The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-09-08


perience is the best teacher. but
usually the big-mouthed bass hits
and turns the bait on the first run.
Feel him out and when you think
he has the bait turned that IL the
time to give him the hook.
Never overcrowd your bait bucket,
It is better to have few bait full
Of life than a bucket of dead ones.
Bass under nine inches in length
must be returned to the water
when caught. This is required by
law.
The Potomac Anglers Assocla-
ton viii hold their fourth annual
fishing excursion on Sunday, Sep.
tember %. According to Paul
BaPstOW, chairman Of the outing,
fully 500 fishing enthusiasts are
expected to attend.
A special train will leave the
District line at $50 a. m. On reach
ing the beach the fishermen win
be taken to choice fishing grounds
on the bay by fleet Of over twen-
ty motor boats under direction Of
Captain Noah Hazard.
The return train will leave the
beach at $50 p. m. The Washing
ton Railway and Electric Company
will supply special street cars to
and from the train.
. Valuable prizes have been offered
by local sporting goods houses for
the lucky anglers who land the
largest fish I'm the trout, bluefish
and hardhead class A cash prize
of SO IL offered by this paper for
the angler landing the largest fish
OF any species.
There has been some question
lately -as to who was the first
game cOnservatiOnist in America,
and one writer advances credit to
. character described by James
FenimOre Cooper in his fine old
"Deerslayer" tales. This hunts
man, to prove his prOWess and
marksmanship before the Lady he
loved, stepped into b clearing.
carelessly lifted his gun AMI
brought down two birds, pierced
through the heart with one shot.
And then, repenting his wantou
and needless slaughter, burst into
tears.
1t would be interesting to know
whether Cooper's hero really was
the first true conservationist. A
great deal has been written about
conservation, and much has been
done since Deerslayer's days. Great
organizations have been built to
further the work of game protec-
ton. and records have been kept
showing progress. This being the
case it is much easier to identify
the latest conservationist, with the
most modern methods, than it in to
find the first one.
Shadowy realities of the past live
now only in the memory of grand
fathers. The plow and the reaper
and the dredging machine and the
game hog have followed in the
wake of "pale-face" civilization and
the wild life of a. half century ago
is but a shadow of its former
glory in the bulk of America.
Gradually legislatures and aericuI.
tural organizations are encroaching
more and more closely upon the
few remaining wild life refugees in
all the plains and hills and valleys
of the granary of the world. And,
as the refugees go, SO passed the
remaining vestiges of that famous
happy hunting ground, wherein the
rifle was king, rather than the
reaper.
Only Of recent years has real
thought been given to the future
Of the wild life in America. Con-
servation Of 1t, in some instances,
such as the buffalo and the mas.
senger pigeon and the deer, began
too late. The agricultural system
of development of America came
into direct conflict with the per-
~
were few who realized that this
was SO.
Edward Avery McIlhenny, wei
known for his efforts in the eS-
tablishment Of the Rockefeller.
Says, Rainey-McIIhenny and
Louisiana State game refugees on
the gulf coast, Is now extending
to zoe square miles the territory
in which game Is protected I'm
Louisiana. The refugees amount
to $40 square miles, and he has
added 1O0,O 600 acres by his own
investment. This territory Is to
be made even more attractive to
all forms of game, and Mr.. Nell
benny calls upon spOrtsInen
everywhere interested in cOnser-
walton to cooperate i'm this SPLEEN
0AO WOfh.
Followers Of wild life recall that
McIlhenny is the man who nearly
thirty years ago started with eight
snowy herons to make bird city"
In southern Louisiana. Hundreds
Of thousands of these birds, as well
as birds Of other species, are now
In existence there.
Some people scoffed and ridiculed
this venture as a Pigment of a
"strong imagination" Out Of this
venture there became gradually the
mightiest experiment in game pres
erVation the world has ever known,
and out of 1t also is growing the
worlds most magnificent sanctuary
Of the wild.
Today, Mr.. McIlhenny sees from
his home on Avery island. stretch
ting out across the gulf coast the
great game refugees he has created
after thirty years of building and
AN expenditure of nearly one mil
lion dollars where his friends. the
denizens of the wild. can rest in
peace and multiply under the most
modern methods-that Of establish.
ing game refugees.