Evening star., 1933-09-21
Humane Instincts Praised
AS Multitude Watches Deer

Gathering Of thousands to watch q
deer which was imprisoned for more
than q week on rocky ledge of a cliff
at Watkins Glen, N. Y, inspires
thoughts Of humane tendencies in man
Its relation to the advance in the treat
ment OF animals is seen, while the ulti-
mate success of the deer, which had
gone there to escape pursuers, finds re-
Election also in human experience.
Some persons who pride themselves
on being logical" remarks the Roches-
ter Times Union, have pointed out that
thousands of deer are shot every year
on authority of licenses issued by the
State. Why they asked, all this bother
about one particular deer? Why didn't
a game warden shoot the deer and be
done with it? But the park authori-
ties knew their business. They knew
thousands Of persons were deeply inter-
ested in the welfare of that deer. Call
1t sentimentaliSm If you like; the fact
remains that such feeling is responsible
for the great advance made In this and
other countries in preventing cruelty to
animals. And that is q real gain, a
those who have Travelled in countries
where no such advance has been re-
corded would be the first to testify"
Everybody IS relieved that, after nine
days, friendly men helped it to find an
escape" testifies the Salt Lake Deseret
News, and that paper makes the con-
tribution to the philosophy of the in
cident: why should the American pub
lie be waiting day after day to learn
whether buck has been saved? In
the first place there Is romance. The
doe, mate Of the antlered prisoner, had
been frightened and fell to her death
Readers pttied not only the danger but
the loneliness of the stag. There was
suspense. Would the deer Jump to his
death? Would he use the suspension
bridge, constructed to save him, OF
would he succumb alone, frightened and
grieving, on the narrow cliff? A deer
Is a particularly favorable animal for
publicity. Its fleetness and beauty in
action, its quick sense of danger, its use
for food which preceded the dawn Of
history, and the sport of its chase have
all made it of unusual interest"
Interest Of the whole country to q
remarkable degree" is observed by the
Charleston Is. c. Evening Post, with
comment on "the tens of thousands OF
visitors" and the efforts made to meet
the requirements of the animal. The
Evening Post concludes: Thousands OF
schemes were suggested for releasing
1t. None availed until, at last. gentle
pressure was put upon the animal to
find a way out for itself, which It
thereupcn. promptly did. by picking a
path down the steep incline and soon
making its way into the woods. Per-
haps there Is lesson in this incident
for the recovery experts. Ingenious
devices have been created and many
more have been proposed to lure pros
perity around that corner where it has
been stuck for the past four years
Maybe II It were urged little by gen.
tie proddings to move out of its retreat
It might md way"
THE strange combination Of the hu-
name and the baYbarous in human ma
ture," according to the Providence Jour-
nal. IS continuously puzzling to redec-
tive observers. Here was Wild animal
forced into . precarious position while
trying to escape from a pursuing pack
Of dogs. In the flight his mate fell
over the cliff and was killed. The stag
reached safety On the narrow shelf and
apparently there was no way It could