The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-11-03
I Defend TRAVIS.
NeighbOrs of Former Game
Warden Are Wrathy.
Resent Statements Of Deputy
Warden Hodgins.
| CREATOR OFHATCHERY
Dell Travis Great Work to
Build Up Plant.
Has Been Allowed to Run Down
and Fish Have Died.
CREATOR OFHATCHERY
Pratt, Kan. Nov. 2. 1909.


we submit sets forth the facts in the
case fairly well.
The many friends of Mr.. Travis, who
understand and appreciate his services
to the state, protest against such whole
sale Misrepresentation of the conduct
of the Office by Warden Hodgin Your
publication of the enclosed statement
will in some measure correct the false
impression made by the interview re-
ferred to above.
Thanking you in advance for setting
this matter before the public in its true
| light we are, yours very truly. E. T.
Warren. NJ. F. Briggs, w. S. Rich J. ..
Shrack, J. K. Cochran. F. S. Barnes,
Thos. c. Carver. Geo. w. Stewart. L.
C. Miller. w. T. Peel. Geo. r. Smith, j.
B. Hupp, Morris Briggs.
This could have been signed by so per
| cent of the people of Pratt county IL
time was available to present il.
IAN interview and article from Acting
Deputy Fish and Game Warden Hodgin,
published in the State Journal IF Octo-
| Der 25 contains so many FICTITIOUS
and humorous statements and is so mis-
leading in its general conclusions that
in the interest of common decency
should be corrected.
among other things stated are: In
| former years it has been the custom to
stock private ponds with the STATE HsE,
| This year Warden Murdoch has planned
| to do away with this scheme and has
nothing but the public streams OF Kan
sas will receive an apportionn1ent OF
public fish. Acting Warden Victor
Hodgin has been in Topeka the last Few
days in consultation with Governor
Stubs on the new hatchery plans and
he IS enthusiastic over the state wide
stream idea. 1t does not do the state
any good to have these fish stocked IN
| this morning. The original plan of Mr.
Murdoch was to have the streams over
| the state placed in good fish condition
and it is my policy to carry out MS
Iplans We will try and see that every
stream in this state is sufficiently
stocked to warrant a good crop of fish
and this is the idea of asking the rep
resentatives OF the state to attend to the
stocking of their own streams. ~
How Travis Plans Helped.
1.-THE reports of Mr.. Travis, the former
| efficient inoumb bent of that office, cover
ling the four years of his administra-
ton, fully show that every stream in
Kansas was literally supplied with fish
Through the cooperation OF deputies
whom he had appointed for each coun-
ty in the state, the fish were distributed
under his own supervision.
| LAS to the stocking of private ponds,
which Mr.. Murdoch through his loqua-
cious deputy condemns as useless ana
unnecessary it was the policy of Mr.
Travis to literally look after their needs
| in this particular
I'm addition to his arduous duties, he
Encouraged as much as possible the
building of private ponds all over the
state and stocked thousands of them
I'm doing so he simply followed the
custom adopted by all the states that
maintain fish hatchery, ana "hlcn Is
now and always has been the custom
of the United States government.
| thousands of Applicants for Fish.
"At the present time the fish warden
has on file in his office thousands OF ap-
Mica lions from all over the state for
fish to be used in private ponds. Posi-
bly the reason why this policy has been
reversed by the present incumbent is
cue to the fact THAI owing to the rldlc-
ulous incompetency in the management
of that office. fully three-fourtns of the
FISH available for fall distribution have
cied.
1 '.The article of Oct. 25 further
i states, Ever since Warden MuruocA
has been seriously i'll at his home the
work of the state hatchery has peen
under the care and supervision of VIC
tor Hodgin, young man VINO owns
| practically all of the property around
the hatchery and man VINO mas lahe,
such an interest in the institution that
| he has contributed thousands of dol
| lars worth of material and labor to the
upbuilding of the fish plant 1t is the
| opinion of Governor Stubs that Mr.
j Murdoch could not have appointed a
| better substitute warden. Mr. Hodgi1
| has carried out the plans of the warden
| in every detail and he has inserted sev-
| eral ideas of his own that havo greatli
! improved the efficiency of the hatch
cry
Who Owns Adjacent Property.
| Now what are the facts which are
well known and fully authenticated By
every person in Pratt interested in thu
| success of the fish hatchery. Instead
| of Mr. Hodgin owning practically all OF
| ortx md ha hatchery
adjacent property is owned by the fol-
| lowing gentlemen: d. H. Axline owns
| one-fourth mile on the south, c. Finch
man one-fourth mile on the west. D.
| w. Travis one-haIf mile on the north,
| and Mr.. Hodgin one-fourth mile on the
east and one-fourth mile on the south
| when Mr.. Hodgin stated to the
State Journal that he had contributed
| thousands of dollars worth OF material
and labor to the upbuilding of the
plant he evidently meant Mr. Travis.
| Everybody in Pratt knows, as well
| as everybody in the state, who has
| followed the history of the fish hatch
| cry that Mr.. Travis was virtually the
| creator of the hatchery. The concep-.
ton of fish hatchery at this point was
| his own and he was largely 1nstru-
| mental in the passage of the law that
! created 1t. He donated outright to the
state for this purpose three acres of
land and the water rights, which was
/ worth conservatively not less than
@oVUO, OF DIS ilucl app! oAiihoec1y a. L.
| salary during his entire tenure OF Of
flee.
/ ION the other hand, Mr.. Hodgin has
been constant in his opposition to the
success of the hatchery since its in
/ ception. It is a matter of record that
he has never contributed one minutes
4 time or labor, or one single ounce of
material. for which he did not receive
ample compensation. Mr. Hodgin. more
over. has said that the hatchery was
graft and no good to the state. Does