Year: 1877

quest we pUDllSn couple OF letters from
the Forest and Stream :-ManrlteSter Jour-
nal.


"EditOr Forest and St,tdm.


lington, Vermont. The gentleman begins
his address by asking, 'Of what conse-
quence, if any, is the preservation of the
wild game of this state to the pubic?'


81 would like to answer through your
paper, of no consequence irhdteCer, if in pre-
serving the game we do anything which
would tend to make an aristocracy based
on money, or anything which would tend
to establish a privileged class in society :;
anything which would make the poor
man hate the rich man; anything which
would tend TO encourage eternal law suits,
or which tends toward or initiates the Eng
lish game laws. Better ecery game bird
and fish be destroyed, than to carry out the
plan which has been commenced in this
state by few men, who appear to think
they ought to be the only ones who should
have the hight to hunt aud fish. They call
themselves gentlemen, | suppose-aN 9th
ers are peasants, 'lOafers, 'vagabonds,
etc, these men appear to think


Nov, Cne of the most prominent men
of this set, who would transport poor man
TO Botany Bay for shooting woodcock,
has the reputation in the town in which
he lives OF being the worst 'Poachcr' in il.


"Fhese gentlemen know they can't have
in this country an 'aristocracy of blood, SO
they want one of the very meanest kind
one of muucy.


II preoict that the effect of the game
laws just passed IN our sate, will be to
make very large majority of men who
take any interest in hunting or fishing, feel
that they will do all they can TO destroy
the fish and game entirely, rather than per
init few men who may chance to have a
little money, to enjoy alone all of those
privileges they have always had an equal
share in. 1t won't work; too much law
is bad, The gentleman who delivered the
address at Burlington, 5 lys, The presence
OF game attracts people in search of pleas
ure to the country who leave money behind
them That is true, but the attraction
loses its charm somewhat, when the pleas
ure seeker finds 'old Jones after him with
an officer, and he is brought up before odd
Dogberry,' and finds out, when too lac,
that he is criminal, and has got to go to jail
or pay a heavy fine and costs, because he
has crossed u sheep pasture on his way
home from the stream when he has already
paid high price for the right to fish,
with the implements of fishing 10 his
hands, the chances are that he will leave
money behind him Just as soon rs he can,
and try and find some place where he's not
obliged to leave quite SO much money be-
hind him.


"It is noticeable that those who want so
much law, refer continually to England
and her game laws. Now, when we have
a condition Of society and government
like that of England it will be quite time
enough to initiate her game laws, and not
before.


while the bird remains on your land, it
is your property just as much as your sheep
are


"This is not the fact. The bird is not
your property until captured.


'ShOuld any one kill and take away from
off your land bird or fish, he would not
commit theft but should he kill and take
away sheep, he would be a thief without
DOUBT. am sure nost people want good
strict laws, as 10 CLOSE and open seasons,
ana as TO KINDS OF implements to be used,
ana have and always shall be ready to
help maintain good reasonable game laws.
hut this extreme legislation l am opposed
to, and feel sure the effect will be bad, and
only tend to bring into contempt the whole
subject Of the preservation of fish and
game, and discourage any private indlvid-
uals in their efforts to re-stock the streams
with fish.


IF these gentlemen who want so much
law would make one half the effort to get
our state to establish a state Matching house,
as New York has done, and fill our splend d
streams with fish, and let the rich and poor,
high and low, share them on equal terms
they would do something that would
amount to something, though perhaps they
would now and then be annoyed by meet
ing peasant on the stream, yet for the
public good they ought to be willing to en-
dure that.


"What we want, is set of game laws
that all good, fair minded men, would see
were reasonable, and bore alike on all.
am certain such laws would be supported