New-York tribune., 1892-12-04
HOJp THEY GET REEDBTRDS

SUPPLYING THE MARKETS WITH SPARROWS-
NEW INDUSTRY.
II has bc.n noticed lately that the common sparrow
has eiraiN dccrca-cd In numbers In It's downtown
haunis, notably Mail It.. and In IN" open space III
front OF the Barge Office. In Mail It. the PoSlohce
horses and at the Targc ONCE the horses Oi the I'M
migrant transfer vans always leave Il plentiful amount
Of corn the cobblcsoncs after their meals. which
Is picked up by the sparrOws. some people have
argued that tM, dminuOn I'm the numbers of the
foreign pest Is due to the fact that epidemic OF
cholera would break in the city In the spring and
point 10 the migration Of binds which was lately
noticed In Hamburg and in many towns Of Persia.
where that disease killed thousands OF people last
summer.
The decrease In the sparr)ws II not due 10 migration
The fact Of the matter Is that the American gourmet
Is wonderfully fond Of fhe rrcdbird. This excellent
little bit Of bird food only be procured In the
southern States. and though It h fairly plentiful the
supply would hardly meet the demand II that were
the only field for its production
The tawny- -vlsagcd Ncapollian who has made his
home among Americans has grssped the opportunity
and IS rcapng rich harvest lie watched the large
nocks OF sparrows which all day long hoped about
the cobblcStoncs almost indolcntly picking mp the
grain which scattered around and then flying up
10 some neghbonng bough just sleep and grow fat.
A dabOlical idea entered IA" mind Of the Italian
and after consulting with friend they purchased rice.
and also the strongest aglardicnte that could br
procrrcd in The Bcnd' In Mulberry ST. The rice was
soaked In the spirits, and before sunrise the Italians
went to the Battery. They first carefully swept away
any grain that might have been left from the previous
day aud then with "A lavish hand scattered the rice
around the usual icding gioin1 ni the sia oNH. VIM
he earliest dawn the b.rds began twlttcring ana
quarrcng and n, the trpmps arO>" from the benches
In the Battery and slunk on 10 the alleys OF sout aud
and West SIS. the birds hungry for their brehhltSt.
soon covered the cObblcs0nes and were busy PICKING
tip the dcisvc rice. Gradually the splrrOwS became
unsteady In their gait and bird would pull himself
together and wonder where ." he was at Then they
began 10 see things double and bird peched NJ
.raln he missed 1t nearly fell his head.
some spafrOws z tnlhutiVe. uth rS mOlOS". Slnir
became aiTcctionntc and could not understand the
cOmbatlvcnrss of some OF their comrades. Mnny
evidently wanted To home. but they had org en
the way. soon bird after bird lay down on the cobble-
stones and slept OblivOus of all around It, Then hr
Italians, pckng mp the Birds. wrung their ncckS nid
with smiling faces wended their way 10 Washington
Market, where poulterer gave them 4 cents apiece
for the BIRDS which after being pncked were arranged
in patches Of twelve In neat cardboard boxes
That night those same birds sold for 90 cents pair
In the uptown restaurants and the trade In drunken
sparrows has been % booming" ever since. sparrow
pie Is dish much thought Of In England and rs long
as the epycure here does not complain OF the fraud
imposed upon him nobody else Will, for unconscously
he Kidding the community OF bird that has become
"A pest In the city and terrible marauder on the
farmer.