The San Francisco call., 1908-07-26

left. so he. too. followed the blind lead
OF his masters
Had the commission been composed
OF men with a knowledge commensu-
rate with the Importance of the work
they are supposed to perform, they
would have dispatched their man in the
early fall when. instead of the hens
being hidden away on their nests and
the gobblers in little fiocks feeding on
the higher mountains, he would have
found them with their nearly grown
young brOods punched into large
nocks. low down on the mountains in
the open glades and hillsides, feeding
on the pine and pinon nuts that were
Just beginning TO fall and on which
they delight 10 feed.
MONEY FOOLISHLY SPENT
Nor are the mountains of Sinaloa a
suitable place TO go for turkeys. They
are entirely too remote from transpor-
Latton and the water voyage too long
The black mesa Of Arizona is much pref
erable- But I suppose some one told
them lat the bird known as the Mexi-
can wild turkey was the proper thing
10 get, and the wise men of the board
took II for granted that the Mexican
wild turkey (meleagris gallopavo) must
come from Mexico, when in fact 1t
ranges into the United States as far
north as Colorado. But If the commits
sion thinks Il necessary to get them
in Mexico they can be had IN great
numbers anywhere from zoo to 500
miles nearer home and within % miles
of railroad station.
But I have not yet told the worst of
this shameful waste OF money. Ac-
cording 10 Mr.. Van Sykes published
statement. his expenses amounted TO
$500. This, with his salary and the
freight OF the birds he brought home,
will make the cost Of thif senseless ex-
pertinent nearly If not; quite $1,000.
And what did he bring back7 Seven
tame bronze and 10 tanae pure white
turkeys. I'VE ''pizons" and few cha
chalacas."
Tbaea cEso socraTaoas ba esove era orrao+
flyers and belong to the grouse family,
not any part Of which is true. 1t is a
considerable stretch of the Imagination
10 class the chachalaca tortaiis Yetula
macalli) as a game bird. They are not
great flyers and they do not belong to
nor are they related TO the grouse fam
lily. They belong to the family cracidae,
TO which also belong the carrasows,
guans, etc
FOOLED BY THE INDIANS
Mr.. Van Slyke is a man of wonderful
credulity. He was after wild turkeys
and let il be known that he was willing
10 pay a good price for them; So the
Indians who had the tame turkeys, be-
ing in need Of his money and realizing
that he did not know the difference,
elongated their solemn faces and told
him that their turkeys were wild; that
they had captured the old hen on the
nest, and, having staked her out, she
had raised these 10 beautiful white
birds, and Mr.. Van Slyke was simple
price. Just what I'LL" they gave him
about the tame bronze turkeys that he
brought home he does not state, but
whatever il was he swallowed II with
equal relish.
These II tame turkeys cost about $50
each, when about 500 of the same kind
OF birds could have been purchased from
our own farmers for the same money
and the money kept at home. But then,
Mr.. Van Slyke would not have been
taken care of"
Such is the knowledge in game mat
ters of General Stone and his deputies,
and such the shameful way in which
they are getting rid II the money Of the
SportsTnen. This condition of affairs is
not only an outrage On the men who are
voluntarily contributing annually fund
of Sis, 900, but IL is equally an outrage
on the whole people, Eor the whole state
is interested in the groper conservation
OF the game supply, for IL furnishes mil
lions of pounds OF faod every year and
places in general ejaculation over s7,-
100000 annually spant by those who