Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1915-10-29
!.
NEWPORT

W.. ~. rAhlCy, oIotC biOAO6lot,
and wife were here last week.
He came by invitation of the
Rod and Gun Club. On We'd.
nesday evening the films were
exhibited for the first time at
the Royal Theatre-"The Bird
and Animal Life of Oregon"
Each picture was explained by
Mr.. Finley. He emphasized the
importance of protecting and
propogating the game, birds and
fish of the state. He said this
was more a matter of education
than police force. He showed
the great herds of elk that were
kept in Wyoming. They were
beauties. If these noble animals
were not protected they would
soon be destroyed like the buf-
falo, by the vandalism of the
hunter. He showed pictures of
the different kind of birds of
Oregon, and the geese, ducks
and swan that used to fill our
rivers, lakes and bays during
the Winter season. Contrast
the abundance of fowl of
fifty years ago with what we
have now and it is easy to see
what the ruthless and wilful
hand of man has done to destroy
them. 1t is the same with the
deer and elk that were so plen-
tiful in our mountains and val
leys forty or fifty years ago. l
have heard men say they had
killed in a single Winter one
hundred and fifty deer for their
pelts and horns alone. No won
der the game has disappeared.
The beautiful native pheasants
that were so plentiful along our
creeks and crabapple bottoms
are nearly all gone. / know of
one creek bottom of five or six
miles in length with numerous
crabapple groves along the
creek and here in the evening
the pheasants would come to
feed-hundreds Of them. Just
before the law protecting them
went into effect a gang of hunt
ers with thier dogs went into the
groves-the natural feeding
grounds of the birdsAand killed
nearly every one of them. 1t is
for this purpose that laws are
enacted to protect the game and
birds. The mountains and val
leys would be very dull and
lonely IL It were not for these
beautiful birds and wild game
that inhabit them. Mr.. Finleys
idea Is to educate the people up
to the Importance OF preserving
our birds, game and fish so it
will be easy to enforce the laws.
Mr.. Finley is a warm advocate
OF protecting the fish in our bays
and rivers. He says hatcheries
ought to be maintained on all
our principal rivers. This is
more important now as the nat
ural spawning grounds are be-
ing destroyed by being settled
up and the land along our
streams and rivers cleared and
cultivated. Statistics show
that 95 per cent Of the eggs are
Matched artificially, while only
20 per cent of the eggs are
Matched on the natural spawn
ing grounds. When the little
salmon get big enough they go
to the ocean and stay there four
years and then come back to
the same stream they were
Matched In to spawn, and after
that they die along the rivers
and small streams and disap-
pear.
Tuesday afternoon the teach
ers' dismissed the school and all
the children went to the ROYAL
Theatre to see them. Mr.. Fin
ley was present and entertained
the children with a splendid lee
ture about birds, fishes and
wild animals. The house was
filled two or three times with
the children. The children all
fell In love with Mr.. Finley for
the kind interest he took in
them and the good lecture he
gave. This entertainment was
free to the children. On Thurs
day night the Club gave a spec
ial entertainment in their hall
In honor Of the state biologist
and other state officials that
were expected to be present, but
could not get here. Mr.. Shoe
maker, master game warden,
and Mr.. Kelley, master fish war
den, were unavoidably detained,
to the great disappointment of
the members of the Club. A
special banquet was served and