The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-08-05
THE EVENING STORY
The Game Warden.
CBy Bryant c. Rogers.)

In most eastern states the leS1Sta-
| lures have wisely enacted among the
| game laws a closed season of two
! summer months for fish. Pickerel,
pike, bass and bullheads must not be
| caught in those months, but if hooked
| must be returned to the water at
once.
| And after enacting those wise laws
/ the wise men provide for the appoint
ment of game Wardens to enforce
| them. The said game wardens, in 10
| cases out of 20, pin on a badge which
| they have had made at the nearest tin
! shop, and sit down with their dignity
/ and permit everybody to catch all the
| fish they want to. If the fish are fool
! ish enough to be caught when the law
i says they shan't be, and there is an
! official standing on the bank with a tin
badge pinned to his left breast, then
| it is bad for the fish.
When young Arthur Coleman was
appointed game warden for the dis
trict of Glen Lake there was some
thing doing right away. When hear
ing of his appointment about 80 per-
sons had replied:
Young Coleman, eh? Oh, he's all
right. He would stand by and see you
pull out a dozen fish and never say
world"
And then came the surprise. The
first week, and they had to pay fines
of SIS each. There were nearly as
many the second week, and then every
body quit fishing to have breath enough
to abuse the official. When Miss Mary
Weeds, who had arrived -. an uncer-
tain age without ever having been
loved, heard of the appointment she
laughed.
L shall keep right on fishing" she
said.
But Arthur will catch you at it,"
was replied.
It suspect he will
And you'll be taken into court and
fined
oh no. You do not exactly under
stand the CASE
And then she blushed and Uttered
and giggled, and caused the report
to go all around the lake that she
and Arthur Coleman were engaged.
Miss Weed fished.
She fished for any sort of fish she
could cath.
She almost sent direct word to the
warden that she was fishing. He an
swered by catching her just after she
had caught four fish one day, and
she went into court-as an aggravated
case and was fined $40.
How could you do it-how could
you!" she walled.
And amidst the strangers down from
the city came Miss Katherine Greyton
to visit her uncle and aunt, who had
q farm bordering on the lake. They
were old people and didn't pay much
attention to what was going on around
them. There was the lake-there were
fish in the lake-there was an enthusi-
astic girl and leaky old boat. OF
course Miss katherine would fish-of
course.
"Oh, I guess there's fish enough
said Uncle Jim when the matter was
11va, EI,1% IL TIL
of what I heard down at the post
office a few days ago.
WAS it about game warden"
asked Aunt Eunice.
THAT it. They don't allow no
more fshin' till fall
''Who doesn't?" defiantly asked the
visitor.
Its the law hereabouts that don't.
[ guess"
'.Wel, what have L got to do with
your old laws-I don't live here
"Of course she DON'T said Aunt
Eunice.
That's so-thats So agreed Uncle
Jim.
The next morning Miss Katherine
walked down to the hamlet store for
an outfit of hooks and lines. Just
before entering she met the Weed
old maid. They felt the enmity when
yet ten feet away, and as they met
they glared at each other and stuck
up their noses and respectively said:
From the city, and she thinks she
owns the carth."
Il wouldn't be as homely as she
isl"
The woman who sold fishing out
fits could have posted the stranger
about the fish laws, but she didn't.
Her business was to sell hooks and
lines and sinkers and say the fish
were never biting better. Miss Weed
hung about until the girl had depart
ed and then found out what she had
been buying.
t'Ha-ha. she's going to fish for fish, |
is she? Wen see about that
Word reached the game warden to
be on the watch. 1t was afternoon
next day when the girl from New
York had got her bait and set out in /
the old punt.
The warden saw her catch half a |
dozen.
you are fishing against the law"
he Informed her.
''They have no business to make a i
law against fishing"
But they have made a law and I
am here to enforce it,
Don't talk so loud, and don't move |
around in your boat SO much! There's
an awful big fish fooling around my
hook"
But you must stop fishing
But my Uncle Jim owns this part
of the lake.
"You are his niece from New
York?'
Yes, sir
''This morning, down at the store. l