The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-05-30
DEFENDING THE sPARRows.'
Inc Birds Find a strong Champion
His Views.
To the Editor of THE HERALD


wish that l could write as 1 feel in
regard to the course taken against the
English sparrow. II could, I would
make the crimson blush of, shame
mount to the very roots of your hair.
Those / mean that offer rewards to the
boys that kill the most sparrows. And
those that call themselves men. gun in
hand, proEling around other peoule's
premises shooting at, and killing spar
rows and endangering the lives of
more respectable citizens If such PEG
pie had pass d through the same ex-
Perience that I have undergone in the
last two years, with broken and badly
set leg, and thereby compelled to sit.
watch and study the habits OF the much
traduced sparrow and other birds TO
pass away the time, they might be bet
ter posted and have learned from actusl
observation that the sparrow is a per
feet gormandiTer. and that he will not
eat fruit nor vegetables of any KIND I:
but is constantly on the search through
trees, shrubs, around fences and in
every conceivable place where worms
and insects may be found. which any
one can see il he will take the pains 10
look. As for fighting among them
selves, they take the cake. bakery and
ali. And as to their fighting aud driv-
ing away other birds, positively DENY
it, for in all my watching have never
seen such thing transpire. though /
have, in my lot every season some six
or seven different varieties of birds. in
Guiding the robin and what l call the.
hawk bill, any one of which will eat
and destroy more fruit in one hour than
a thousand sparrows would do in a life
time. even II they lived to the age of
/ MethusGleh. have ALWAYS b. en-
tau2ht aud believed that nothing was
created in vain, not even a deputy mar
shal: therefore, 1 consider il wrong 10
destroy either beast. bird or insect that
does not inlure US. But, says one. so
and SO says that the sparroWs DESTROY
fruit and will not eat q worm or inss CT
of any kind if 1t is pushed down their
Threats. There are always two sides 10
a question. IL person saws 70 YOU
that your neighbor is a bad man, do as
those do that clamor for the destruction
OF the sparrows: Never stop to ask
\ yourself the question. is the rumor true
or false ? but slip around to your neigh.
boris or anyone you may chance to
meet anf in soto voce say, do you
i you know that We have got bad man
| IN our Ward2" "Why no. saws the
person addressed. WHO is it?' "WeIl
do not know his name. probably Won
have seen him. He lives in the Eigh
tenth Ward; wears long black beard
dresses in black, and hasa limping
gaze" oh that's the fellow, is il 7
Well do you knowrnat always thought
he was a bad man" Let that kind OF
thing 20 on little while, and the
man is looked upon by nearly every
one in the neighborhood as q bad man.
and not fit TO live in decent society.
On the same principle, il some ignor
ant or malicious person says down with
the Mormons, the cry IS taken mp by
the same class throughout the world.
and the cry goes forth down with them.
Icify them, they are mot fit TO live,
never stopping To make any inquiry as
to their good or bad qualities. bat say
as the United States Prosecuting Attor-
ney. many did in the argument before
the Supreme Court in the Snow case.
lit would have been inf nitely better il
the Mormons. years ago had been put
to the sword.n Instead of saying as a
NJ. Gibson did in bis Argument before
the House committe on the new Ed
munds bill, Il know whereof speak
1 have :rayersed the Territory OF Utah
from Idaho to Arizona and haze visited
every principal settlement within its
borders have freely mingled withaIi
classes, have been the guest OF the rich
and have shared the frugal meal OF the
poor / have attended their local and
general conferences and have visited
their schools. have made long jour
have lived in camp with Mormon cow
boys. / have observed all phases of life
among these people, and unheSitating--
| ly affirm that in general intelligence,
thrift, sobriety, honesty, and good NOR
ais, l have never met their equals.
Their religion is not ostentatious. but II
is marked by simplicity OF faith, earn
estness of purpose and answering con-
fidence. Their loys ~, their devotion
To the government Is unqualified. Bet
ter citizens, a mere worthy and descTv-
ing people, cannot be found within e
borders OF this Republic" Which IS
the better policy 10 cry mad dog, be-
cause some one else cries mad dog or
investigate ana Know LOT NOuIrch
whether the dog is mad or not. Men
killing the sparrows by shooting. and
en- augering peoples lives IS bad
enough. but when persons offer re
wards. and newspapers try and encour-
age bows to kill birds and destroy their
nests. l think thar is going too far. In
my boyhood days my parents taught
me that it was wicked 10 xii birds or
rob their ne srs,a and inturn have taught
my children the same thing, and be-
lieve most people have done the same,
and oar children are taught IN day aud
Sabbath schools that such things are
wrong. Then what right has any one
to try and induce children 10 dlsobey
their parents? 7 say no one Il chill
d7en are encouraged 10 Kill one class OF
BIRDS they will kill another. aIfi such
things create vicious habits. and want
INV children 10 Grow up with kind aud
ten,ler feelings for AL OF Gods creatures
and have some understanding OF Justice
and right. that when they become men
and women. and perchance called upon
To ildge between man and man Their
finer feelings may not be biunted nor
their si.nse OF right warped by doing