The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1930-05-30
AMERICAN TRAGEDY
SAYS RANCE EDITOR
EDITOR ROSSMAN EDITORIALLY
COMMENTS ON WASTEFULNESS
AND PARTICULARLY REFERS
TO GAME, TIMBER AND IRON.

L. A. Rossman of the Grand Rapids
HERALD Review brings out some peril
nent thoughts in the following taken
from his last weeks issue and which
he headed 1.-THE Great American
Tragedy" He says:
'Marthas Vineyard lies right off
from Cape Cod. 1t has one notable
inhabitant, the last heath cock The
heath fowl is grouse much like the
prairie chicken. They were once very
plentiful They began to disappear
and protective measures were taken in
their behalf about 20 years ago. In
1916 there were several thousand on
Martha'S Vineyard. Then a forest
fire came and destroyed most of them
and what few remained have all died
except this last old fellow who walks
gloomingly about in brush and the
woods, tolerating life and those who
would take his picture.
cit is not necessary to mention the
passenger pigeons. We all know their
history. They flew in such great num-
bers that they obscured the sun. They
were shot, caught in great nets at
their roosting places and the best birds
sold for a few pennies per pound.
Now some museums have stuffed pas
Senger pigeons and there are offers of
many hundreds of dollars to anyone
who can find one alive. Those re-
wards have been unclaimed for about
a generation.
1--WE do so many destructive things
to wild life today. We let the poor
partridge or ruffed grouse recover a
little from its parasitic enemies and
then we start to shoot them Between
germs and guns this beautiful bird has
no chance to increase. We shoot at
our ducks in the fall and between the
Canadian border and the Gulf of Mex
leo there is hardly place where the
fowl may rest and hardly an hour of
| the day that the birds are safe from
| hidden guns worn by camouflaged
| hunters. We kill the female deer.
We allow our pike to be caught, too
| many at time and we catch bass
from their spawning beds. And all
the while we complain that nature is
depicting our supply of wild animals
and fish. 1t is not nature that is at
fault, this good old mother is trying
to keep all her animals alive. The
fault does not necessarily lie with adj
vancing civilization, for many animals
enjoy the company of human beings.
The fault lies with a generation of
people which thinks more of killing
than of keeping, more of selfish de-
Struction than of enduring protection.
ct is that way with everything else.
We reproach the past generations for
cutting and wasting timber. We of
today allow trees to burn and forest
fires, virtually all of which are pre-
ventable, destroy nearly as much tim
Der as nature reproduces Our con-
servation of timber has been confined
largely to talk, though it is becoming
more of an issue as public sentiment
for it increases.
What is true of timber is just as
true of minerals. Our iron ore industry
is today about where the timber in
duStry of Minnesota found itself
generation ago. There is still a won
derful chance for constructive conser-
walton of iron ore. But conservation
does not consist of the creation and
the maintenance of conditions under
which only the best may be taken and
the poorer remain to be used at dis
advantage at some later day. If the
amount of low grade or underground
material now being taken from the
Mesaba could be doubled, tripled or
substantially increased, the present
prospects for the life of the mining
region and it's communities would be
greatly enlarged. An unemployment
situation, on the basis of present pop
| ulation, would be cured. Operations
would be less seasonal, more substan-
tial and satisfactory.
Most of the indications in dealing
with these problems of the conserva-
ton of natural resources are discour-
aging. Disregard of the future has
been brought about by many genera
tions of thoughtless deeds and acts.
So great are our possessions that we
have adopted philosophy of not only
disregard. but almost contempt, for
them. Once in while there is an en-
couraging sign, an indication of grow
isg interest. Necessity may bring it,
if nothing else will"