The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-01-15
clRps ON COMETS.
s.nvo Thorno Miller Calls Tale Fmsl,iua .
Relic or Savaccry.

| NkktSS shEo. OllVS luOEHO Nv tuO
Now York Herald. ~ relic Of ba:bar-
ism, survival from the times who, cur
savage ancestors wcro forced to uso
thom for warmth and decoration. Tho
noarcr to savagcry tho people, tho great
or, believe, thoir use of feathers and
furs.
Thcro is moral sido to tho question.
How can thoughtful woman, feeling
como responsibility in the training OF
her children or somo desire TO leave tho
world il not bcttcr-which should DO
her air,-at least not worse for her liv-
ing in it-how can sho reconcile nor
conscience to tho constant object lessons
in cruelty which the wearing OF rcur-
dcrcd birds holds up before her childro:.?
How do honest Christian mothers and
earnest Sunday-school teachers recon-
clio their countcnanoo Of this craol
trade with tho gontlc teachings Of Jesus
Christ, which they labor TO instill into
tho growing, and. let mo assure Thorn,
reasoning minds under t. cir caro-?
| They may, indeed, shut their Dyes to
facts aud harden their hearts against
arguments. but the child docs not What
his teacher ~ and what sho does has
far greater weight With him than what
Sho saws.
Putting entirely aside tho responsible
! tic, of people and tho rights of animals
it is Il simple, baro alternative that is
presented to us: shall tho birds Ike III
lowed &c 1.-Two or shall tho earth DO re-
Guccd to n barren wilderness?
Ono OF tho two il certain to be. for
the bird is our Only protector from tho
insect TO one who has not informed
himself it may seem like wild state
mont, but. nevertheless, it i; truo that
tho insect IS one OF tho most powerful
forces on earth. and ono against which
man. with all his boosted ability, is
helpless. 1t comes in innnmcrablo
armies. too minute to DC handled;
nothing can discourage, nothing can
eradicate it. II r,uliiplics by millions;
it prcJs upon every vegetable and sui
NAL substance under heaven. In
world abandoned to tho insect not
grocn thing could grow, and without
vegetation neither man nor beast could
exist.
The bird, end tho bird only. can cope
with these fearful hosts OF our most
fatal foe, and it takes unccasin, labor
on their part to do it. No creatures havo
such appctitcs ''incarnato voracity'
EuslSin calls thcm-nono require suoh
cons tant supplies.
Watch the birds with al Intelligent
eye. not merely glance at then. AMI 500
how almost incessansly they work.
Tho crow--an uutcast among mon
follows tho pillow ana destroys thousands
of grubs and worms that left To them
solves woull cat every vcstigo OF tho
crop. beg to say right hero that my
statements arc no fancy sketch. but nro
derived from the scientific reports OF
Government officers, who have invcsti-
gated the matter thoroughly.
Tho oriolc, moving quietly about on
tho trocs, puts an end every day to
hundreds, perhaps thousands, of tho
enemies of our foliage, and Is rcvilcd
for killing an occasional hco.
The vireo, hopping from branch to
branch. with his constant wnrblc, snaps
up on injurious Insect Mt every step.
WOodpockcrs drag from their bidinr
places the dcstroyors OF our fruit trees,
and arc saddlcd with an insulting namo
because littlc sap cxudcs.
The cedar bird clears half our orchard
OF is pests, and is hunted to death for
eating few OF tho cherries he has saved
for us
Swallows in their beautiful fight arc
constantly dcvouring the hosts of tho
nir, creatures that would otherwise hide
the Sky from us with their hosts
The beautiful warblcrs fitting inccs-
sanity about tho trees orc working
almost every instant in our behalf. yet
wc-somo OF us-wcar their little dead
bodies il clusters and wrcaths, and tho
insect; increase and multiply apacn.
Tho roic breasted Grojboa:l works
more industriously than any hol carrier,
and never strikes for shorter hours; and
what is ho doing? Carefully cxAminin,
the potato plants nni pic,;in; OF that
pest, tho potato bcotlo. Unfortunately
moro unfortunately for VA than for
him--hc has y beautiful coat; ho is want
eli to adorn somebody's hat; his life Of
usefulness IL cut short, and tho bugs
have free sweep with tho potatoes
These are but few of the most common
birds. could go on all day and toll OF
the constant work Of tho fcathcrcd folk
for man. Yet think what odds these
beautiful creatures, our faithful scrv-
ants, contend against. Remember tho
armies Of four-footcd foes who lilo in
wait for them and thoir cggs-thc cats,
weasels. skunks. rats, squirrels and
many do not think Of Consider tho
snakes and other reptiles which reg,i-
larly dcvour their eggs and young, and
do not forgot their fouthercd enemies
crows, hawks, owls and jays--all of
whom lik" eggs and perhaps birds ~
we'll as wo do ourselves.
And thon reflect on tho attitude Of tho
human family toward them; first tho
men who shoot Thorn for eating, for tho