THE STTXT3 AT OKEGOXIAX, PORTI-ANT), JULY 14, 1907,
HOAAT WANTON SLAUGHTER OF GREBES
WAS STOPPED WITHOUT THE LAW'S INTERVENTION
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LAWS have been passed by the Oregon
legislature and many attempts have
been made by the Audubon Society
her to preserve our wild birls in South
ern Oregon. But until recently they met
with many obstacles, and even now the
Mt are not j'fe from the depredations
of the market hunter. Some of the dif-fli-ulties
encountered in stopping the
traffic were these:
The Oregon game law permitted the
hunter to kill fifty ducks per week. The
allfornia law sanctioned his killing fifty
lucks a day. Nearly all the ducks are
killed in Oregon but they are shipped
from Montague, a small station in North
ern California. To get round the fifty
birds a day limit, each hunter shipped
under the several different names, which
were all known as one hunter by the
commission men. Both states made some
attempt to stop this traffic, but they did
not act together and a loop-hole was
always left for the hunters. California
once passed a law to prevent these hunt
ers from shipping ducks to the com
mission men. . The commission men In
turn formed what was known as the
Game Transfer Company. The hunters
tnt'.i shipped from themselves to them
selves In care of this company. This
killed the law since each commission man
had his own hunters and he knew whom
each shipment was for and from whom it
came. Other laws have been made, but
th traffic in ducks stil continues.
' Supplying the Willamette Market.
Up to the Summer of 1903 many, many
thousand grebes and terns were killed
about the lakes of Southern Oregon to
supply the millinery market. Scores of
professional hunters shot these birds for
years and shipped out bales of the skins
till now there are few terns left in this
region. This velvet plumaged bird was
formerly very common about these lakes,
but in all our search on a recent trip
through the Klamath Lake region we
were able to find only two small colo
nies of the forester's tern, oue at the
north end of Tule Lake and the other
along the Klamath River. The wings and
tail were all that the hunters used from
the body of the tern and these netted
about forty cents a bird. A peculiar
habit of this bird would soon have led
to its extinction. As soon as a hunter
winged one of them and It fell fluttering
to the water, instead of the other terns
flying away, they hovered about from all
directions and were shot as fast as the
hunter could load.
Our trip to tho breeding grounds of
the wild birds was one of interest.
After a hard three-days' trip through
the mountains from Ashland we
reached the edge of a vast marsh
area. Those accustomed to traveling
by railroad can have little idea of this
extensive territory that can only be
covered by wagon and skiff. It ex
tends for hundreds of miles, a rolling,
billy country, covered with sage brush
and scrubby trees, land that is very
prodtictive when irrigated. Govern
ment Irrigation will soon settle the
whole region. The country is inter
.epereed with great lakes, many from
20 to 20 miles across, then reaching
out on all sides of these are the vast
marsh regions and tule fields extend
ing for miles and miles.
Greatest Breeding Ground of Pacific.
This lake region of Southern Oregon
is the greatest breeding ground on the
Pacific Coast for all kinds of water
birds.- Tfe might "nave spent the en
tire Summer in continuous traveling
and been able, to cover most of this lake
region, getting only a general view
of the country, but tve found it best
to select a certain part and cover the
region carefully to get an idea of the
real conditions.
Tuie Iake and Iwer Klamath Lake
have for years been the great market
huntinK ground for grebes and ducks.
This is the region where we spent the
Summer. At Merrill we secured a good
substantial boat that held our equip
ment. Rowed dawn to the mouth of
Lost River, then 20 miles across to the
southeast end. around the peninsula;
back to Merrill for supplies, then along
the north side or Tule Lake. from
there haJ our boat transported to
Lower Klamath Lake and cruised it to
locate the largest bird rookeries. Re
turning for provisions we again set
out on the lake and cruised on down
the Klamath River to the Rapids.
It will be impossible for me to give
more than a hasty glance at the bird life
o abundant in this region, and I shall
confine myself, first, to the wild ducks
and how they are hunted for the market;
second, to the grebe-skin traffic and how
it was stopped.
