The Washington times., 1921-06-19
v. VA. GAME law
BRINGS new HOPE
TO real ANGLERS
Conservation 10 Expected ulti-
matsly to Make State Mecca
of Tourists.

HUNTINGTON, w. Va. June IS
In spite Of the fippancy with which .
small part OF the public treats the
subject OF angling. the fact remains
that in tho Guyandotte and Mud
rivers and in Twelve Pole creek the
Crsator furnished this section OF West
Virginia with three OF the best nat
uraI bass streams in all OF the United
states And approximately 5000
men and women Of cabell countysare
wondering what the new Fish and
Game Commission, soon to be ap-
pointed by Governor Morgan, 10 goinE
to do about IL. They are wondering II
the commission IL going to make
real effort to rcstock and protect
these streams or II the present con
ditions. which permit gtgging and
seininE 10 70 unpunished, will con-
tinue 20. prevail.
Hard roads and the automoblie have
Brought the country close to Hunt
ington's doors and lovers Of the open
spaces believe that the new nsh and
game law enacted by the recent leg
isIature has made possible Z long,
cherished plan to turn the whole
rural section OF West Virginia into
mecca for tourists and a paradise for
sportsmen
GAME OvER-ApUKDANr.
The Guyandotte, the Mud and the
Twelve Pole at one time teemed with
fish and the hills of Cabeil abounded
In game OF all varieties. A number
of old records telling of the abund-
ance of game birds In the carly years
of the settlement of virginia may be
found. william Starehy, writing ib
1910. says in his "rrue Declaration OF
Virginia;
The turkeys Of that Country are
great and fat, and exceeding In
plenty. Tho rivers from August or
September till February are covered
with nocks OF void fowl. a. swans,
geese, duck. mallard. teal. pigeons.
hearonA bitterns. curlewes. god
wishts, plouers, snights. doterels.
cormorants, in such abundance as
are not In all the world to be
eQualed.'
John Clayton Glossy in letter TO
the Royal Society giving accounts of
Several observabies In virginias,"
says that wild geese and brant in
winter came in mighty nocks with
wild ducks innumerable.
struction OF game on the Ohio river
during the early part OF the nine
teenth century. He says that In 1910
when he nrst visited the region the
shores of the river were we'll sup
piled with game. A wild turkey,
grouse or teal could be procured In q
few minutes and his party Jared well.
There were then great herds of elk.
deer and buffalo on the hills and In
the valleys. Twenty years later these
herds ceased to exist The country
rapidly was becoming covered with
villages. towns and farms and the
din OF hammers and machinery con-
stantly was heard. The woods fast
were disappearing under the axe and
f1re, steamboats, were gliding over
the length of the river and the wild
life was disappearing.
FISH DYNAMITTD.
Development Of the country. how
ever, was not the sole cause for the
disappearance of game. Unsports-
manlike methods of a certain ciasy
OF hunters and anglers have done
more TO depopulate the State of it's
wild life than any other single
cause. Dynamiting and Rigging began
years ago, and 10 still persisted In
to the present day, because game
wardens In the past have been with
out funds to break up the practice.
One pool on Mud river was dyna-
mited three times In one night last
summer by three separate parties.
and the nares OF the eiggers may be
seen almost any night on the Guyan,
dotte or Mud rivers
1t is these practices that the
new Ash and Rame Communication will
eradicate; and at the same time they
which win mean the reforestisAtion
of the State. the restocking of the
streams and the establishment of q