The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, February 18, 1906, Page 14

THE SAN FRANCISCO SUNDAY CALL. g in hours 10se who are g sor e ¢ ion, in- ncern- rs of the commis nd vet 3 : \ STSIOry IO ER IS $4¢ ¢od 0 ‘What the artificial propagation of fish in California has meant te the State is spown In the recent records of the Sisson hatchery-—records that have, in some respects, been equaled in no other place in the world. Some idea of the work done there may be gleaned from the rejorts of the Fish Commission si h hatchery was established at Sisson in 1901. In Humbo!dt Cou , from the Eei River,in 1899, the shipment of salmon amounted 1,600 pounds, which practically represented the existing conditions, for ¢ 1904, three y ment of the ha gain of more than five times the a previous period Chief Deputy Vogelsan of, for it was achleved connection with the co Van Arsdale a self, has been direct of the lav ia are good ar forced in a careful mean to say is that we | to extremes. There are find that a violator of tk intentionall case In a way that would have a ficial result, yet not work in a unjust w tow: the offender In securing better ws the commission has endeavored have the public ir terested with us ould be in al? matters that concer velfare of the communities, and while we mest much opposition from men like your angry acquaintance, we have found, as I have already stated, that public sentiment i growing stronger every day in favor of the commission and that our acts In the Interest of the fish and game of the State are being more widely sustained. This is evideneed in the numerous let- ters of information we receive from all sections of the State advising us of vio- lations of the law and in the readiness the majfority of citizens show In giving testimony at the hearing of cases of arrested offenders.” But returning to the propagation of fish. As I have already sald, the record for Humboldt County for 1904 was a mar- velous ome, but will be excelled by the shipment of the succeeding twelve - » months. A comparison of the fish propa- TmeEEDrVE 3 g2 3 g gation of California with Oregon and T SrSSOX o ; Washington, both of which have more B ERY - water area, ours being confined matnly 4 to the Eel and Sacramento rivers, places this State In the lead. The total take of salmon eggs In Oregon during 1905 was about 18,000,000, and that of Washington something ke 35,000,000, while we have to date in the present salmon season & total of 117,000,000, which is the largest number of eggs handled under one man-~ agement in the history of the world. And yet men are to be found in every community ready to condemn the Com- missioners and their deputy for bringing about these magnificent conditions—for enforeing laws that the representatives of the people have enacted and securing the punishment of willful violators who Jeopardize one of the State’s most value able interests. Still the Commissioners and their chief deputy have pursued their duties in the face of this unjust criticlsm and opposition, Sparmg none Wwno are deemed guilty of infractions of the laws. 449 ¢oé his stewardship litable showing to man with those pec- cor ons, built up al- from a common species of ago has changed his former views on forth with a dog that would scent out e game question and now ranks the quail and raise them, while his among the most loyal supporters of the master, disregarding all rules of na- State game protectors —and what iS ture, would bring them to the ground » when his reasoning had been 2p- in large numbers. This hunter would to he manfully acknowledged ship his enormous bags to the city that he had, been on the wrong side of markets, where the quail would be sold the questions that are continually agi- at fancy prices to the richer class of public duty tating certain classes of sportsmen. people. Tnese prices actually, put & Mr desk is filled with As Mr. Vogelsang has suggested, premium on the slaughter of quail, and commur might be con- there is hope for my acquaintance. for six days in the week this hunter strued : of the work Some day a Governor may place him wouid continue his killing for the pay rimself, and his on the commission, and if we have not that was in it. Not only was it un- filled with re- misjudged him he may make a record 'fair to the man that has to labor six s of patience for himself. days in the week and had only Sun- r who are “The activity shown by the commis- days for a hunting trip, but, as I have rstand why they are not sion,” sald Mr. Vogelsang, “in the en- already said, it placed the game within given t same privileges of the In- forcement of the laws regulating the reach of only a comparatively few of ‘ of 100 years ago. killing of quail, I believe, brought upon the city’s population. In the past twelve months they have se- S riend,” reads one of these the heads of the members and me more “Now we have carefully studied this cured in the way of fines the handsome sug- hundred years ago, when censure than anything ever done by matter, and since the Jaw was enforced sum of $14,455; in 1903-04 the total amount 8 was barely encroaching on this body. Why, there are men in we have found that a greater number of fines imposed upon offenders in vari- ous parts of the State was $11,738; in 190102 it was $0497; In 1399-1900 it was ES oy S $5772, and for the previous year, 1897-98, it X eovtse Ry amounted to $3135, thus proving, with due Rt =5 respect to Mr. Vogelsang's predecessor, 1 plains, the American In- Northern California, whom I formerly of people are now being benefited by } hunt for game with regarded as my friends, who now hard- these restrictions than previous to the w. Even though his aim 1y speak to me. They actually believe timec they went into effect. Under the W accurate and his prize certain, he that this law was put in force for the present law it is’every man’s privilege, P bird at a time. The whir- sole benefit of a few rich men. They the poorer as well as the wealthier, to o i arrow did not frighten the regard our action as an attempt to in- go forth and secure a reasonable sup- CONIrTIISION, g3y that the present chief deputy of the com- e birds from their ac- fringe on their rights. ply of game. As a result of this con- LA, mission, during his four years’ work, laces of resort, and the fol- “Still, they represent a very small dition we have discovered that Froro. has been as vigilant to the safety of the he red man returned and majority of the people of the State who whereas it was formerly the fact that gams in its habitations as he has been to another supply of food. are personally interested in