Tula Lake is a body of water about 30
miles long and perhaps 90 miles around.
At the south end we found some large
cormorant rookeries. On this island. 25x
75 feet, we found 190 nests, containing
about 300 young birds and a good many
eggs not yet hatched.
Another island, where the pelicans and
cormorant were living together, held
360 cormorants' nests and about 275
young, and 225 es?- As we approached
the place the pelicans seemed to be
thick as cormorants, but an actual count
showed only 38 eggs and 15. young peli
cans. The lower end of Tule Lake terminates
50 TOVGH'vTrAN&E SCRAPE?
in the great lava beds of Northern Cali
fornia. The bird rookeries there are
found on small rocky inlands. We found
it very different when we cruised Lower
Klamath Lake. The great tule beds ex
tend miles out from the shore, and among
these run innumerable channels, cutting
th whole into hundreds of floating tule
Islands. Some of these we found buoy
ant enough to hold us up. It was im
possible to reach the shore through this
swamp, and the only camping spots we
had while cruising the lake were these
treacherous islands, inhabited principally
by mosquitoes and some birds.
We found the thick growth of tules
made an excellent bed. By spreading
our sleping-bag on top of a high bunch
and rolling in carffully, we generally had
a good bed for the night, in the early
part of the evening we were two or
three feet from the water, but by morning
we were sure to be at water level.
"The largest bird rookeries of this re
gion are located along the northwest side
of Lower Klamath Lake. They are sev
eral miles in extent, but in one place
extending for half a mile it seems the
western grebes, white pelicans. Farallone
cormorants, great blue herons, Califor
nia gulls and Caspian terns have com
bined, as it were, to form one of the
most extensive bird colonies we have
ever seen.
As we approached nearer, flying birds
filled the air and the- water was covered
with swimming birds and more and more
kept rising from the tules. The grebes
had their floating nesm in the edge of 1
me luies. only a rew feet apart.
The nearer we went the thicker the
air was filled with gulls and terns, till it
semeed they hardly had room to fly. and
the squawking multitude was so noisy
we had to yell our loudest to be heard.
It would be difficult to say how many
birds were breeding In this one colony,
but after watching and studying for sev
eral days we made the following esti
mate: There wore about 500 nests or the Cas
pian tern and this was the only place on
the lake we found this bird breeding.
P"rom 50 to 100 great blue herons were
nesting among the tules.
There were three large nesting groups
of the California gulls. The largest col
ony contained about 1000' pair of birds.
Just across the channel on the adjacent
island was another colony of SCO, and still
another smaller nesting group beyond. '
The cormorants were all hatched and
pretty well grown: we counted 1500 birds
swimming about in the water.
The western grebes were nesting all
along the edges of the tule islands for
half a mile. On one side of a small is
land, half an acre in extent, we counted
over 60 of their floating nests containing
eggs. There were perhaps SiOO nests in
rthis locality alone.
The pelican rookeries were scattered
alongfor about two miles. There were
eight or 10 each containing from 400 to 600
birds. Then there were from 12 to IS
other rookeries that had all the way from
50 to 200 birds. When we first approached
hundreds 'of these big white birds arose
in a long string and settled out in the
middle of the lake. We had no trouble
in going among the young birds that were
now about grown, and taking as many
pictures as we pleased.
while the duc's and geese do not nest
in colonies they are in comparison Just 1
' n'j t i y2iiis., ...mail nw i , . --s v v vi. -. if :: , " wpmt
'ilk
as numerous all through this country.
The Canada geese nest early in the
Spring, and at this season of the year the
young were almost full grown. We saw
many flocks of these birds out in the
lake and along the Klamath River.
Various kinds of ducks canvasbacks.
mallards, pintail, widgeon, redheads and
teal nest in large numbers all through
the country. At the mouth of Lost River
where we camped a week, we had -the
best opportunities . to photograph and
study the ducks. On one small island
that was not -more than an acre in extent
we discovered seven nests of the cinna
mon teal and the pintail.
