The Glenwood post., 1908-12-19

sad to see the slaughter along the
Moffat road. He said when the road
builders went through every little deer
could be seen not far away peering
curiously at the construction gangs
from the thickets. but now they had
been mostly killed. He would like to
see a closed season on all deer all the
year around and to keep them all to
look at instead of to kill.
"Why not so! If we did that they
would be source of pleasure pride
and profit to all the citizens of the
state instead of to the few who want
to kill them. Let Colorado be q great
park and preserve where all the harm
less beasts and birds are safe, and
where we and our visitors can go out
and see them happy and unafraid.
They would be worth far more to us
in dollars and cents in that way, if
that is necessary reason. Not many
of our citizens or visitors want to kill
them, and We can well afford to spare
these latter for the thousands who
would delight to see them alive. In
short the deer are worth much more
to us alive than dead.
1.-TWO years ago on the U. p. r. r.
about sixty miles east of Denver the
train passed in quick succession two
coyotes. n prairie dog town. vast
flock of ducks rising from shallow
pond made by the overflow from
ditch, and a bunch of seven antelope.
Nne of them were over two hundred
wards from the train. The passengers
crowded the windows of the car on
the side where they were, but not
an exclamation was heard except of
interest, pleasure or surprise. Not a
man wished for gun. IT would bethc
same with our tourists all over the
state if all our game were protected.
and it would be worth far more to MS
that way than as it now is. We could
have few better advertisements than
to have it known all over the world
that anywhere in our mountains wild
deer could be seen from the train
windows, and antelope on the plains.
"Let the beautiful wild creatures
the bright plummged and sweet-voiced
birds find in all of Colorado secure
home. Let us do ourselves the high
honor of being the first commonwealth
IN the world to do the wise and humane
as well as shrewd and far-sighted thing
in this respect. The day is shortly
coming when we shall consider the
harmless wild creatures not as fair
victims of every murderous gun hut
as ornaments and assets to be guarded
and to be proud of. 1t will some day
not far off be worth more to all of US
to have a wild deer stand and
gaze curiously and in safety at us
6fty yards away than to snuff out his
life at 800 yards and devour his body.
Let us be wise and welcome the day
now and let the incoming legislature
protect by law all the harmless ami
mails of the state all the year round.
ga few people believe it is not right
to kill animals for food, but most of
us are not yet ready to subscribe to
that belief. 1t seems to be law of
nature that the lower organism must
be sacrificed to the necessities of the
higher. Whether we shall ever be en-
ancipated from this law must be left
to the future to disclose.
"But we have already. got to the
point where we know the lesser crea-
ture may rightfully be sacrificed only
to the necessity, not to whim, the
caprice, the pleasure or the passion Of
man. And some have already got
step further yet-we begin to resent
pleasure in killing even if the killing
be iustifable on oother grounds. If It
is necessary to kill, to destroy the life
we cannot give, to shut OF by our act
fellow creature, no, matter how hum
BILE, from what life may hold for him,
- { -
let US do it in sadness and regret. In
asmuch as we are men, mot DEVILS let
US not kill in joy and exnlation.
"When it was still q somewhat even
chance between the fierce beasts and
primitive man with his rude weapons
there, may well have been triumph n
the destruction Of ruthless and dan.
gerous enemy who would seek and slsy
the man il the man did not sesk and
slay him. But in these, dsya Of mAaa
zine and express rides with sxp,aai-
We bullets and ,shellA what chance has
the beast and what glory or cause for
pride in killing himi"
"F T4rrr---
wsskly Post 49, pss- sssr.