fishing and a few large bags of game came into its welfare during the propagation period. white man with his hunting. Public sentiment is growing the city destined to the markets, there 1 have since wondered if my kicking L ; gun, later with stronger in favor of restrictions upon are now shipped hundreds of small put the strict enforcement of her their numbers a thousandfold and, as friend was among those who contributed and the breech-loading the hunter and the fisherman and the packages of game, addressed to all laws to insure the perpetuation of they increase, the overflow will wan- a fine to these sums of money, or if his ed the plains in the wake warmest support comes to us from the parts of San Francisco—to fglends of these species of animal life. der forth to the free fields, a legitimate {llicit game had been confiscated and aut, and still later came very ones whose pleasures in the field true eportsmen—thus showing that with a view of insuring these prey for those who are in search of later furnished inviting morsels for the powder and the more or along the river' banks have been af- thc gawme food is reaching a class that conditions for the future,” explained game food. By placing prohibitive Inmates of some of \our local charitable munition, until the white fected by recent legislation. heretofore was not benefited, as the Mr. Vogelsang, “that the commission laws around other game, quail, gray Institutions. It will probably interest man, with his well-filled cartridge belt “A man who will but study the con- laws of the State intended. succeeded in having laws passed for .sqairrels, doves and their kind, a llke some to learn that it I8 a practice of the and his other modern hunting ap- ditions whick exist in California, or, for The market men—that is, the bet- the protection of various kinds of result will be obtained.” commission when It confiscates fresh 1 entered ypon a merciless de- that matter, in any Western State, ter class of them—have appreciated our game, among them the quail, snipe, It is the same-rule that governs the game or fish to apportion it among & y of game. where the communities are steadlly work, and have told us so. The man doves, ducks, elk, deer and certain of Fish Commission in its work along the worthy institutions. Ome day you will that ce 'y of yea the white growing and encroaching on the do- most hurt has been the professional the fish. The elk, as most everybody streams of California and at the fish find a memcrandum on Mr. Vogelsang's as well as the Indlan, has in- mains of the birds, fowls “and blg hunter, a fellow who, generally speak- knows, has almost become extinct in hatcheries. The results of this work desk reading something like this: “$0 creased his facilities to kill a thousand- game, will not be slow in appreciating ing, has taken from the State some- California because of the early on- can be found in the records of the com- pounds of trout seized. Donated to hos- the bird has, in the same the importance of gamo laws and their thing that cost him nothing. He 18 slaught made upon them. Deer suf- mission, in thé hatcheries, and in the pitals r day a hundred ducks ived no better means for de- strict enforcement. Take, for example, not a producer; he is a destroyer. The fered in a like manner. At present a streams themselves. The propagation, will fall into the hands of the deputies, s it learned to tiy any the most recent law prohibiting the poultry man, who is usually a tax- few elik are roaming in Humboldt, Del distribution and preservation of fish memorandum concludes it did when the Indian sale of quall at any and all times in payer, naturally is looking out for his Norte and Siskiyou counties, in the are the most arduous responsibilities “Donated to hospitals ey with an arrow. Man the public markets and judge for your- interests and has keenly realized that north, and a few in Kern County, in that have been bestowed on the com- snipe, grouse, o far within the Western self the great good that has been If the ruthless destruction of game the south. Iately the Government has mission. and one it to Sisson, that plover, quail an in large quanti- that the former field of the achieved by its enforcement. The adop- continued unrestricted, he, as a Pro- been appealed to to give these fast- interesting little spot in Northern Call- ties, thus find thelr way Into the San d has narrowed within the necessary tion of the law kicked up a great fuss ducer, would cventually find his busi- disappearing hig game shelter in the fornia, with its masgnificent hatchery, Francizco hospitals, where they are, it is rk habitation of the latter, in some quarters, where it was claimed ness affccted. Consequently we have various Federal reservations, such as its rearing ponds, full of instructive peedless say, heartily welcomed. t which now pursued relentlessly un- that it discriminated against the poor. Lis support.” the Sequoia and the General Grant material, its few inhabitants and its Instead of dumping the fish back into s the operating of the (il fate ends its troubled life and man in favor of the rich man—a miser- Theve are probably few of ,San parks, where they will be safeguarded hotel and pleasing hostess, Mrs. James the bay or sending th 10 the table of the man who able argument that cannot find decent [rancisco’s citizens who realize or lave against attack and be permitted to in- McGuire, and above all its ever-obliz- matery. the Commissioners have happily regards the laws enacted by support. stopped to consider that California is crease their numbers. ing force of State employes, whose thought of directing them to places where he t for the preservation of game “Before the law was passed by the one of the best game States in the “The result of this move will be read- iwork annually means much for the they will do some good ate is strict re- - beyond the limit of rea- Legislature the killing of quail was Union. Being one of the youngest ily understood. In a short time—that fish supply of the California streams, While the law of the ation of fish and game % more like a cruel slaughter. A man who of States and still comparatively is a short time in the history of the will quickly win over the most dis- garding the confls the man 0 whom that letter was was not in the habit of performing sparsely settled, her game has a wider State—thése few elk and comparatively trustful of persons to the cause of game ssed more than twelve months anv lesitimate kind of labor would go range for habitation, and it requires small herds of deer will have increased protection Continued on Page 18. violators of the fis