By erecting a amall blind Jor our cam
era we were able to picture some of these
wild game birds, as they live here in
their native haunts.
There are always plenty of ducks ip
Klamath County. It is the- greatest
hrooHtnir tf-rnnnrt for the flocks that
spread through California in Winter. It,
is the great Winter feeding ground for
the flocks that migrate from the exten
sive northern regions as far up as the
Yukon. Ducks are so plentiful here that
there is no thought of protection among
the residents, w4io often sHoot them
merely for the sport of shootfng. One
of these fellows made his brags about
standing on the bridge that crosses the
Klamath River at Keno and knocking
135 ducks during the afternoon, many
of which floated oCt down the river un
touched. This river is a natural fly
way and at times it is lined with
"sports," who vie .with each other in
winging thj birds as they fly over.
Klamath County is the most profitable
field there is in the West for the market
hunter. Why? Because, first, it is a
sparsely populated district, secondly, it
is outside of any line oT traffic, yet is
within reach of the railroad funning di
rect to San Francisco, and this city is
ttie best market in the West. Profes
sional hunting has been carried on for
years in Southern Oregon to supply' the
San Francisco demand. The hunters in
the field are organized and they furnish
the ducks, the commission men In the
city control the market and they pay the
prices. I can assure you the photog
raphers had no small task in trying to
get one of these ducklings -to pose for
his picture, but they finally succeeded.
Professional Duck Hunters.
There are from 20 to 30 camps of
those professional .hunters stationed
along the border of the Lower Klamath
and the north end of Tule Lake every
Winter, and they shoot the entire hunt
ing season. When the ducks are fly
ing well, a hunter will bag from 100
to 150 birds a day. The hunters keep
two wagons at work continually dur
ing the Winter. In moderate weather,
these wagons visit, the camps three
times a week and collect the sacks of
ducks, which are rushed through to
the railroad. In colder weather, when
game keeps well, these wagons go
only on Tuesdays and Fridays.
The canvasback is the favorite duck
and the hunter gets from S to $9.50
a dozen for all he can shoot. Other
varieties being correspondingly less
down to teal, which are sold for about
$3 a dozen. A buck hunter can make
enough during the Winter to pay hi
expenses the rest of the year. One of
the old hunters told us he took 39
dozen ducks down to San Francisco
one trip. He also said that over 120
tons of ducks were shipped from this
point three season ago. What does
this mean? It means from 60.000 to
80.000 ducks were slaughtered In one
locality in an effort to meet the in
creasing market demand.
Traffic In Grebe Skins.
The western grebe was the greatest
sufferer at the hands of the market
hunters. This diver of the glistening
white 'breast and the silvery gray back
was sought not without reason. The
grebe hunters call the skin of this bird
fur rather than feathers, because it is
0 tough it can be scraped and handled
like a hide, and because of the thick warm
plumage, that seems much more like the
fur of an animal than the skin of a bird.
These skins, when prepared and placed
on the market in the form of coats and
capes, bring the prices of the most ex
pensive furs.
It is the custom of these chicks to
leave home almost as soon as they get
out of the shell, when they will swim
off through the reeds. We found a great
many of them while rowing about Lower
Klamath Lake. One day we picked up a
youngster on the end of the paddle and
took his picture. He had the daintiest
kind of a coat, which was of a silver
gray color, dark aboveand light below.
Formerly the greatest grebe rookeries
were found In the tules-along the, north
side of Tule Lake, but the hunters have
left few birds in this locality. The only
real large colony we found was on Lower
Klamath Lake and that, had probably
not been disturbed by hunters, as it was
not known at the time.
The first grebe skins that were sold
brought the hunters about 75 cents apiece.
Later on grebe skins came in so abund
antly that the buyer could get them for
40 cents and just before the traffic was
stopped skins could be bought for 25 cents
apiece. At the mouth Wf Lost River,
where it empties Into Tule Lake, an old
hunter told me he had often seen
thousands of dollars' worth of grebe
skins, packed for market.
