Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-09-14
The Call of the Wild in Man.


| fishing rods are laid away and the
shotgun and rifle are brought forth
and carefully examined. Every boy If
he has no gun longs to own one, and
it is easy enough to account TOR the
| longing 1t is the call of the Wild
in MANTLE tendency of the natural
instincts toward a time long before
agriculture was known, when man
kind lived by the slaughter of lower
animals, and often at the cost of their
own lives There is much talk of the
| sporting prOpensities of the average
human being, but after all it is that
inherent desire to be alone with ma
so often found at her best, and where
not only the rocks, but the trees, and
the birds. and the wild flowers, and
even the very atmosphere itself WINS
per of better things. and tell the silent,
creeping human being of the work OF
"a hanG beyond understanding. The
SPORTSMAN who lies on the moss be-
side the lake with the waters lap
Tapping at his feet and the north wind
signing in the boughs over his head,
with his cooling and forgotten pipe
between his teeth, perhaps gets nearer
to the Creator of all things than at
any other time in his life. Here he
finds himself in communion with ms
Maker, and here for the first time,
perhaps in the processes of his hurried
life in great city, he feels hlmseil
in touch with his God. Far back UNI
der the pines and srruces of Name,
where it is supposed men go forth
solely for the purpose of slaughter,
are many sermons preached each year
that sink deeper into the soul of the
hunter than those which resound so
generously among the columns OF the
great cathedrals
The boy loves his gun because 1t
gives him promise of protection and he
imagines all sorts of enemies even to
the torn of prehistoric animals Icy
which he is menaced. and from which
he may be called upon to save him
self at any moment. He has read of
primal man. and of his rude but in
effective weapons. but he feels him
self with gun in hand. fully compe-
tent to meet any foe which ms I'M
apination conjules He has read that
even down to recent times, many tribes
lived chiefly by the chase. and, next
to leadership in war. they were enVled
who became, like Nimrod. mighty
hunters befole the Lord" or gained
a reputation among their own people.
He longs to distinguish himself, and
bring home some big trophy of the
chase as a testimonial of his prowess
and competence to care for hlmsell
if turned loose in the wilds.
All down through history we md
bat two pursuits, war and the chase
regarded as almost the only hitting
ones for princes, and even now, every
monarch, if not a soldier is at least
a sportsman. and has forests and parks
reserved fer him. In the old coun-
tries, this instinct to follow and XIII
wild animals was. if not destroyed,
effectuallv suppressed among the conf
mon people. for only the great lana
owners and those to whom they gave
permission were permitted to hunt.
When this country was settled. the in
stinct was reawakened, for game was
from the first an important means OF
subsistence, and the destruction al
beasts of prey a necessary part of the
subjugation of the wilderness.
1t is interesting to note that we have
been as reckless and wasteful of our
game as of our other natural resources.
The wild turkey. which was once found
everywhere. is found now only in linz
tied areas, and in rapidly diminishing
numbers there. And the wild pigeon,
which swarmed from east to west IN
flocks of millions, and which was
trapped in thousands by Maine pot
hunters within the memory of the
present generation. has been extermin-
ated. The bison, which ranged the
continent in untold millions, have been
reduced to a handful by wanton and
wicked slaughter, and the prairie
chicken, once so abundant, has disap-
peared from our markets. Canvas
back ducks used to bring from 81 to
$125 per pair. Now they are a luxury
for the very rich only. But at last.
most of the states have come to
realization of what has been happen
ing, and have passed more or less