Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1891-07-24

Two Cents Apiece for English sparrow,

Two Cents Apiece for English Spa rroVvs
Chicago will hereafter prove an uncom
Portable winter resort for that little pest
known as the English sparrow. saws the
/ Chicago Tribune i'm recent issue
/ Through the neglect of Gov. Fifer price
has been set on the scalp of the little bird.
and new industry has been opened for the
small boy of Illinois with his little gun OF
slingshot.
The act introduced in the legislature by
Senator Newell to provide for the payment
of bOunties for killing English sparrows
has become a law, and such it was pro-
claimed by Secretary of State Pearson
Tuesday. The bill provides that every in
habitant of the state who shall kill an Eng
lish sparrow during the months of Decem-
Der, January and February shall be en-
titled to receive a bounty of two cents for
each sparrow killed. Section = provides
that the applicant for bounty shall carry the
heads Of his victims to the city or town.
ship clerks in lots of not less than 10 and
that the clerks. if satisfied that the heads
are really those of sparrows, shall issue
certificates of the amount of bounty to the
claimant. Then the person with the certi-
ticate takes it to the county clerk. who
draws warrant on the county treasurer.
Section is devoted to the protection of
birds other than the sparrow who feel dis
posed to linger around Chicago during the
winter months and provides that any per
son applying for bounty on the heads of
other birds shall be deemed guilty of a
misdemeanor and fined 50 for each head.
And another section provides that any
clerk who knowingly issues certificate for
the killing of any other bird shall be fined
$40.
The number of English sparrows in Chi
cago is variOusly estimated at from 10000,
600 to 1.0000O0, 600. Fifteen years ago
there was not an English sparrow in the
city, but some inconsiderate party turned
sparrow and his mate loose about 1876 and
they increased aud multiplied. and the
growth of the sparrow tribe kept pace with
the growth of everything else in Chicago.
As some Of the younger spdrrOwS grew
they settled down H. other portions of the
state. particularly in the farming regions.
until their power became so great that they
now have more to say about the crops and
the success of agricultural and horticultur-
al enterprises than the farmers. the wealth
er clerk. and the elements The bird. as
he is seen in the city, is an Independent.
aggressive party He builds wherever he
likes, and transacts business all over town.
He fears neither the big policeman nor
that natural enemy of his. the boy with a
bean-shooter What few sparrows have
died during all these years met violent
deaths. and went to the tables Of restau-
rants, appearing rs reed birds on the menu
None ever died natural death so far as is
known.
All the Sparrow>, except few million
which do duty on the streets, spend the
days in the parks. In the evenings they
assemble in the freight yards, around the
elevators and on the streets, and eat up
everything in sight. Several acres of them
We're over in the Northwestern freight
yards swallowing good grain last evening.
The birds are all anarchists.
English sparrowS were originally brought
to this country to deyOur crop-destroying
parasites and troublesome insects. Instead
they have devoured the crops and nearly
everything else except the troublesome in
sects. Observation shows that they have
driven away nearly all the other useful
birds, and that they are at present running
things 10 suit themselves. SO Mr.. Newell
introduced his bill. and the sparrow will
have chance to show his staying powers
He is doomed unless lac finds another win
ter resort.