The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1916-05-02
VOTES MONEY TO
DESTROY COYOTES

The House of Representatives has
just voted $250,00 for the destruction
of coyotes. A goodly portion of this
will go to Superior California and Ne
vada.
1t was voted on the agricultural ap-
preparation bill, after a most spirited
debate The opposition was strong, as
the bill originally carried but $125,000.
Chairman Lever, of the agricultural
committee, with the support of Minori-
ty Leader Mann, proposed the increase.
Just before the amendment was
adopted, Representative Madden, of
Chicago, declared it wrong to "load
the taxpayers with unnecessary bur-
dens of this sort.
"'These men from the Western
states,' continued Madden, "know
very well that there is no more need
of this appropriation to kill these wild
animals than the man in the moon.
Why, gentlemen, our Western friends
have Just discovered another way of
putting a few more men on the pay
roll. Now, we have to give them
shotgun and horse and saddle and
a tent and all the other paraphernalia
in order to make them eligible for the
payroll.
"Coyotes, oh, coyotes, what crimes
are committed in their namel The
gentleman from California (Represen-
tative Baker, weeps. You can see the
tears running down his face, lest the
item will not pass and few more men
get on the payroll to kill coyotes.'
Several western Representatives,
Democrats and Republicans, pleaded
for the appropriation. One of them
was Representative Roberts of Neva-
da.
"We want the appropriation, said
Roberts, "because we need it,
He described how the rabies was be-
ing spread everywhere by coyotes.
"Even the badgers, skunks and wild
cats have it, asserted Roberts.
Then he related, how an "E1ko man
had died from hydrophobia, caused by
being bitten while sleeping in the
sagebrush. -
to know whether it was a rabid coy
ote or alcohol that killed the Elko
man. One of the Oregon members had
told about rabid coyote chasing an
automobile, and Missouri Represent
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was aware "that where this coyote
chased that automobile it was prohi-
bition territory"
Representative Roberts clung tena-
ciously to his subject and expressed
regret that the appropriation was to
be only for hunters on the public do
main. He thought it ought to apply
as well on private ranches.
n n
ously ino the debate and told of coy
oe ravages in Modoc and Lassen coun-
ties, California.
fWe appeal to you,' he said, "to
help us fight disease that can be car
ried by the coyote to the dog, to the
cat, and other animals. The wife and
the child are in danger. Even the
schools, where the children are gath
cred, are and have been in danger.
"The coyote with the rabies loses
all sense of danger" declared Repre-
sentative Baker at another point in
the running discussion. "He starts
down the road biting the tin cans, Bit
ing the fence, biting the horse, biting
the automobile, biting the cow, biting
the sheep, and he keeps on biting until
he is dead. He may bite twenty dogs
and he may bite other coyotes and cat
tle.'
Representative Miller, of Delaware,
said he was strong for the appropria-
/ ton, for he had ridden the range in
Nevada for four years and was "fa-
miliar with the depredations commit
| ted by coyotes and their danger to live
stock, to say nothing of humans.
Miller caused great hilarity by cor
reeting the pronunciation of the word
by eastern representatives. 1t was pro-
nounced as though spelled "kiotes. -
81 do not think the proponents of
this provision helped it any," contin-
ued Miller, "by bringing in the Illus
tration of the man who was bitten be-
hind the sagebrush. If he had taken
enough alcohol before he lay down to
sleep, he probably would have gotten
over the effects of that bite"
Representative Hernandez, of New
| Mexico diseoursed about the coyote,
dwelling especially upon the proper
pronunciation of the word. 1t was a
Spanish word and was pronounced as
though "eoyo-te."
There was much talk about the pay
ment of bounties for coyote scalps, and
what western states had done in this
line, and also about the large areas of
forest reserves making determination
of the mad creatures more difficult.
Finally, in spite of all the ribald re-
marks, the appropriation was voted
through and probably win be approved
by the Senate, when the agricultural
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