The Republican News
Will Capture 50 Elks for Alleghany Game Preserve
The Federal Government Gives Game Werden [sic] Viquesney Permission To Entrap 50 Elk In the Yellow Stone National Park to Stock the Park of the Alleghany Sportsman Association.
January 10, 1913
State Game and fish Warden J. A. Viquesney of West Virginia who has an ambition as big as a city hotel to propagate large game in this state, and who in March of last year superintended the purchase and shipment of a herd of fifteen elk to the land of the Alleghany Sportsmen's Association, located in Pocahontas county, West Virginia, and Bath and Highland counties, Va., has just received information from the Department of the interior at Washington, that his application for the capturing of fifty elk from among the herds owned by the Government and roaming wild in Yellowstone National Park, has been granted, and that the heads will be captured and shipped to their destination in this state on or about January 10th. The information just received by Warden Viquesney, and which as had the effort of bringing considerable gratification to the progressive and able overseer of the game and fish of the [word missing] comes in a letter from the Department of the Interior to United States Senator William E. Chilton, and which letter, to give our readers a thorough understanding of the whole matter, is herewith re-produced. The letter is dated at Washington December 31, is signed by the Assistant Secretary of the Interior, and reads as follows:
"Hon. W. E. Chilton,
"United States Senate,
"Washington, D. C.
"Sir: The Department is in receit [sic] of your letter of December 30, 1912 transmitting a communication addressed to you on December 20th. by Mr. J. A. Viquesney, Forest game and Fish Warden of the state of West Virginia, relative to capturing elk in Yellowstone National park for transportation to West Virginia for the purpose of restocking the state.
In response, you are advised that under regulations recently prescribed by the department governing the subject of furnishing elk from the park to the various States, it has been decided to allow not to exceed fifty elk to each State, and authority is granted for the capture in the park of that number and their transportation to West Virginia.
Lieut. Col. L. M. Brett, Acting Superintendent of the park, has this day been authorized by wire to permit the representatives of said State to capture the number of elk mentioned.
"As you no doubt are aware, the Government makes no charges for the elk, but the State will be required to deposit with the Acting Superintendent whose address is Yellowstone Park, Wyo., the estimated amount necessary to pay for their capture and transportation.
"However, inasmuch as Mr. Viquesney says that he has made arrangements for the capture and transportation of the elk, it would seem that he fully understands the conditions under which the elk are granted and it would therefore not appear to be necessary to give him further advice in the premises. He also states in his letter that he has made arrangements to have the elk brought through about the 10th. of January by the same person who is to bring two cars of elk for the State of Pennsylvania.
"It is thought proper to advise you, however, that no more than twenty-five elk should be put in a car and that if the elk are shipped in ordinary cattle cars the lower part of the car should be covered with burlap canvas or some similar material to screen the animals from view and to prevent them from being disturbed at the stations enroute.
The elk should be fed and watered, if possible, every twelve hours while on route.
You are requested to have Mr. Viquesney advise the acting Superintendent of the condition of the elk when received at the point of destination, who will in turn, furnish the Department with information relative thereto.
Respectfully,
Assistant Secretary.
Warden Viquesney give The Mail further information that the herd of fifty elk will be loaded by Mr. Howard Eaton of Wolf Wyoming, who will also accompany the shipment to its destination at Minnehaha Springs, Pocahontas county, where the new arrivals will be at once turned loose in the two-hundred-acre fenced-in tract of the Allegheny Sportsmen's Association. Mr. Viquesney will personally assist in the unloading of the elk and the disposition of the strangers in the Association lands.
Later on some time in February the Association, of which Mr. Viquesney is President will purchase two additional car loads of elk and place them also on the Assosiation's [sic] lands. These will come from Montana, the only State in the Union that, through special legislation may lawfully capture and transport to other states the wild elk that roam Montana lands in large numbers.
The first herd of elk brought to West Virginia in March of last year, for propagation experiments, originally consisted of fifteen head.
The herd has since increased to nineteen, four fine calves having been born during the past few months. This heard arrived at the Association grounds in fine condition and has done exceedingly well. Besides the herd of elk there are now on the Association lands about thirty head of deer which are increasing very encouragingly. Beside the game on these lands Warden Viquesney planted a whole car load of brook trout in the streams on the premises last spring and expects another car load this or early next week. The trout came from the government hatcheries. The lands of the Association are of course private and up to the present day no trouble has been experienced from poachers. All who reside in the sections in which the lands are located appear to be taking great pride in protecting the big game animals that are being introduced into the Mountain State as well as into the two counties of Virginia[.] Warden Viquesney expresses himself as greatly pleased with the prospect of propagating the elk in this State and believes that our climate is well suited to these fine large animals as well as to the deer which is native to West Virginia. - Mail.