The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-09-02
THE ENGLISH SPARROW.
Ceaseless Warfare Upon Him
Fails to Drive Him Out.
Various Devices Employed In tho East
70 Extefminate tho Pest-Dep-
rotations Of the Saucy Lii
tie Britishef.

A Lewiston man-Uncle Robert, vii.
liams Quimby-has found what be
claims will rid the city of the English
sparrows, which he thinks are a pest.
Of course, many of us would seriously
miss the saucy, good-natured little fel-
lows that chatter around the windows
and build nests In caves and behind signs
with the most utter disrespect to the
feelings and tastes of the owners. There
are thousands and thousands of them in
every section of the city, and it is the
belief of many people that they drive
away the other birds; but in the spring
the Baltimore oriole plays among the
trees in the resident part of the city,
the robin nests in the tall trees in the
outskirts, and frequently is seen in the
city all summer; the bulejay is seen in
his season, the pine grosbeak makes us
pleasant call, and the nighthawk
"spealls" over our heads all the pleasant
evenings of the long summer. The
doves, half-dozen kinds of them, nest
in every belfry tower, and the jolly
clannish English sparrow hops about
the streets, keeping them clean.
But Dir. Quimby wants them killed off.
and after long study on tha subject
has devised means at once melan-
choly and tragic. He has invented
disease that will kill them all within
year of the day that it is unbottled
among them-so he says. He got his
ideas from German professor, who un-
dertook not long ago to rid Australia
of the rabbit curse. This German said
that he could introduce chickenpox
among the rabbits of Australia and kill
them off in no time. He did so, andthe
rabbits in several sections died like
sheep. but the disease soon ceased tl
spread.
Mr. Quimby thinks that the disease
he has found is similar to the sickness.
that has recently spread 30 fast among
the Maine turkeys and has killed them
off, so that to-day you'll hardly find one
on ride through the. country. He
caught several birds and experimental
with the germs of different human dis.
eases, but none Of them would take"
Then he fed them ON a certain kind OF
food and they died in an hour. He put
fresh birds into the cage with them and
they died also, in the same way. He has
become certain that the disease thus
started is very contagious and will rid
The city of birds in a short time if it is
let loose among them.
But he has misgivings. Suppose that
the death of SO many birds should cause
a pest among tho plucked bipeds, too?
1t would be no laughing matter then.
Another Lewiston man says that he
believes the spamows do a great deal OF
good. They keep the streets clean and
the city free from the accumulation of
decaying matter. A piece Of bread can
not be dropped in a back alley without
iozen birds being around it in moment
Ind in an hour the piece is gone. This
man has to suggest, however, that if the
people want to be rid of the pest, as
they call the bright little fellows, they
IAN follow the example of a western
city, which hired-he says-an expert
20 kill them. The expert bought a Large
of yeast-thousands of cakes,
N fact, cut them up in small bits. One
the streets were found to be
covered with these pieces Of yeast By
sunrise thousands and thousands OF
English sparrows were seen picking up
the pieces. Soon the edges Of the water
ng troughs were lined with the birds,
thinking as fast as they could. When
hey had drunk for awhile the birds
vould.rise up in the air and-pop! they
would explode like q frecracker and fall
% the ground. 1t needed no second
lose of yeast to complete the task.
City Marshal Teel suggests that be
vas always told that the best way IA
latch bird was to put salt upon his
ALL He says that II it is the opinion
If the Inhabitants that tho English spar
'ows must go. he will have the dog of.
Icer commence on this task az soon
IS he has captured all of the unlicensed
logs in the city.
Mr.. w. D. Bunker, of Lewiston, has
OSOhei! Od1it u uidl tiu uOust, WHICH Nc
iays will contain them. The English
parrows viii drive out anything from
he kind Of birdhoose that will allow
. crowd of them to get into it at once.
But with apartments in the houses tho
title fellows are at disadvantage, and
viii not try moro than once to dislodge
he martins. lie says that he has built
rsartin houses before and knows where.
II he speaks
The plan that some one-hassuggested
4 trapping the sparrows with steel
raps is cruel and not feasible Thomas
Of Strawberry place. often
himself as against the plan
4 the traps They would catch too
many Of his valuable blooded doves. He
Ioes not try to trap the hawks that tor
nent him on that account
Many farmers place steel traps on
he top Of poles and bait them with
neat. but If they should try that at the
place dove farm some of
hese fine lumber doves might be
aught in the same way.-Lewiston
Me-) Journal.
FOUNDING OF ST. PETERS.