Space
and time would not allow these MANY
laws to be set out in anything like
fullness but they can be easily refer
red to and read.
Notwithstanding these drastic laws
game and fish have been on the de-
cline in the counties mentioned. Gar
rett county, which in time past. was
the very garden of deer. does not now
have one unless it be tramp. All
gone on account of different causes.
| among them the noises of the differ
ent railroads and steam saw mills.
They are extremely sensitive and
fearful of loud shrieking noises thew
will leave their old haunts on these
| occasions.
The building of the West Virginia
Central railroad through immense
forests of heavy timber for MANY
miles, causes the deer to retire to
more quiet and safer grounds. The
deer is deemed to be the widest of
all animals, vet they are the easiest
tanned and domesticated. This know
from an experiment long wears ago.
Still there are few deer left in the
mountains in the lower end of Ale
gany county and on the PENNSYLVANIA
side of the line, also over in West Vir-
GINA. Last season Merchant Edward
Netf, of our city handled 10 undressed
deer from the regions mentioned, but
his dealings on this line grow less
year by year.
There are in existence stringent
laws in Garrett county for the preser
walton of game, but still the bird kind
is becoming scarcer each passing
year. Very few turkeys left, pheas-
ants much fewer, partridges about
gone, squirrels diminishing like the
rest, though there appears to be less
hunting than III former times. Fish
are rapidly diminishing, notwith-
standing the replenishing process.
Polluted streams, the cause Fish
can no more live in polluted waters
than human beings in poisoned at.
mosphere. But there are animals of
the pon-game kind, which do not ap-
| pear to diminish as wished: such as
foxes, polecats. minks and wild cats.
They destroy hundreds if not thous-
ands OF dollars worth of prope rty,
much more than heirsscalps cost the
county. Last season an enterprising
poultry producer of Garrett county
lest her whole turkey flock, as well as
many chickens. from nightly raids of
foxes and skunks. These "varmints,"
with the hawks, are great drawback
to the success of the poultry business,
a profitable one in the absence of
these night enemies
Now, word about the wild pigeon,
which in times past were so ,numer-
Gus in all this regionl of country, es-
pecially in Garrett county. They
were beyond enumeration or even es-
innate. In the year 1S76.they were
unusually plentiful, but,they sudden
ly and WIDELY disappeared that sea-
son. None as q flock ever since. No
one now seems to know what be came
of them. It.was said at that time
great many of them died from some
disease at a great roosting place near
Swanton. They were a migratory
bird. In the summer season they
lived in a cool climate, and in winter
in a warm one, More than any other
birds they live and stay in large
focks.
June s. 1905. J.B.