Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1891-02-05
BIRDS on BoNNETS.


writes Mrs. Olive Thorne Miller, in the
New York Herald, is relic Of barbar-
ism, a survival from the times when our
savage ancestors wero forced to use
them for warmth and decoration. The
nearer to savagery the people, the great
or, believe, their use Of feathers and
furs.
There is o moral sidn to the question.
How can thoughtful woman, feeling
some responsibility in the training of
her children or some desire to leave the
world il not better-which should DO
her aim-at least not worse for her liv-
ing in it-how can she reconcile her
conscience to the constant object lessons
in cruelty which the wearing Of MUIR
dored birds holds up before her children?
How do honest Christian mothers and
earnest Sunday-school teachers recon-
cile their countenanco of this cruel
trade with the gentle teachings Of Jesus
Christ, which they labor to instill into
the growing, and, let me assure them,
reasoning minds under their care?
They may, indeed, shut their eyes to
facts and harden their hearts against
argument, but the child does not. What
his teacher is and what she does has
far greater weight with him than what
she says.
Putting entirely aside the responsible
tiles of people and the riG Its of animals,
it is simple, bro alternative that is
presented to us: Stall the birds be al
lowed tc live or shall the earth be re-
duced to a barren wilderness?
Ono of tho two is certain to be, for
n hirH &c nr11I 81
insect. To one who has not informed
himself it may seem like wild State
ment, but, nevertheless, it is true that
the insect is one Of the most powerful
forces on earth, and ono against which
man, with all his boosted ability, is
helpless. 1t comes in innumerable
armies, too minute to be handled;
nothing can discourage, nothing can
eradicate it. 1t multiplies by millions;
1t prcys upon every vegetable and ami
NAL substance under heaven. In q
world abandoned to tho insect not q
green thing could grow, and without
vegetation neither man nor beast could
exist.
The bird, and tho bird only. can cope
with these fearful hosts Of our most
fatal foe, and it takes unceasing labor
on their part to do it. No creatures have
such appetites - 'incarnate voracity'
Ruskin calls them-none require such
cons tant supplies.
Watch the birds with an Intelligent
eye, not merely glance at them, and SEQ
how almost necessarily they work.
Tho crow-an outcast among men
follows the pillow and destroys thousands
Of grubs and worms that left to them
selves would eat overy vestige Of the
crop. beg to say right hero that my
statements are no fancy sketch, but arc
derived from the scientific reports Of
Government officers, who have investi-
gated the matter thoroughly.
Tho oriole, moving quietly about on
tho trees, puts an end every day to
hundreds, perhaps thousands, of tho
enemies Of our foliage, and is reviled
for killing an occasional bee.
Tho vlreo, hopping from branch to
branch, with his constant MARBLE, snaps
up an injurious insect at every step.
Woodpecllors drag from their hiding
| places tho destroyers Of our fruit trees,
and arc saddled with an insulting name
because little sap exudes.
HS NSu1A DlLo SledES D2lI OUT OTCDarQ
of is posts, and is hunted to death for
eating few OF tho cherries he has saved
| for US
| Swallows in their beautiful flight arc
constantly devouring the hosts Of the
air, creatures that would otherwise hide
tho sky from us with their hosts.
The beautiful warblers fitting inces.
sanity about tho trees arc working
almost every instant in our behalf, vet
we-somo OF us-wear their little dead
bodies in clusters and wrcatbs, and the
insects increase and multiply apace.
Tho rose breasted grosboak works
more industriously than any hod carrier,
and never strikes for shorter hours; and
what Is no dOing2 Carefully examining
the potato plants and picking of that
pest, the potato beetle. Unfortunately
mora unfortunately for us than for
| him-he has q beautiful coat: no IA wan I.