The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1930-08-07
THE GREAT AMERICAN TRAGEDY
Grand Rapids Herald-Review


Martha's Vineyard lies right off from Cape
Cod. It has 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 Martha's Vine
yard. Then forest fire came and destroyed most
of them and what few remained have all died ex-
cept this last old fellow who walks gloomlly about
in brush and the woods tolerating life and those
who would take his picture.
It is not necessary to mention the passenger
pigeons We all know their history. They flew in
such great numbers that they obscured the sun.
They shot, caught in great nets at their roost-
ing places and the best birds sold Tor rev pennies
a pound. Now some museums have stuffed passeng-
er pigeons and there offers of many hundreds OF
dollars to anyone who find one alive. Those re-
wards have been unclaimed for about generation.
We do many destructive things to wild life
today. We let the poor partridge or ruffed grouse
little from its parasitic enemies and then
we start to shoot them. Between germs and guns
this beautiful bird has chance to increase We
shoot at our ducks in the fall and between the Ca
madam border and the gulf of Mexico there is hardly
a place where the fowl may rest and hardly an hour
of the day that the birds safe from hidden guns
worn by camoufaged hunters. We kill the female
deer. We allow pike to be caught too many at
a time and catch bass from their spawning BEDS
And all the while we complain that nature is de-
peting supply Of wild animals and fish, It Is not
nature that fault this good old mother Is try
ing keep all of her animals alive. The fault does
not necessarily lie with advancing civilization for
The fault lies with generation Of people who think
more Of killing than Of keeping, more Of selfish de-
struction than of enduring protection.
It is that way with everything else. We re-
proach the past generations for cutting and wasting
timber We Of today allow trees to burn and forest
fres virtually all Of which preventable destroy
nearly as much timber nature produces. Our
conservation of timber has been confined largely to
talk though it Is becoming more Of an issue as pub
lie sentiment for it increases.
What is true Of timber is just as true OF min
erals. Our iron ore is today about where the tim
Der industry Of Minnesota found itself generation
ago. There is still wonderful chance for construc-
tive conservation Of iron 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 disadvantage
at some lat.s day. If the amount of low grade or
underground material now being taken from the Me-
saba could be doubled, tripled substantially in
ing region and it's communities would be greatly en-
larged. An unemployment situation on the basis Of
present population, would be cured Operations
would be less seasonal, more substantial and salts
factory.
Most of the indications in dealing with these
problems Of the conservation Of natural resources
are discouraging Disregard of the future has been
brought about by many generations 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 encouraging sign, indication Of grow
ing interest Necessity may bring it, if nothing else
will.