A grebe Is a bird that is difficult to
shoot because it swims so low in the
water and is so quick in its movements.
The professional hunters used a special
gun that would shoot a charge of shot in
the area of a foot square at a distance
of about forty yards. The favorite way
of shooting was from a blind along the
channel where the birls went back and
forth to the feeding ground. The hunters
thought nothing of going right among the
colonics where the birds were nesting.
We had a very difficult time In photo
graphing these birds, but by building,a
blind and waiting we obtained a few
snaps.
Immense Profits to Hunters.
At first the grebe skins were bring
ing a good price so that it was no
trouble at all for a hunter to sfo out
and make $20 of $30 before breakfast.
Many men started in the business and
at one time there, were more than a
dozen grebe hunters stationed alonp
the north end of Tule Lake only. Not
only the professional hunters were at
work, but the ranchers of the country
turned out to shoot grebes, for they
could make as much, in one day shoot
ing as in two or three weeks at farm
ing. After two years of constant
shooting the professional hunters
realized that the grebes-were diminish
ing In numbers and they themselves
would soon have to seek other means
of making money unless the birds
were protected In the breeding season.
So tltey held a meeting and decided
not to shoot the grebes on their breed
ing grounds. But the farmers would
not agree 10 Miis. as they were de
termined to shoot when and where
they could make the most money. So
after that the grebes had no protection
at all, for tho hunters went right
among the nesting - blrd3 and
wherever they had a chance.
One of the old hunters told us he
shot 135 grebes at one sitting. An
other hunter told us of an experi
ence at Clear Iake, where 'the birds
were accustomed to swim up a nar
row slough to the feeding grounds.
He made a blind at the mouth and as
the birds were cominsf out he shot S4
In rapid succession. Then, as he was
out of ammunition, he said he tied the
bodies of the dead grebes together
till he had a-rope reaching across the
channel, ro as to keep the rest of the
birds from coming out till he returned
to camp for more shells. That morn
ing alone he killed about 200 grebes.
What of tile man who made his
bread by slaughtering these creatures
and supplying a demand that existed?
What Becomes of the Actors?
Sequel to the Question, "What Becomes of the Pins?"
WHAT becomes of all the actors and
actresses? -:
It may not be such an obvious mystery
as what becomes of all the pins, but it is
quite as deep and far more Interesting
when one gets fairly launched on the in
vestigation. The majority of the players
who dot the stages of the country
through a season disappear when Spring
rolfs around and are never heard of again.
I was led to this knowledge somewhat
accidentally. Like many others, It nv
er occurred to me that there was any re
markable change in the personnel of the
stage every season. I knew the stars
and lots of other players with well-known
names were with us until old age claimed
its own. and I assumed, unconsciously,
that the rank and file stuck to the stage
as well until they became so decrepit It
was no longer possible to act, but several
weeks ago. as a result of an argument.
I started to search through the files of
programmes in the public library of a
town near New York for the name of
a player with a certain company. Not
finding it among those which had played
the town the season before. I secured the
flie for the year previous and wasn't
ten minutes in noting that most of the
names on the programmes were, new
that Is, they were not those of the play
ers for the. season I had just investigated.
My attention was called to the change
In players by the cast of the one particu
lar play I looked over carefully.. There
were 14 people In the company, the play
was under the same management both
seasons, yet there was only one actor
in the company the second season who
had been wfth It the first. . Possibly the
management might have "desired , a
change of personnel or it might be the
other 13 had become identified with
other organizations. Either theory was
a reasonable - answer as to what had
become of -the thirteen players. In the
first caseQniy an Interview with the
manager would have settled it; in the
second, the file of programmes for the
following season would be reason
ably eure to reveal the names of some
of the players. I determined to see If
I could trace any of them.
It was a "week-stand", city I was
In at the -time, and there were four
theaters, apart from those devoted to
vaudeville or burlesque shows. Ac
cording to the files. 134 companies had
played these houses the first season
and 136 the . eecond. Including only
those W'ho played speaking parts there
were 1946 players in the first season's
companies and 2018 in those of the
second: yet of the first 1946 there were
only 187 whose names appeared on the
programmes of the following year.
