The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-12-21

sale IN London alone included C,OOO birds
OF paradise, 1000 Imperial phcasanta,
100000 assorted skins from India. and
100000 hummlng birds. Add to this sale
thousands OF small birds and wlngE.
dyed every color OF the rainbow. 10 aat-
isfy the demand OF Lomcttcs, factory
operatives and the less wealthy EcnUr-
ally, and a faint idea Of tho slaughter
VI birds necessary may be obtained"
Most OF tho states and territories have
on fhclr statute bonkd laws for the pro-
lection OF birds Law VI Itself can be "
little avail so long Ms women demand
birds for their hats or sanction the use Of
birds by mllllnerB, the supply will come.
Professional plume hunters viii find It
worth while to Violate the law, ana Law
doca not reach many parts VI thc world
where the destruction OF bird life IN
greatest. One thing 0niy will stop the
killing. That IL wOman'J influence She
has but 10 show diSIppr0bltOn uf lhr
fashion and millions OF bird lives will he
preserved every year. There are many
women who refuse to wear birdR on their
hats on the ground Of humanity, They
are comparatively few In number. how
ever, ana not u great deal can be cX-
pcctcd from individuals In changing
fashions dictates. Concerted nCllon iS
needed.
Boston. Philadelphia and Chicago
have each an Audubon Society. and New
York 10 not likely to hr behind the times.
The Massachusetts Audubon Society has
1000 members, and Is doing better work
lust now than ever before. \ fashluun-
BILE millInCr In New York. who has been
In the habit % going 10 Boston each sea-
son with supply OF hats, had hard
lesson last year AS usual, she went
over ana put up a. Il swell hotel with her
Crca tlOns. The women came and looked
at them. but refused to buy. saying that
they would not wca" hat or bonnet
decorated with any kind Of plumIgc cx-
Ccpt that from the dgmcsticated birds
and the ostrich, The millincr became
Interested In the society. Joined Il. and
now she won't sell a hut with birds or
liErcttcs on II. She went 10 boston this
year with hats decorated otherwise. and
did IA thriving business. The societies IN
Chicago and Philadelphia are doing what
they can TO protect bird life. and their
work Is not in vain, They say that sim.
liar societies In other cities are much
needed, rs nothing but combined effort
Will make Il possible 10 stay the course
OF fashion.
Men who know about birds say that II
women only realized the economical
losses th=N this fashion entails they
would one and all resolve never to use
another bird skin for decorative pur.
poses. An ornIthologist has said:
IT lS estimated that birds save to ng-
riculturHl purposes alone. annually, over
SO0,OOO,OOO In the United State-l In
many sections Insect life Is still so ALUM
dant as to make human life almost un-
endurable In other sections II il only
Kept In check by birds and there is no
place in which. were this cheek removed.
It would not greatly hold the balance Of
power From daylight until dark. all
through the summer months, birds wage
incesSlut war on tho enemies OF man"
This would not perhaps appeal 10 wo-
men half 20 quickly as thc saying, "a
garden without flowers childhood with
out laughter, an orchard without blos-
sons, Hky without color. roses without
perfume. are the annlOgues Of a country
wlthoIiH song birds" And thu United
Statesrare going straight into that dej-
eTt condition.