Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-18
HUNTING THE JAVEl|N
Exciting But Dangerous Sport
in Texas.
UNARMED MAN HELPLESS
Animals Furnished With Short,
Razor-Edge Tusks.
STEPS TO SAVE STATE GAME
Col. Bill sterrett Appointed Com
missioner-Has Begun to Qualify
by Informing Himself.
By WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence OF The Star and the
Chicago ecord-Herald.
| BROWNSVILLE, Tex, April 10, 1911.
| Col. Bill Sterrett has been appointed
| fish and game commissioner Of Texas
| and things will begin to happen as soon
as he is on to his job. Until now the
| fish, oysters and game which are among
| the most valuable assets Of this state.
| have been left to the mercy Of whoever
| found them useful or profitable, with no
| cultivation or protection. and naturally
| they are threatened with determination.
| The new governor, with other far
| sighted citizens, recognizes that the ha-
| bitual wastage that has been practiced
| In the past will soon destroy these sources
| of food and wealth.. Therefore, shortly
after his Inauguration he determined upon
a conservation policy and in looking about
| for an agent to direct it he selected Col.
| Bill Sterrett. for many years Washington
| correspondent Of the Dallas News and
| recently the highly esteemed political ed
| itor OF that paper.
| The governor could not have found a
| more competent or faithful friend OF the
| birds of the air and the beasts of the for
est and the fish Of the sea-including
| oysters. Bill Sterrett is fisherman by
nature and by taste. He Is also keen
and conscientious sportsman and no one
can appreciate more thoroughly than he
| the advantages Of preserving the game
and the fish, both for sport and as a
| food supply.
| There has been a law for that purpose
| on the statute books Of Texas for many
| years, but it has never been enforced.
There have been fish and game commits
| siOneFs under previous administrations,
but they have regarded the Office as a
| sinecure and would not interfere with
the determination of the game or
as political associates and personal
friends were involved. But Bill Sterrett
is not that kind Of citizen. He is not
| a professional reformer any more than
he is professional beauty; he would
never brag of his virtue any more than
he would brag Of his looks, for he Is a
| practical, sepsible newspaper man ana
knows a hawk from a handsaw. 1t Is
| hang out a sign. Such men as Bill Ster-
! rett do not travel with brass bands or
hand out typewriter interviews to news
paper reporters, concerning the wicked
| ness Of the world and their efforts to re-
deem 1t.
sterrett Seeking Information.
Bib has begun his task by quietly
educating himself to perform it. He is
making an inquiry into the condition
Of the fisheries and oyster trade on the
coast and the wild game back on the
prairies. At his request the governor
has. asked the national fish commits
sioner at Washington to send down eX-
perts to assist in this investigation and
| to revise the regulations. They Will
make a thorough overhauling of the
! oyster beds, which are extensive and
productive, but like everything else Of
that sort have been abused because OF
the ignorance and the avarice Of those
| who are living upon them. When he
has information to guide him Col.
! Sterrett will regulate the fishermen
and the oyster catchers SO that they
will derive maximum profit without
injuring the goose that lays their
about the hoofed and feathered deni.
zens Of the forests and the chapparal
plains he will take similar steps to
protect and increase that part Of the
population instead of allowing 1t to
be Unfortunately slaughtered.
! There is good deal OF joking about
Col Sterrett's intentions. Some wag
started story that Bill is going to
hogs in the river bottoms and brand
| the deer on the western plains: and
maybe he will do all these things. He
will not hesitate II he thinks it proper
him to do anything silly or absurd VIII
| be disappointed. However, the fish
and game laws Of Texas are going to
be enforced. That is the kind Of a
public functionary Bill Sterrett will be,
and If his authority is resisted some
| body will get hurt SSterrett is q
Theodore Roosevelt democrat and an
intimate friend of the ex-President He
took charge Of the colonel when the
latter was in Dallas recently, and in
| trcduced him at the public reception
They don't have to pass resolutions or
exchange letters to understand each 9TH
ess; The, They =, simply ri;,. nod and smile, and
pens to be. There is an instructive un-
Outstanding among kindred spirit.
Game Laws Ignored.
The ranchmen of Texas and others
have been in the habit Of shooting deer
| when they want fresh meat, or a wild
| turkey, when they are tired OF eating
| chicken. They have treated the woods
and the creek bottoms as their private
game preserves. without regard to times
| that they will continue to do go regard
! less Of the laws of the state or the pol
icy Of the new administration. Some
professional fishermen and oystermen
| been interfered with, and do not pro-
pose to be interfered with now Some
Of them have been bold enough to tell
Sterrett so, but Bill hasn't said a word.
ne SNlueS a. D. COUNCTSdt1Ou, Out QTd"5
| line between entertainment ard bust
ness, and simply informs inQuirers that
he expects to perform his duty and en-
force the law without invading private
| rights. Those who are laughing about
| the enforcement Of the game laws will
| soon discover that 1t is no joke. and
| when Bill Sterrett gets into action it
| will be desirable to get front seat
! There is any amount of game In Texas.
At times when northers drive the wild
| fowl up the bays and the bayous the
| fiocks darken the sky. and their wings
| make noise like the roar Of storm.
Ducks. geese, and other water fowl are