This was singular. I thought. True,
they might have gone to other part's
I condemn him, and you condemn him
for his nefarious business. What think
you of the women of your city, so
called women of -culture and refine
ment, who lavishly spend their money
in creating this very demand?.
Row the Traffic Was Stopped.
What stopped this traffic in skins that
was rapidly exterminating these birds?
As near as we could judge most all the
'skins of this locality went to Mr. Sum
ner, of the Benlc'a Tanning Company,
of San Francisco. He In turn was work
ing through the wholesale milliners of
New York and Paris or wherever he
eouli find the best sale. He was the
head man at the market end of the grebe
business on the Pacific Coast. The hunt
ers worked through him and he had the
of the country, but that theory would
scarcely account for 1759 players who
had dropped from view. More than a
thousand actors and actresses wouldn't
cling to other parts of the country
two years in succession, but my search
of the programmes for this year gave
me another surprise. Eighty-nine com
panies had been at the town'fl four
theaters up to the first week of Feb
ruary, and 1211 people had played
parts In the shows given. Of this 1211
the names of the players were all dif
ferent with the exception of 219.
Among this 219 there were 174 who
had played during both of the pre
vious seasons, 48 who had played the
year before, and two only whose names
had appeared the first, but not the
second season. What had become of
mem an. nere were alio people wno
had played on the stage with various
companies during a period of three
seasons. Only 174 had appeared dUT
Ing the three years. 43 had played two
seasons in succession and two had
played one eeason, then disappeared
for a year and reappeared the third,
while 3775 budding stars had flickered
for a season and then vanished from
view, and I suppose of the 1211 for
this year fully 1000 will not be heard
of next season. 'There was hardly any
other theory that would account for
those who have disappeared but that
they have left the stage or else can
not secure engagements.
In "New York, where there is nat
urally more stability to the stage than
elsewhere, because practically all of
the players have been tried for years
before they secure the coveted chance
to appear here, a comparison of. pro
grammes for several - seasons shows
that 40 per cent of the players aro
with us only for a eason. I was in
Richmond, Va.. and Columbus, O.,
during the latter' part 6f February,
and carrying out my Investigation in
those towns found they were substan
tially the same, insofar as percentage
of difference was concerned, as those
in the first town I nad examined the
theater programmes. Making due al
lowance for the drift to stock compa
nies, for tour limited to certain sec
tions,, for illness and death.
What becomes of them all? - One
theorist avers that most of the girls
get married after they've been dis
illusionized and the men go to work
as soon as they have recovered their
sanity. But the briefness of stage ltfe
is a startling fact. One season and
most of the players are finished. New
York Press.
Household Helps.
Wrinkled silks may be made to look
almost as fresh as when new by spong
skins in carload lots. Now, in 1903, when
the Audobon people went to the whole
sale milliners of New York, they went
straight at the source of the evil. As
soon as the agreement was drawn up
between the members of the Millinery
Merchants' Protective Association, of
iNew York, and the Audobon Society of
the State of New York to abstain from
the purchase or sale of terns and grebes,
the word reached Sir. Sumner, who then
had two or three carloads of skins on
hand. He immediately canceled all or
ders with the grebe hunters and wrote
then as follows: "Fashions of New
York and Paris have suddenly changed;
we tan buy no more grebe or tern skins."
From that moment the wholesale grebe
shooting stopped through Southern Ore
gon, and It has not been carried on since
to any extent.
Throughout the West wild life is abun
dant, game birds, song birds and ani
mals. But the feeding places and the
breeding grounds are contracting year
by year. The passenger pigeon was once
plentiful in the East. So with the wood
cock, the wood-duck and the ruffed
grouse. Shall we wait till the Weat
catches up with the East?
We know that protcctlcn is needed.
