The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1896-04-30
BILL ARP'S LETTER.
HE WRITES a CHAPTER ON
WANEON CRUELTY.
Sorry That lie Once Fired Upon His
Neighbor's Cow.

!
pigeons in Macon the other day. That
is awful. [ did not know there were
such unfeeling people in this civilized
country. There is nothing more harm
less, nothing SO happy and SO beautiful
as the pigeons that domesticate around
our homes and seek the protecting
care of mankind. I thought that this
cruel sport had been abandoned and
that clay pigeons were substitutes and
were thrown from trap by a spring.
No wonder the good people of Macon
refused to witness the unfeeling sport,
It is an honor to them and it seems to
me they might have found some law to
prevent it. Where did they get SO
many pigeons? Is itpossible that any
gentleman who had them on his place
would let his boys sell them for
such sacrifice? Just think of it!
A thousand happy, innocent birds
torn and mangled by shot and
shell, legs broken or wings, and
then dying q lingering death of pain.
This thing could not have been done
in Cartersville The other day two
young bucks, who are proud of their
muscle. planned q boxing match to
come eff at the city hall and our mayor
and council rose up in arms and called
out the militia and beat the long roll
and issued proclamation and scared
the young bucks so bad they left the
town for three days. Their boxing
gloves were seized as contrabands of
war and have been filed away among
the trophies. One of the bucks is
from England and the affair may yet
get up another Venezuelan complica-
tion with the Monroe doctrine attach
ed. What right has Johnny Bull to
be knocking out an American born
citizen? No. we don't believe in
sports that are cruel or dangerous.
A man went up in balloon here today
and hung from it by his toes on q
trapeze and then cut loose and came
down with a parachute and everybody
gazed and wondered, for it was free
show, but he ought not to have been
allowed to do it, for they get killed
sooner or later, and it excites a thirst
for dangerous risks and an Indifference
to death. A man who will wantonly
and foolishly put his life in hazard is
o fool for want of sense and will never
get to heaven, in my opinion. Many
years ago l saw Blondin, little
Frenchman, who was brought over by
Niblo to dance the rope at his garden
show in New York. The garden
wasn't big enough for his ambition
and he got to walking ropes from
steeples of high buildings and next
over waterfalls, and last over the great
chasm below Niagara falls. The last
time [ saw him he was walking
over that chasm on rope that was
1900 feet long and was $50 feet above
the surging waters and he had man
on his shoulders. Well, of course
that was very wonderful and very
perilous, but it accomplished no good
to anybody aid nobody would have
cared if he had fallen and killed him
self. 'Just another fool gone," the
spectators would have said. And l
have known my father tell about Sam
Patch, who astonished the coun-
+ try by jumping from top masts of YES
sells and from high bridges. He jump
!, ed the falls 2f Paterson, N. j., about
100 feet, and then the falls of Niagara
and Rochester, and finally the Genesee
- falls, 125 feet. His body was found
four months afterwards and he was
pronounced first-class fool. But still
I have more respect for Blondin and
-. Sam Patch than for any set of men
: who will wantonly kill thousand pig
: cons Just to show off their skill il
. shooting. 1t is bad sign in a boy tc
be cruel. We have pigeons at oul
p home and they give us pleasure every
day and sometimes the bad boys sllE
around in the back alley with theil
sling shots and shoot them from theil
= hiding places and we find the deac
e birds lying around, and it distresse'
t my wife sorely. What makes boys dc
s so? Why do they love to shoot the
q English sparrows? The girls have ne
: such desire. They would rather cares
:, them and nestle them in their bosoms
:. Man is harder hearted than woman ant
q maybe the maternal instinct has some
l. thing to do with 1.-THE love of littl
s helpless creatures. Maybe it is becaus
8 she was the last and best of Gods crea
|. tons. One day | took down my gu
@ in anger to shoot COW that was in IN,
Q corntield She had broken down th
n fence several times, but old John Allel
|. was - good neighbor and had promises
to fix his fence and didn't do it, an
g he was away from home a good deal
~ for be was millwright. My wifi
? begged me not to shoot his COW, but
- did it, and put out one of her eyes an
% tore her up pretty bad. I didn't sc
;s John for some time and didn't wan
n to. One morning he stopped at tn
~ gate and asked how we all were an
! talked about the rain and the weather
:. and after awhile remarked that he ha
is been right busy repairing his part {
J that Old fence, and it was all rigl
IS now. My caows will not trouble "
hnAy more,I 'ope," he said in his En-
lish brooue. Then. of course. I hs