The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-08-25
AGAIN THE NATURE fAKIR
PRESIDENT WRITES a VIGOROUS
MAGAZINE ARTICLE.
Rev. Or. Long "the Most Reckless"
He Says IN a Discourse on De
iibers,e Perversion Of Fse,S"
esrnysrd Study Suggested.

New York. Aug 2t--The nature
takers" have once more come under
the fire OF President RDOssyelt He
discharges a broadside OF criticism
and ridicule against them In an arti-
Gle. written by his own hand. In the
September number OF Everybody =
Magazine.
Mature Fakirs"-such Is the sim'
pie title Of the contribution. which
constitutes as vigorously expressed a
bit OF crnsurc as the president has
penned fOr some time Particular
attention Is paid 20 the Rev. William
J. Long ~ "faker.' President
Roosevelt advises a course OF bar.
yard study for the "fiAirs" who
make such startling discoveries 30
the wildoruaas.'
ln the sa.a mlsll.u. though sep.
aslte fsom tHa pla-.luts article D.
sym1p.um Y. eminent working
uaurlI.t8 ou tr. "i.a.l gg ..Iu
without exception ..e ac..r' o. Nho
are quoted uphold ... position which
PfeId.u. Roosevelt .Y.E when he at.
tackled the "akass a the early
summer
The modern nature iaker is. of
course" writes Pre- ident Roosevelt
IAN object Of dcrisi,n TO every
scientist worthy Of the name. to
every real lover Of the wilderness, a.
every faunul naturalist 10 every trl.
hunter or nature lover But 10 d.
evident that he lecelyes many good
people who are wholly ignorant of
Wild Ife Sometimes hc draws on
bis own imagIuatIous for hls hc'ions
sometimes Dee gets them second hand
from irresponsible guides. or trap
pors. OF Indians
Turning to the Rev Mr Long. In
dVidually, the president hits out u
this fashion:
"Of all these nature fakcrs' IA,
most reckless and least responsible,
Is Mr. Long. but there are others who
nu him close In the yellow jour
nalism of the woods. as John Bur
roughs has aptly called lt Their,
h. no need of discussing 'neir theo
rirs, the point Is that their allcgc,
facts are not facts at all. but fancius
Their most striking stories are NO
merely distortions Of facts. but pur,
Inventions. and not only are thoy In
,cntiouH. but they are inventions b,
men who know so little of the sub
jcct concerning which they write. an'
who to ignorance add such ute
recklcssncgs, that they are not even
able to distinguish between what 4
possible. however wildly Improbable
and m chanical impoasiblitics.
"Bc 1t remembered that am no
speaking of ordinary mistakes. q
ordinary errors of obso>yaiiou, of dit
fcrenccs oI Interpretation and opiu
''h' hNh h'dllb 'llN WIN u'llb'l
ate invention, deliberate pcrvcrsiol
Of facts.
'lf the writer's who make sucl
startling discoveries in the wilder
\ would really study even IN,
dcnizcns of barnyard they woul,
be saved from al least some of thci
most salient mistakes. Their stOric
dwell much ON teaching of th,
young animals by their elders an,
bctters, In one story. for instance
wild duck is described as teach
ing her young how 10 swim aud gc
their food. II this writer had stroll
cd into the nearest barnyard con
tanning a hen when had hatche,
out ducklings. glance at the nc
tions of those ducklings when tn,
hen happened To lead them near
puddle would have enlightened hin
as to how much teaching they need
ed. But these writer's exercise IN,
same florid Imagination when the,
deal with robin or a rabbit az whcr
they describe u bear moose or .
salmon
Their books carry their own re-
futation, and afiidavits In support ol
the statements they contain are a,
worthless as the similar affidavits
once solrmny issued 10 show thai