Then, the methods. The conditions
must be understood. The enemy of
the game birds Is not the individual
hunter. The da11y enemy Is the mar
ket. What will you do with the mar
ket? In Oregon no law. aiming at
them alone, can effectively stop their
traffic. A whole regiment of soldiers
could hardly guard a country so ex
tensive. As Ions as the market de
mands tho game, it will be supplied,
legitimately if possible, illiegltlmately
if need be. The law is needed not so
much to check the spirit of the man
who handles the gun. as to kill tha
demands of the man who handles the
dollar. 1 cannot Mame the man in the
backwoods who makes his living by
killing the natural things he finds there
with htlf tho energy thct 1 would con
demn the man in the city who walks
into the market and pays five Uollars
for a pair of canvasbacks, or his neigh
bor, who sits at the tal-le and pays a
dollar or two for s bite of wood-cock
that has bcn spoiling in cola storage
for a month. If we are to save our
wild birds and animals ojir laws must
govern the market end of the propo
sition. This is the logical method, and t'.ie
ultimate end of game protection must
oe not on!v the llmitatloi but the pro
hibition of Its sale.
ing the surface with a weak solution
of gum arable, and by pressing on the
wrong side with a moderate hot iron.
To take out axle grease rub the spots
well with lard. Let it remain on for
two or three hours, then wash out the
lard in cold water. Be sure and use
cold water, as hot water will leave an
ugly yellow stain.
A scratch made on white paint by
striking matches can be removed with
lemon Juice and warm water.
If an oil stove gives off a disagree
able odor, add five or six tablespoonfulg
of red vinegar to a gallon of oil.
To whiten clothes that have' become
very yellow soak the clothes in butter
milk, allowing them to remain in the
milk for several hours. Wash with
soap in tepid water and rir.se in cold
water.
A proper quantity of household arti
cles should be allowed for daily use.
Each should be kept In Its proper place
and applied to its particular use.
Soap should be cut In pieces as soon
as it is brought in so that It may grow
hard, thus saving a full third in the
I consumption
To Clean a Suit Without Ripping.
To clean a suit without ripping it
place the skirt on an ironing-board, as
for ironing. Fill a bowl full of gaso
line and use a stiff brush such as Is
used in cleaning vegetables. Brush
downward, following the line of the
goods, dipping the brush often. Work
quickly to dampen, but not wet the
goods.
Clean the jacket in the same manner.
Heat will remove the smell of the
gasoline. This is an extremely im
portant part, as home-cleaning often
Is spoiled in spite of much frantic air
ing, and shaking and sunning.
Lastly, press out on the right side
over the ironing-board, using a damp
cloth under the hot iron, being careful
to lift the cloth as you run the iron.
A Juvenile Pipe.
Ind!a.naiole Neftf.
All th papers keep a-tellln'
'Bout th' new books peeple write.
An' th' way they advertise 'em
..You'd Jus think they's out o' site.
61s she. keeps a-ravin 'bout 'em
"Jus too sweet." an "It's Imtu
But fer all th' new bock publieheij
I'd net give ye fifteen cents.
What I want la sumthin' stirrln.
Like th' "Life uv Robin Hood."
"lvanhe" an' "Rob'son Crusoe"
Them's th rtories that ars -ood.
Bumthtn' that's got fae'e about 'em
Tales uv nltes with armor on
Not so silly, love-sick Rllliea
Sumthin'. 'bout th' times that's gone.
Slnhad that's a dandy story;
An' Aladdin I like that
I don't want no foolish novtl
Like th' "Maid uv VVooiy Flat."
What I want ia mimthin' thrillln' .
Kaptln Kldd with heaps o gold
Pl-ruts, with their sharp sords layin
AU the'r en'miee stiff and cold.
Them's 1h' klr.d o' tales I'd like f
Rite- ye know, ef I could wrtght
Bet a million kids ud read m.
All day long an' ha'f th' nite.
When I'm big I'm g-oln' t write a
Lot o' bok about bed men.
Soldg-ers, shipwreck, thieves, an piraut-
Lice.! woa't I be faai'us then!