Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1919-02-05
THE GAME RESERVE.
: Lake Andrew, Jan. %. 1919.


- Lake Andrew, Jan. %, 1919.
Editor Willmar Tribune: =.
An article published in the New Lon
don Times last week, signed by Hen
ming ~Olander,- directed: several ques-
lions to me which, feel it my duty |
to answer, and ask for space in your
paper for that purpose. Mr.. Olander |
refers to my article published in the
Willmar Tribune dated Jan. 8. The
differences he makes are not all cor
rect, for tried to avoid personalities.
only sought to give my views about
the game refuge, and am very sorry
| If my expressions could tend to make
anyone sore at me, especially Mr.. 1
Olander, one of my best neighbors
| and friends. have been a neighbor
| of Mr.. Olander for twenty years and
always found him straightforward
! man and one of the most helpful men
in the neighborhood, and I never in
tended to hurt his feelings by my ex-
pressions in the Tribune.
| Now as to Mr.. O1ander's questions.
First he wants to know what good
this game. refuge has done to me.
Well, in the short time since its estab-
| lishment, one cannot say that it has
done much good, but neither can say
that it has done me any harm. What
good it will do In the immediate future
I cannot say. 1t may never be of any
great benefit to me in my time. But
sometimes people get into their heads
to fix things so that coming genera
lions will benefit by it, and I believe
the game laws and bird protection laws
are move in that direction, so that
the wild bird life and animals that We
know will not become extinct for those
who are to live in-this country after
us.
upholding this game protection, so that
l can let my turkeys and other fowls
run at large and feed upon the neigh
bors' fields. l certainly am not. My
turkeys may wander onto my neigh
bors' land, l admit. But what farmer
who raises turkeys can truthfully say
that they never go onto another man 8
land? l believe I can truthfully say
that my turkeys never go over to Mr..
Olander's fields, because they are too
far away. If my turkeys have done
any damage to other neighbors I will
, Olander.
Another statement Of Mr. Olander
refers to fishing in Lake Andrew
r This is entirely false and I am very
sorry if Mr.. Olander believes those
, to be the facts. He must have been
2 misinfOrmed in this matter. l will try
l.. to explain what little l have done in
l regard to fish planting and fish pro
: lection, and I believe it is more than
! any Of you fellow farmers have done
e in this direction. Some twelve years
} ago I applied to the Fish Commission
. for pike, bass and croppies to stock
3 Lake Andrew and at three different
! times l secured ten cans of fish fry
e to put in the lake. But l received
! more than the fish, for some Of my
d neighbors became angry at me for do
l. ing this. They said then. just wha
r Mr.. Olander is saying now, that was
g only working to help the rich people
e from far away. In later years some
r parties in New London have applied
J. for. fish fry, and have been public
J. spirited enough to receive them, hau
e them out, and plant them in the lake
a l, for one, am thankful to them TO-
e doing this.
~ Now as to the protection of the fish
y in the lake, can say that have Otter
y told fishermen from a distance to b.
- careful not to take any undersiZe fisl
and not more than the limit eacl
- day, and in many cases the partie
,, have thanked me for the information
II and have fished accordingly. That il
- =. about all the protection that l cal
~ give the fish in the open season. II
>: > the closed season I have never seel
u any far-away fishermen, and the pee
). pie nearby know the Minnesota f1s]
~ laws just as well as l do.
81 That have urged people from Siou
- City and Sioux Falls to come to LAX
= = Andrew and enjoy the good fishing
y is not true, Mr.. Olander. In severa
- cases l have discouraged those VIII.
have inquired about Accommodations 70
room and board, by refusing to accom-
y modate them.
Now few words about the gam
- reserve. Mr.. Olander says there ar
y. only three besides myself who ar,
- landowners on the reserve who ar
in favor of it. The fact is that Their
y are about twenty such in favor Of 1t
- Mr. Olander says there are five non
land owners on the first petition. Tn,
;: number, according to the names pub
8 lished, is four. If am rightly inform
- ed, Henry ]. Geer has an interest IL
u lands in this reserve
y Now, Mr.. Olander and Fellow Farm
J ers and neighbors, what is>the use O
. scrapping about this refuge, anyway
If you people who don't want it ar,
. successful in taking it away. l will
- accept the result, and will not be sor,
J" about it. But just look at what tn,
- states in the union are doing in tn,
~ direction Of protecting the birds.
= happened to read the following item
- in newspaper the other day:
Some twenty states of the UniO1
have provided bird sanctuaries TO-
the protection of migratory birds IL
= their long flights in search of feeding
u places. The matter has even beer
. made the subject Of an internationa
, treaty between United States and Can
= = ada affecting practically all birds tina
;. regularly migrate between the tw<
y countries. The treaty provides il
u effect that no birds important to agri
culture because of insect destroying
proclivities shall be shot at any time
Second, that no open game season OF
any species of game shall extend fol-
a longer period than 81 months
Third, that both countries shall so re
strict open seasons on game birds al
g to prevent them from being take1
/ during the breeding season"
4 Now this looks to me to be a much
r bigger affair than this little MOnongalis