The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1917-04-20
OFFICER OF THE LEAGUE
/ SPEAKS.FOR' PRESERVE.
SWAN LAKE SHOULD NOT BE.
DESTROYED
HarryJ. LaDue, Vice President Of Third
Congressional District Sportmen's
Association, Presents An Argument
In Favor of Keeping Swan Lake As
1t Now Is; The Points Raised
From FRIDAYS Daily.

From Fridays Daily.
+ To the Sportsman the Nature
Lover and the Conservationist: A
project is on foot in Nicollet county
today that is of vital interest to over
1000 of her residents, and to an equal
amount of welcome visitors from sur
rounding counties and distant parts
of the state. A project that has
not for its object the general well
fare of the most people and
lacking that object We believe to be
unconstitutional.
Monopolies by the few, OF our
foests and waterways, fish and game
have, been tried in every state in the
Union, and until the. public awoke
were highly successful. The monop-
oily. that we have to contend with now
may be termed destructive monopoly.
Nicollet county's greatest natural re-
source, Swan Lake, has been threaten
ed, with destruction. A few, avery few,
in fact, with the hope of adding to
already generous real-estate hold
ings have started proceedings to
lower the level of Swan Lake, pro-
ceedings which will eventually mean
a complete drainage, indeed the mere
proposed lowering will probably ac-
complish that end, with lake of the
shallow proportions Of Swan Lake.
Swan Lake enjoys, today the dis
tinction of being the largest and the
most richly endowed, natural breeding
waters for aquatic fowl in: the state. 1t
undoubtedly is big factor in direct
ing the line of flight of ducks and
geese, in the fall It's disappearance
will mean the end of the big, migratory
flights that furnish us today with such
excellent shooting. Friend mallard is
an avian speed marvel but he cannot
leave his summer home after break
fast and eat his supper in the sunny
southland. He has to stop for dinner
in Minnesota and when we cease serv-
ing dinnersfire will take the Dakota or
Wisconsin overland route, sure as
shooting ~ - '''#. J&5' -.s .-ss.
It's too bad that sentiment cannot be
the deciding factor in'this controversy.
But it is probably impossible. Old Dol
lars and Cents wills surely outshine
every other consideration. But, 1--WE
should worry we are happy to re-
late/ we have enough Dollars and
Cents piled up on our side of the
scale to make you take notice.
What about the thousands of ducks
annually shot on this lake? Haven't
they cash value? Based on the prices
received for game birds in the east to-
day, $4,000 would be conservative
reliable estimates placed Swan Lakes
the wild game brought to our tables.
If this seems prepoSterOus, try to
propagate a"few wild ducks this
spring and Keep an accurate account
of your feed bill. The writer has tried
it, he knows. 90, 80. .r.-
What about the trapping industry
for which swan Lake is, so justly
famed? The fur annually trapped there
furnishes many a trapper with a
livelihood and many farmer boy with
pocket money. This seasons muskrat
fur, alone, brought the trapper an av-
ierage- of 80 to 40 cents apiece and
reliable estimates placed Swan Lakes
marketed skins at around the 0O,00O
mark, and these are conservative
figures. A little multiplication will
surprise you. s..
There is, also the ice harvested an
nually and furnishing the surrounding
towns and farms with that necessity.
And then, if we could only place in the
dollars and cents column the big oppor-
tunity to leadnin wild life conservation,
the promotion of true craftsmanship and
out-doo recreation which Swan lake
gives to us, our work would be easy. AS
it is we can only place Swan lake as a
natural resource of inestimable value to
the people of Nicollet county. and the
state at large and trust to the interest
of our sportsmen and conServationistS to
save it for us. -..-..
With our rich, natural game and fish
resources, are we going to allow propos-
ais of this sort to keep us out of our
rightful place with other states in the
world wide fame that has come to them
With our thousands of acres of tillable
land can we not save one little lake for
our sporting PROSPERITY? What about
Maine, with but half the game and fish
and less than half the hunting and fish
ing territory? She has successfully COM
mercialized her. game and fish resources
and her annual income mounts into the
millions Some day Minnesota will be
the happy hunting grounds for the north
west and when that day comes we want
Niccollet county well to the fore.
Right now, Mr.. Sportsman we want
you and your active aid. We want you
to join the nearest branch of the Min
nesota Game Protective league or better
yet organize branch in your home town
or township. Organized effort beats in
dividual effort every time and when you
join that club be an active member, not
a sustaining member. Your organiza-
ton can live in the treasurer's books
with the aid of the sustaining members
but the objects of your organization can
live only through the efforts of your ac-
tive members. Be an active member.
And let your first activities take the
form of an organized effort to save Swan
lake.
My grandfather often came overland,
some two hundred miles, travelling in a
covered wagon, for the sole purpose of
hunting the geese and ducks on Swan
lake and twenty years hence 1 don't
want my own. son to look longingly at
the muddy hole that was once Swan
dad?" BY Harry J. La Due vice presi-
dent, Third congressional district, Min
nesota Game Protective league.