The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1924-05-29

! With trout caught in Lake Parlin
and more; when the moose started
across our acres, and this was not
so long ago at all, it leaves a sad re-
! Election. The preservation of the
wild life in our woods is a condition
absolutely precedent to any lasting
! success of the resorts and camps To-
Gated in our forests. If it would be
! possible to develop farm land in our
country, ultimately looking forward
/ to fourshing farm communities, an
/ argument could be made against any
effort to stop the course of what we
at times wrongly call civilization;
! but that is out of the question in our
country. That land can never be
] farmed, nothing but rocks with lit
/ tie top soil. in which the farmer
would have 20 battle against snow
and ice for six or seven months a
year. If anybody would attempt to
farm Lake Parlin as a business I'M
dertaking, he would be an absolute
failure. Our woods and mountains
are the natural power reservoir for
the Kennebec River industries, and
| when kept in their wild state, are
the great asset in attracting visitors.
An unwise forest policy, in conjunc-
ton with an absolutely insufficient
game protection, has changed the en-
tire aspect. do not mean to re-
fleet on individual game wardens.
Game protection, as such, must rest
largely with the awakened conscious
ness of our own citizens and the I'M
derstanding of its value. Publicity
is one of the means to drive home
L. u 4 I IL 1. 4
to cooperate with any efforts to pro-
mote such work
at now has come to pass, after
short ten years. that game is becom-
ing scarcer and scarcer and that our
country is being wood-pulped to
death--and the result? Instead of
relying upon the wonderful natural
beauty of our country, to permanently
attract summer guests, our good
people are turning their principal at
tention to the revenue they can de-
rive from the tourists that fly over
our road, bound for Canada and for
what this word usually implies to
them. 1t would be ludicrous, if 1t
would not be so sad, to contemplate
that the chief consideration is given
to attracting people to travel over
our roads in order to reach Canadian
liquor, and Maine prides itself with
being the oldest dry state.
81 am not holding brief, one way
or the other, but / feel a sound of
warning is timely Somerset Coun-
ty should insist upon its Identity
that is. that il offers at the same time
the connecting link between Maine
and Quebec, Is for many happy cir
cumstance. Let it remain such, but
let it not influence the attitude of
our citizens as regards the retension.
preservation and extension of our
natural assets and resources, identi- /
fed with forests and the wild life. /
Original sewers of our water power, |
for where forests are devastated /
Mother Nature revenges herself, and
you have the vicious cycle of fresh
cts in the spring, carrying away the |
farmers toll, devastating the valley; /
and dorughts, in the summer. placing |
the farmers crops in jeopardy, while |
the wild game in the woods will al |
ways remain the great attraction for /
the city dwelling, and combined with /
the natural beauties, will never cease |
to make Maine, and particularly our |
woods in Somerset County the play /
ground of the nation.
1.-TWO little episodes will serve as
an illustration of my statement, that |
the game preservation rests with the |
enlightened understanding of our own |
neighbors: Many years ago, when | |
was little girl and was pulling my |