The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1913-06-20
Discharge Of Game Warden and Failure to
Appoint Man TO Succeed Hin Angsrs
Spotsmea Of the Cities and
Towns Of Range
GOVERNOR EBERHART IS
TO HEAR Their STORY
Administration Of Executives Duties Of
Board as Applied This Section Char
acterized as a Colossal JOKE
Indignation General.

Indignation 6eneraI.
That the state game and fish
ommission has not heard the last
of the discharge of former Game
Warden Wood is clearly indicated in
the range towns and cities this week
where among sportsmen's organi-
cations and people interested in
the conservation of the game and
fish of this section there is pro-
nounced disappointment over the
fact that the warden has been re-
moved aud no step has been taken
to have this section of the state
served. Already the news of Woods
discharge has become widespread
and reports are already coming in
of wholesale illegal fishing and
hunting.
Over the heads of the members
of the state game and fish commits
sion direct to Governor Eberhart
will be taken the conditions exist
ing throughout all this section.
Next week the governor will be
visited by committee of promin
ent range residents including mem
bers Of the sportsmen's orgauiza-
tions. He will learn from them
first hand how inefficient in the
past has been the conduct of the
state game and fish commission q
duties in this section, he will learn
the story of its so-called kid-glove
wardens, what it costs the state to
keep them in service and what
slight effort they make to enforce
the laws. Thssstate game and fish
commission has never commanded
much respect in this section. Here
the i'm preston has always prevailed
that it was dominated by politics
to the detriment of the discharge
OF the duties for which it was
created and now there is storm OF
Indignation at the removal of the
only game warden who has ever
given the state real service in this
section.
Prominent citizens of Hibbine
and Eveleth are expected to visit
the governor before the end of this
week. They will tell him Just wha'
they think and the governor viii
learn some startling things abou
conditions with regard TO violation
of the state game and tsh laws ir
this section.
| Conditions at Vermilion.
| Up at beautiful Lake Vermili0r
with its thousands Of islands-on'
of Minnesota's greatest natura
beauty spots-the state maintain
a salaried game warden. He is fur
nished launch by the state gam
and fish commission to patrol tn
lake. The lake and those in the nea
vicinity, Pelican and others, were
few years ago alive with fish an
the surrounding forests abounde'
in deer and moose. Wholesale net
ting for the market was a common
thing in all this water, and loggini
lcontractors and mining companie
Ioperating on the very shore of tn
lake within 10 miles of Tower oper
lily bought moose and deer meat an
served it the year around at thei
camp tables. Last year few moos
were killed III that vicinity, and oil
woodsmen are authority for tn
statement that they have almost a
been sacrificed to the greed of tn
shacker and pot-hunter, often en-
ployed to hunt for the logging an
mining camps. Headlighting wa
common, and horses and cattl
were frequently killed. No on
feared the Tower warden. Then til
gun club of this city and Virgini
people having summer homes
. that section went to Game Warde
Wood and showed him condition
that resulted in the convection
that territory of five logging camp
and one mining company, thre
Wholesale fishers and 18 oth<
poachers, 13 of whom either pal
heavy fines or were given Ion
: iail sentence. The warden at tt
time brought back to Virginia ov'
mile of net used in illegal 6shin
His efforts broke up one of tt
: toughest gangs of poachers whic
. has ever operated in the northe,
e part of the state. The states gan
;. warden in this territory made tv
b arrests and secured one convictic
j. at a cost to the state OF 81 800 fro
j July l, 1910 to July l. 1912. The de-
aud moose that he allowed alaugt
F r