The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-06-24
BIRD DESTR0YERS.
WOMEN NOT THE SOLE ExTERMlN-
ATORS OF THE SONGSTERS.

"Esging" and Other sports-The Unre-
generate Man with the Gun and the
Deprayed Small Boy with the Sling
shot and the Pea-shooter.
The women here lately had great many
sermons preached to them about the destruc-
ton Of bird life, the homilies, all excellent,
and true, and admirable, being almost ex-
clusively addressed to them, as If they alone
were to blame for the slaughter of the limo.
cents. Now, while agree with every word
that has been said about the immense I'M
necessary, and really tiendish slaughter of
the birds for millinery purposes, have dis
covered that even in this war of extermina-
ton the poor women are not alone to blame.
Fast as has been the massacre of birds for
decorative purposes within the last few
years, it can not be said that to that cause
alone we owe the threatened destruction of
bird life on this continent The most whole
sale process of determination is the practice
OF gathering the eggs of the birds along the
seacoast "Egging" is a regular business in
the spring in many places along the coast,
being carried to the greatest extent, per-
haps, on the coast of Texas, whose inhabit-
arts regularly devote several days each
year to the sport 1t is mere wanton de-
struction, as the value Of the eggs for food
is scarcely appreciate, and as barrels of
them are always crushed in trying to trans
port them after they are gathered, For this
business the women are surely not to blame
MANUFACTURING PELICAN" OIL.
One other thing: Some enterprising men
conceived the idea OF making pelican" oil.
and established large trying works near an
island in Corpus Christi bay, known as Peli-
can island from the Immense number of
these birds raised there. They went to the
island and carried off whole cargoss of the
young birds in all stages of growth and
boiled them up for OIL They eNterminated
th7 bird III that vicinity, and the oil proved
utterly worthless. 1t is some satisfaction to
know that such scheme did not bring any
benefits to those engaged In its cruel and
cowardly carrying out As women cannot
be said to have established a market for
pelican oil yet, they must be acquitted of
completely IN this crime, as we'll as that of
the "egging. These sea birds are the natural
scavengers of the shoal waters of our shores,
as the buz ards are of the land, and great
harm will come from thei. destru ton
One more practice for which women are
not responsible is the killing of birds in
mere wantonness which Is a very extensive
practice, taking the country through. A
Michigan farmer thus writes of his own OBJ
servation; "The destruction of birds has
been carried on here to such an extent that
it is hardly possible to raise any kind of
fruit; even the grapes well as the apples
being too wormy for Use or sale Bows and
o. mt To shoot n
and larks. Ii makes no difference if they
are nesting. and many nest of young birds
has starved on account of their parents
being shot The small boy with his sling
shot destroys maryland ali for tue desire
to murder. Not single person saves the
skins for gain, the birds are thrown away
or lift where they fall.
The killing OF birds for food cannot be
Justly lard to the women of the land and
this is one very large item in tue dostruc-
ton OF bird life Women undoubtedly par
take OF these delicacies rs well as men but
the women do not shoot them nor demand
them as ediDles In all southern markets
strings of small bird are exposed for sale
brought in mostly by the colored people,
who receive a few cents for them
WHAT A NATURAII5T REPORTS.
natural / reports that i'll Norfolk, Va last
spring hnn ireds OF woolpeckers and song
birds We're exposed for saIe-robins, meadow
larks, blackbirds, sparrows, thrushes. and
even warblers, yireo5, and wax-wines
These, in addition to the game birds
pigeons, grouse, ducks, geese, plover snipe,
etc.-whose destruction has leen so imuro-
vident that extinction is only matter of a
little time, make fearful showing against
the men OF the country; and in regard to
tins the women are practically innocent
They may occasionally eat a reedbird or
bobolink on toast at some fashionable res
taurant or private table, but they are not
the ones who go down on Long island in the
season." where "a bagman supplies hi,
table for weeks at time with the eggs of
the rails that breed numerously IN his vici-
nifty to cater to the tastes of the sports
men who make that their headquarters
and like the wild flavor of those delicacies
Neither are the women or the little girls
responsible for the small boy who, the coun-
try over kills Il bird on sight, if by any
possibility he can hit it with some stone or
pea shooter. Not until women destroy bird
Or animal lille for mere sport can they be
held to lie guilty as are the men of the pres
9nt threatened destruction Of bird lie on
this continent That they have been
shopghtlessy guilty of a large share of the
cnuSual destruction of birds the last three
or four years shall not pretend to deny |
oniy protest against hearing all the sermons
and songs aimed at them for what is mere
temporary caprice, when the steady and
UNIFORM destruction of the birds and their
Eggs from year TO year is clearly traceable
to man and to him alone-Hattie Typc
u iswold in Chicago Tribune