Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1896-04-17
TALKS ABOUT CALIFORNIA.
Rev T.. n. Leavitt in His Pulpit sum
day and at the Alliance study Class
Monday MISUNDERSTANDING for the
Nomen who Wear Egret PIumes.

dRy and at the Alliance study Glass
Monday Evening---SomethinR for the
Women who Wear Egret Plumes.
Rev. E. B. Leavltt who returned two weeks
ago from months visit to California spoke to
his congregation at the Unitarian church last
Sunday morning on his trip and the impressions
gained His sermon had special reference to the
religious conditions n the Pacific coast, and 10
the eagerness with which the Unitarian gospel Is
accepted by the large class Of people found there
to whom the old beliefs do not appeal. In San
Francisco the Unitarian church, to which Starr
King went to minister four years before his
death and over which the venerated Rev DR..
Steobins presided for so many years, is the strong
and leading church of the city The Oakland
church, where Mr.. Leavitt went to preach for
four Sundays, has made a remarkable growth
and its influence in the city is far reaching. The
church in Los Angeles has the largest conRrega-
ton Of any Unitarian church in the world.
Monday evening at the last meeting for the sea
son for the Alliance study class Mr. Leavitt talked
informally for an hour on the general features Of
his trip-of the magnificent scenery on the way,
of the dreariness Of the ride through the desert
and the bad lands" of the marvellous transfer
nation as the train left the snow. clad heights Of
the Sierras and plunged down into the greenness
of the valleys, among bossoming peach orchards
and world OF flowers. The profusion OF flow
ers was :neverending surprise. At Easter,
when the usual request was made for flowers for
decoration Of the Oakland church, one man said,
In a matter. offact way, that he would send llOO
calas from his grounds. Of callas alone 10000
or 1900 we're used on that occasion. The ous-
door roses are the choicest and most magnificent
tea roses such seen In the East only IN
greenhouses, and there is no limit to their
abund ince. Fuchsias grow like our syriugas.
heotropes cover the whole side Of a building.
The size and profusiOn Of fruits and vegetables
are constant wonder. The cordially and earnest
ness OF the people impressed the visitor forcibly.
MIR. Leavitt enjoyed for day the delightful hos
pitality Of the University Of California at Berke-
ley, aHd an interesting visit was paid TO the LICK
observatory on Mt. Hamilton. Impressions OF
San Francisco We're given and brief accouut Of
the speakers hurried journey through southern
California including the well-knOwn points Of in
terest, Santa Barbara, Pasadena and Los An
geles.
Something for Women 10 Think Of
At the opening of the Alliance meeting, and
before Mr. Leavitt began to speak, Miss Dalton,
the secretary, read statement or appeal sent
out by the Humane education COMMITTEES" in re-
gard TO the wearing of egret plumes. The
aigrettes, which have come to be such a common
adornment in the bonnets of women are com.
posed of the slender decomposed feathers that
grow at one time of the year the breeding
som on the egret's back and drop gracefully over
the sides and tail of the bird. W. II. Hudson, an
eminent ornitholOglst in writing on this subject
and the old-blooded cruelty and loss of bird life
which are involved IN securing these plumes for
the market, says the time hen the hunters make
their attack is when the young birds are fully
hedged but unable to fy because IL is then that
the solcltude OF the parent birds is the greatest
and they are most forgetfu of their own danger.
Taking advantage of this instinct for the protec-
ton of their young the onslaught is made at this
carefully chosen time, and when the killing is fin.
lshed aud the few handfuls of coveted feathers
have been secured the bodies of the murdered
birds are left TO tester in white heaps and their
orphaned young 10 starve miserably. The cruel
methods Of these Florida plume hunters are no.
torious. one New York milliner alone has
ployed regularly for years from 80 TO 80 gunners
IN this wretched work. and it is not uncommon
for single hunter to kill as many as 100 birds
day for days at time.
The suffering ana desolatiOn which result
dreadful TO contemplate. Any person who no.
tees these aigrette plumes waving. not sngly,
but often IN clusters, on the heads of so many
women. must know that the slaughter has not
been by thousands but by mill ms" II is safe to
say that IN future no woman who is possessed OF
the best ornament Of womanhoOd-a woman's
conscience and wOmans seusbiity buy
or wear d bonnet ornamented with egret plumes.
winters Work of the study Glass.
This meeting of the Alliance study class was
the closing one of the season. Tn. class has had
pleasant and profitable winter. Papers have
been read on the laws of Vermont which directly
concern women; on the various charitable insti-
tutions OF the state; ancient and modern
methods IN the treatment of insanity: on super
sttlons 1.-THE last very interesting essay by DR..
Lawtonl. One evening was given to woman suf-
trage. There were four papers devoted to pris-
ons and prison discipline. abroad and In this
Thanks are due TO all who by their presence and
"a hau I,Ua