The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-08-02
From the Am

From the American Field.
 N MANS claim to thies dignity does LA\ not depend in any degree upon his
 S S pecuniary circumstances. High
 priced guns and dogs. costly shooting
 suits and improved implements have their
 proper value, and are appropriate to
 those who can afford them, but they do net prove their possessor a sportsman, any more than wealth makes one gen. tleman. The natural character of the man and his appreciation of and effort to meet the requirements of the ranks alone indicate his right to it, and to the respect of those who belong to the select guild; and such character and con
 duct arc as often the characteristics or poor men as of those born to the purple. We have known many of fortunes favor ties claiming to be sportsmen who were in reality mere purse-proud boors, and we have known, too, men whose lives were continued struggles with the world whose friendship was an honor and whose , sno-.snanship was as undeniable as the ohivalry of the Knights of the Round Table.
 The true sportsman is gentleman par excellence. He is a man who regards the rights of others as fully as he es- teens his own. His sportsmanship ccfors his life cut of the field as well as in II. He is neither egotistical nor selfish, but is as ready to learn from others as 70 impart his cwn knowledge, and all ne does or says is marked by courtesy and manly dignity.
 A true sportsman's conduct is based upon the rule of doing to others as he would be deEe by. When he enters upon a farmers property he recognizes the fact that he has not legal right there, and will leave if requested to do so, but if permitted to stay is careful not to do any damage. When shooting in company he is not constantly striving to outdo his companions and fill his own bag at the expense of theirs He does not push on to get shots e shoot at birds which, os the Iaws of the field, belong to others' and SD make it doubtful who has killed.
 In rIace of this. he will be solicitous for
 the success of his friends and do all in his
 power to advance it. even at the eA-
 pense of personal sacrifice. A true sportsman is law observer lie Soes not make the misdeeds of others an
 excuse for breaking the law himself.
 He recognizes the law as the foundation
 of order, as well as designed for the
 nec, ssary protection of game, even if ill adapted to the latter. He knows, too. that those with whom he desires to be classed will not descend to petty theft
 of public property, and, however aggra- vating it may be to lose sport, his self respect will not permit him to be guilty Of acts tha. would render him unworthy to assoc;ate with men of honor, w hen the expira ron of the closed season per ,njts him 10 enter the field he shoots in a sportsmanllke manner. He will not kill more tirds than he can fairly use, for he delights not solely on killing and he knows that undue slaughter is robbery of other spor tsmen and waste of nature s supplies, which she surely will revenge He recognizes that what a mans needs require he can fairly take from the abun- dancs of nature, but to take that which will rot benefit him and which causes suffering and death to creatures whose righ. to live is equal to his own lis wanton cruelty. unworthy the nobility of man.
 The true sportsman is not satisfsd with merely drawing moderately upon the sup plies of nature, but goes farther and tries to keep up that supply by lending his influence for the enactment of good game laws.~ He is not content with the , probability that the game will last his time, but with Hberality of feeling he de- sires that future generations of sportsmen shall enjoy the same pleasures which de- flight him. He directs his attention to feeding the bi-is when hard winters make