Telegram-herald., 1889-10-13
BIRDS OF KANSAS
Wonderful Life Work of Col n.
5. GCss. Crnlthologist.
WEAT A ONCE POOR BOY Has DOyE
Hs h&s Essrs Bisd ~ a znszs 40 Ne4riy
An EhQse OF ths - ssssra CoEtiHeat
VEL Preserved nIosnted and
sEudeG-Hts A9ssnIaFes

Be found LIS hlesG co4ectlol II North Amer
ican tTds on sxhiDision Ia thls country. Ia
a roon 81 apart by Tie state fer tAis pur-
p0se ars 5s3 birds. handsomely mounted
4nd placed IL beautiful glass Showcases, De
h.nd watch l2rge mirrors reject tie ooauIy
AID chzruls 4 thsss E0s s.leGL inhabitants 4
the air. This Collection embraces 756 species
aid sub-species, representing AL sections II
North America.
To Col \ s Cos. an educated cultured
gentleman. Aad al 0raithologist of national
reputation. are th5 people u Kansas indebted
for lhis rare and valuable collection u birds.
IT, tie spring u Is51 Col Cos came 20 Kan
sas from s. .sconsin, locating Ia the NeOsho
valley He Was appointed register cI tie
land Office az Humboldt, serving the govern
niant faithfully until be accepted the position
~ land attorney for the Missouri. Kansas
aud Texas railway, with headquarters ~
Nsosh0 Falls Here IS was tLat Cll Goss
prosecuted his labor ~ love during h.s leisure
hours. ami added q lis then beautiful colec-
t.on many rare specimens A devoted student
of the natural sciences and possessing the
finest library on natural history in the west,
Die looked forward with pleasure 10 ths great
life worL whlch he hai mapped out. Having
accumulated sufficient means % make the
remainder II has life comfortable he decided
O. retire from business and devo>s h.A .lfe %
this interesting study and work.
IN 1881 Col Cos presented his collection 10
the state Of Kansas. on the condition only
that il should be forever called the Cos
OIuithological Collection" that the state
shoald provide suitable apartment for it,
and that be should De during life ;hs cus;o-
dian. This generous and praLseworthy ofZer
was gladly accepted, and the legislature
framed a law embracing all tAc conditions
OF Col Goss' proposition, setting apart
large room for the collection which has be-
come one Of the most interesting places in ali
the west-the work of man whose whole
ssul has been wrapped IN the study Of orni-
thology. Attractive a, these winged inhab
itants of earth and air are in their beautiful
glass cases, their silyery plumage as bright
a. when they fitted from tree 10 tree or
when they took wing from the northland 20
their southern winter home, they are no more
interesting than the custodian himself.
Beginning life a poor boy, he devoted his
spare moments 10 tile study Of natural his
tory. and amid the cares of a laborious life
has found time 20 make a collection which
viii remain as u monument 20 his untiring
devotion more enduring in the minds of the
people o.. Kansas than any inscription upon
tue monument which shall mark his resting
place " hen his labor of love is ended. Col.
Goss knows the birds better than most parents
know their children; he has paid more atten-
tion 10 them than many fathers do TO their
boys and girls Silent and watchful, be has
for hours investigated every little peculiarity
OF bird nature, and all this wondrous bird
lore ho p0uls forth % the interested visitor
People who know nothing OF bird life ex
cept as described Ia books can have little idea
Of the fascination attending this recital Of
facts known 20 the enthusiastic naturalist.
Birds. charming in themselves, are rendered
yet more attractive 10y the glow thrown
about them by their friend and companion.
Beside the main collection favored visitors
are allowed a sight Of Col Goss' library and
oiilce, which the sea has given up its treasures
TO adorn The book lover finds here, too, the
books dear 70 the student OF nature, from
white OF SelbOrnen TO the magnificent works
Of Wilson and Audubon. Col. Goss is a bro
ther of Capt b. F. GoSs, OF Lake Pewaukee,
Wis. who donated a wonderful collection Of
eggs to the Milwaukee public museum. He Is
life member Of the American Ornithologist
union. organized in New York in 1888 with
limited membership OF fifty OF tho most dis
tinguished ornithologists Of the country.
In looking al Col Co.'S rare collection one
should take into consideration the toll, hard
ship and travel required TO collect these speci-
mems, representing As they 90 nearly every
section Of tue western hemisphere. He has
folding bed, folding chair, bed clothing and
tarpauln, .ghich no folds up into a small
bundle the whole weighing less thsn forty
pounds and very little larger than the ordi-
nary vaii-e With these articles be starts on
q long Journey each year, and is absent sew
eral months IN FAR of regions searching for
new and rare specimens. l. is a pleasure to
talk with Col G0ss about his travels He
has hunted all about the Gulf of st. Law
renee, even u the confines OF Labrador, AID
southward 10 the Bay Of Fundy, aud especial
ly among the Nagdalene islands Here 40
has passed months with the French fisher
men, amid the boiling waves beating upon
tho rocky shores and tne mists which perpctu-
ally envelop that region, sleeping often
under an overturned boat, and once passing
eight days in the hut Of fisherman without
a nnouthful Of meat.
Col Co.'S says that around these Islands
there Is such life in tho air and water that
we DO not dream of. The war between wing
and fin GOES on forever. Here Are the Bird
rocks, rising perpendicularly from tho waters
hundreds Of feet hcSst al their base by the
white waves, and at their crest surro unfed
By what seems % be n gray undulating cloud,
but what is reality a mass Of birds. gulls and
Eannets. which nSi-s their nests on every
shelf and OF tho summit II millions. Toe
people who i've on these islands and who
wsre the companions OF Col G0ss when he
visited that region. know no more Of books
tran the birds Iasy live 20 10 purpcse. aUi
ambition ard Industry arc strangers 70 them.
Though Louisiana Is many hundred miles
distant from the Gulf u s.. Lawrence. Col
Co.'S has penetrated is ba7ous and secured
f0r his Eausss coliection many rare sueci-
mems from is wealth of bird life Not oai7
TouisisTs has been visited. but all tie coast
n tho Lone Ssar stata One 81 n. hauuts
of cur naturalist wa- the battle field ~ san
Jaciuto nov teuautei only by t1o-e who feil
faete t. Far q WyominE Col Co.'S has
erre i1 searoh of ths wild Soose. Grling their
nests bad about in mountain retreats. From
that territory he vsaierei vesf - the Pa
rGc crasf. the lire ~ which he lad Previous
" explored from San D.e-1 to puget sound
Tie naturalist q description ef DIS journey
to Costa Bea aud nuatcma'a is ~ special
Interest," Tie ssrs rhe lov country s. pesti-
.altal the glVerrfaerf q Ruthless arsIali,n,
tloggh perhaps quite as god as los sul lerts
deserve Tie birds of that region. ~hess
Gorgeous piumsgs IS s9 much eaumentei ga
% traveller be found in many instances
wsr- uorthaTn birds lse Che o~io.e. who 60
a3uth in winter One IS sia1 Interested in h.s
travels about She Gulf q Mexico Farla srd
cape ~ahie where Le secured 80 flaming =
ard two great walte hera ms 6irfs flsf are
rare. sni helce vsiush.e sTecimens Among
the trophiss oHr iaef gathered u that
a8 bern land ta =rrrh ha ro' 'e-iau vsrs
rF.-