New-York tribune., 1912-03-03

he has hunteu digger game, he'o H0'
caused him to become less facile. He has
lived through many exciting times where
roll the Oregon and the exhilarated cow
puncher and the topography itself is un-
Gulating All the lights were shot out IN
Dodge City, Kan, once when he was
among those present in the character or
observer.
II is not often that Mr.. Hicks can find
time to talk of his work as game warden
This may be better appreciated when 1t Is
stated that ten men have entire charge OF
enforcing the state game laws in the New
York City and Long Island division.
AWAKENED AT ALL HOURS.
They are called from their beds at all
hours of the day and night. When they go
out to look for vioators they have to play
,he parts of policemen and detectives
and almost every one of the ten has been
under fire at come time or another Whlle
making arrests. They have to be lawyers
10 plead cases i'm court; they have TO pos
sess thorough knowledge OF the 9Xecu-
tive work OF the departments. Always thcy
are rich in enemies.
What can wardens ever find to 90 IN
and around the city?
They have 10 watch the duck and shlpe
hunters for one thing all along the south
ern shore of Long Island. and not only
there but right here on City Island ana
in Jamaica Bay All year protectors nave
TO be on guard. In the open season they
must prevent shooting before sunrise ana
after sunset. There are deer that must be
guarded. Italians like robin pie. They are
pie The songbirds must be s@veo
Wardens must keep an e;e on trout
oysters. Holsters Formerly ;"-v had a
great deal Of trouble to sec tadt Little
Mock clams-there seems TO be no other
way to state it-were not too little IL
used TO be that a clam, in the sight OF the
law. was just as fine game bird as
quail. on toast or off. Any man VINO IL
those days thought he could take ad-
vantage of the innocence OF a young ana
timid clam, to lure il from its sort Ded
OF ease to death upon the deep smell or
the slow torture Of a mixed chowder party
was wrong The wardens d get him IL
he'd not watch out. The law has been
changed in this regard and CLAIMS suffer
the consequences
But 1t is still against the law to take
Holsters under nine inches in length. Hun
dreds OF fishermen, however, make a reg
ular business of short lobsterins.' II is
amorg the most important duties OF the
protectors to catch these fishermen.
There are dozens Of Other laws, too; in
some places. for instance, it isn't permls-
sible to take scallops-"bug' scallops they
call them-under a year old. The pro-
tectors have TO be able to tell the age OF
a scallop This IS no small accomplish
ment I'm itself.
The ten men have. you see, plenty OF
chances TO earn their salaries. In the
closed season they must make sure that
no game is being sold. shipped held or
eaten anywhere in this district. This
means a systematic inspection all winter
long Of hotels. clubs, cold storage plants
and warehouses all over Long Island and
New York City 1t means raids, and most
raids arc dramatic.
Mr.. Hicks was buttonholed by Tribune
man in his Office at No. l Madison avenue
and. after considerable solicitation, re-
counted some of his experiences.
Have you any speciality the warden
was asked
ITALIANS ARE HIS SPECIALITY.
italians are my specially" he replied,
smiling grimly.
"Do Italians rank as the most difficult
yiolators TO handler" he was asked.
NO; cover a 'wop with a gun once and
you've got him. At least. that's been my
experience"
The protector pulled on his cigar for
moment. and continued
you ask me to tell you some of my eX-
periences. Well I call to mind one that
might be interestin' Anyhow here goes
IL started out after some oyster pirates
who were a-pursuln' their occupation in the
Raritan and Princess Bay. | remember 1t
was on st. Patrick's Day and there was
quite a wind a-blowin'. Philip De Waters
Gustav Buckholtz ana John c. Harvey was
with me. and we started out in the steam
launch Emeline A. Marsereau.
1--WE got down to Princess Bay and 1t
wasn't long before we discovered the sloop
Mary Emma, of Keyport, Captain Kippe,
with her jib lowered and mainsheet started
sIidin' with the wind and tide over oyster
beds owned by Staten Islanders, while the
crew. we could see, was quite some en-
gagged in rakin' up said oysters regardless
IF they wasn't stealin 'em they was sure
cettin' ready to remove 'em. Altogether
there was sixteen boats on view of sus-
picious character.
"Wen. we studied the scenery, ana con-
cludcd the best thing TO do was 10 get
close 10 the Mary Emma aforesaid, ana
try 10 apprehend the chief poacher before
our personal cards was requested-in other
words. take 'em unawares. l figured we
co,ild do this before the sloop could be
got Under sail So our launch crept along
side and De Waters and ] sprung on board.
. "We placed the skipper and the crew
under arrest. and declared II to be our in
ten;ion 10 seize the ship But CAPITA n
Kipre and his crew. for some reason o.
other. didn't surrender quietly, as | had
cal,uIated they would. Fact Is. they didn
surrender at all. On the contrary.
"First thing l knew, the skipper and DE
waters was hayin a hand-to-hand conflict
at the wheel j had started for'ard, for
90 hoist the jib preparatory, az YOU might
say--that bein' my intention at the time
20 headin' the sloop for Staten Island. But
IL seemed that These pirates hadn't re-
formed none, and didn't know they was
arrested.
~ don't know for sure whether II was n
belayin pin that hit me on the head or
whether IL was something that travels un-
Ger a different cognofnen. Never been
sbie 20 decide However. that's, In man
mar of speaklng. neither here nor there.
,,x rsceiyed a blow on the head. and the