Morning journal and courier., 1886-08-26
COMMUNICATIONS.
A Good Word for the sparrow.

Good Word for the Sparrow. To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
 have read with peculiar pleasure the arti- cle in your weekly of August relating to the English sparrow. And I can testify from close observation of the habits of the much ab~sed and maligned little sparrows in our midst that they are just what your core spondent says of their cousins in England. When the Palladium was so active in pub fishing the foulest charges against innocent little creatures, many of them untruthful to deeds of dastardly brutality in destroying the helpless birds, felt compelled to write in their defense.
 Having been in the habit of feeding them two or three times a day since they first came amongst us, I have learned their hab- it's pretty well; and I deny all the foul charges brought against them. I have seven or eight other kinds of birds who yearly build their nests and rear their young in my garden. They eat and drink with the other birds, often bathing at the same time, in the same dish with them, and have never seen them attempt to drive one away. But did see, few days since, a little red-headed chip bird drive a sparrow, and made him go.
 I have all kinds of fruit, both small and large, but never has any been injured by the sparrows. They sit upon the grapevine frame waiting for their supper without delgn1ng even ro touch grape.
 There is kind of bee or hornet which de- damage is charged upon the poor sparrow.
 A person sitting by the window in the spring remarked: "You will have no pears on this tree this summer, for the sparrows are eating all the buds" "Wel," replied, Git is their home, let them have them. :" with fruit. The birds had kindly destroyed the insects, and I noticed that the fruit was much larger and fairer than in previous years It is fact that since the sparrows became numerous we have very little small, knotty fruit.
 If the enemies of the sparrow would re- member the years before the sparrow came when our beautiful elms were entirely strip ped of their foliage by the ravages of the canlzer worm, when the pavements were foul with their slime, when even the fences were covered with the detestable creatures, they might be inclined to withhold their vituper- ation.
 They say the sparrow does not eat the canker worm. They say the birds etomach has been examined, and no worms have been found there. Very likely, for in these days there are no canker worms to be found. But when the sparrows first came they were seen to feed upon them with avidity.
 If those who charge the little innocents with stealing would only spend little mon ey in purchasing food for them, they would find no damage done in the gardens.
 'T speak that know, and testify that which I have seen.''
 Call bird thief Every creature that God has made has right to food; and if man will not supply it's need, it surely has a God-given right to supply itself, even though it be obliged to take something that selfish, greedy man presumes to call his own.
 Your correspondent says the charges against the sparrow which surprised him so much were mostly gathered from the news papers," If they were all so untruthful as one which read it would be well to have them exposed.
 A highly esteemed and most kind hearted gentleman happened to meet one of the spar row haters. The latter commenced his accus- toned attack upon the poor little birds. After enumerating list of charges against be destroyedp "Are you sure," asked MT. -, ''that he destroys the nests and eggs of other birdsa Are you sure he kills or drives away the birdsg" "Yes, I know he does," said the person. "Well [" replied MT. -, eff he does this he ought to go." What was the surprise of MT. -, the next day, to see an article in the Palladium headed s'Mr - says the English sparrow must go." Then followed all the cruel charges against the birds which that other person had re- peated the day before, and which were here represented as coming from Mir. -.
 I had during the winter flock ot from forty to sixty birds who came three times day for their food; and it was a pleasure to supply them. Could any heart be 80 base as to see hungry little bird waiting for it's food and not supply it's need?
 When spring came but about two dozen remained to summer here. These have quite a flock of little ones, who are regularly fed and welcomed.
 I have bought two or three bushels of cracked corn for them during the year; but it pays. Il. A. B. r.