The Kadoka press and Kadoka reporter. [volume] (Kadoka, S.D.) 1910-1923, 1914-07-24

reproduce the article with the belief
that it will be of great interest to
every reader of the PRESS.
Think Of it, brother sportsmen,
forty years ago, the intrepid, venture
some white man had not set foot. in
the wild, mountainous region known as
the Black Hills. And this vast tract,
since described by one CT the greatest
railroad managers of modern times as
the Richest one hundred miles square
in the United States" was a great
hunting ground for the savages inhab-
iting this section Of the West ct that
time.
Big game, such as buffalo, elk, carl
bou, bear deer and antelope, was here
in countless numbers; yet today, they
are no more, except, perhaps, few
deer that remain, the other animals
having vanished like the ship in the
night"
1t might be added that the Indians
have also vanished but this, Of course,
was the inevitable result Of the on
ward march OF civil ,ation and was to
be expected.
Not 50, however, is the con-
sequence attending the determination
of our biz game. We cannot view this
calamity in any other light than with
q certain sense of shame and must
look upon it as sad commentary on
our American craftsmanship.
Bad as this seems to be, If it will
serve as a terrible lesson to the
game hogs" who are making such
frantic efforts to kill the Federal mi.
pratcrv bird law, to the end that our
bird life may also share the same fate
as the big game, it win not have been
in vain In any event, YOU can take
It. from me, the latter will never hap
pen.
Conservation along the different
lines of our national resources is the
rresent watchword and I have no
fears that the "game hog" will pre-
vail in his fierdish purpose
The people generally. all over the
country, are being aroused as never
before to the importance of conserv-
ing our remaining national resources
end a strong sentiment is growing in
favor Of the protection and preserva-
ticn of our bird life.
Having in mind the swful mistakes
rade in the past, it will rebound to
the credit of the young state of South
Dakota that she IS Fastening. in so
far as it is possible to do SO, to make
amends for this criminal eXtrava.
gance by enacting wise. farseeing laws
10 protect ond propagate what game
there is left, and she has also de-
vised ways and means for the perpet-
uation of ali species of wild life with
in her borders.
At the last session Of our Legisla-
ture bill was passed creating a state
game preserve in Custer County, in
the heart Of the Black Hills. This
preserve embraces a tract of rough,
mountainous land, eight bv twelve
miles in extent, and contains approx
imatelv 10000 acres of lard Along
with this bill was an appropriation of
$4,000 as a starter, to fence and stock
the tract with fish and game. The
fence will Re eight feet high. run on
posts of pitch rine one rod apart,
with a heavy five-foot wire mesh on
the bottom and three barbed wires,
one foot apart, on the top. This
fence at the present time is about
90 Tor cent comrleted and the bal
ance will be finished this fall A tenn
porary enclosure of some 700 acres
has been made in the southeast cor
ner of the park for 20 elk the state
recently shipped from the Jackson
Hole country. When the main fence
is completed these elk will be turn
ed into the main park.
AhC Stdte dIluilOu tiio law W
land, all in one body, in recent
trade with the Federal government
in lieu of school lands belonging 70
the state located in the national for
est reserve and elsewhere.
A large per cent of the tract is
heavily covered with western yellow
pine timber, with some white spruce
along the streams. 1t is estimated
that the stumpage value of the saw
timber on this tract at the present
time is s1,OOO,00O, and the tract is
capable of reproducing this amount
of commercial timber every twenty or
thirty years.
The land belongs to our common
school fund and is under the direct
control of the commissioner Of school
end public lands. 1t is supervised,
hcyeysr, By or State Tcres'y Ser,