Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1908-05-16
TIGERS or INDIA.
Those That Kill Men Are as Scarce as
Human Murderera.

In recent lecture at the Society of
Arts. In London. Reginald Gilbert. f.
u. s.. proposed that In future the gov
eminent rewards In India should be
paid for killing man enting tigers only
ana not for killing tigers. j. y Kees
IN Il letter 10 the London Times says
IL have twice brought this matter lie.
fore the house Of commons. asking that
inquiry should be made into the indis-
criminate offer OF rewards by the gov
eminent of India and by local govern
ments in India. Tigers may be rough
~ divided into three classes. the deer
stalker the cattle litter and the man
eater. the latter being no more com
mon among tigers than murdcrers
among mon. and all of them IN their
degree keep down the head OF deer aud
drOves Of wild pigs. which destroy the
crops of the cultivators. They operate
only on the margin of cultiyHtiou Tor
tigers. though the fact is not generally
known. do not walk about the streets
In India seeking whom they may de
YOUR. as lions actually do in parts If
Africa. The only tiger | ever knew
that acted In this manner was discover
ed after his death to have been suffer
ing from some abnormal pressure OF
the brain. SO that he was not account.
able for his actions
at may he taken rs nm lnvarlable
rule that tigers live Just where cultiya-
tion presses up 10 the forest edge.
where they are the best friends at the
cultivators. whose crops are devastated
wholesale In such situations There is
no difficulty whatever IA combining the
reward 10 man eaters. as the tiger is Il
parsonage everywhere well known not
only to the monkeys and the birds who
announce his movements from the tops
OF the trees. but to the villagers them
selves. who can discriminate perfectly
well and can inform any sportsman
who wants to know which animals are
their rare enemies among the many
who are their frequent friends
Tigers are not vcgetarlans. neither
are we. and IL we are homogeneous 50
are they unlike the Kuhn BrahmanS Of
Bengal. and when more than two tigers
are seen together the sportsman may
conclude that he is intruding upon a
family party. The deerstalkcr is q
gentleman sportsman whose life IS
spent in well doing, for hc kills the
deer that eat the crops. that feed the
cultlvator. who pays the land tax.
which keeps up the Indian empire.
Cattle liftcrs no doubt have much of
the poacher In their composition. but
they generally only prey upon the. fee
bier or less valuable members Of Il
herd. and the villagers are willing that
they should take toll I'm recognition Of
the good they do In destroying the crop
dcstroyers. 4 herd together can re-
pulse "A tiger. and only stragglers.
calves or weaklings fall victims
MAN eaters are responsible for quite
a small number OF the deaths from
Wild animals in India. and. as the truth
should he told regardless Of the feel
ings Of party politicians. they are gen
orally females, This is confirmed by
Mr. Sydekhar In his recent work.
though | would join issue with him
when he lays it down that tigers can.
not climb. know for fact that they
possess this accomplishment But the
point IS that they should not lee exter-
minated wholesale"