e, interested in the welfare of the trapper,
than when I was able to follow a line of traps.

I am inclined to think that the present bounty law (1907) will not
only be a damage to the trapper but also to the state. People who
never thought of trapping before are now preparing to trap, and some
are already at it, and their cry is, Bounty! Bounty! It reminds me of
John Chinaman when gold was discovered at Cripple Creek, Colorado.
All John could say in his rush for gold, was Cripple Creek, Cripple
Creek! Fortunately the greater part of this class of trappers will
catch but few of the shyer animals (and the best fur bearers).

It was the Game Clubs that asked for and received the Bounty Law. Now
if the bird hunter will leave his trained bird dog at home, and walk
up to the birds he shoots, he will get plenty of exercise, and the
game birds will soon be more plentiful--but I suppose this would not
be sportsmanlike.

I am well acquainted with a man who is a member of a Game Club; also
a game warden. A neighbor of mine who is a good trapper was visiting
me a few days ago and he told me of a little matter that took place
between the game warden and sportsman in question, and himself. My
neighbor said that he was at the place of business of the Game Warden
----, and he said to my neighbor, "There are three traps you can have
for I have no use for them. My dog got in one of them, and I brought
the things home with me. I should have thrown them in the river."

When my neighbor came to look at the traps he found his own private
mark on the traps, so he said to the warden that they were his traps,
for there was his own private mark. The warden replied that he
couldn't help that, and that there were three more over at the house
that he could get if he wanted to. When my neighbor went to get the
other traps he found that they were not his traps, but he knew by the
mark on them the traps belonged to his neighbor, so he told the
warden about it.

Now the intention of the true sportsman is to kill two birds with one
stone through the Bounty Law; destroy the fur bearer, and by so
doing, do away with what I have heard many a true sportsman call a
nuisance--the trapper and his traps. Apparently this state or its
lawmakers, look upon the game business and the fur industry in a very
different light from what many do.

Many states throughout the Union are enacting laws to protect the fur
bearing animals of their respective states, and