The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-26
HE CALLED BIRDS FOOLS.
PRANK JOHNNIE POWERS STAG
GERED BIZ TIE RESULT.

PRANK JOHNNIE POWERS STAG
GERED BIZ TIE RESULT.
HPon All Over the world the Tender at Tenn
nnson's DrawbridEs Elas Had Letters or
Protest, but sac stands by His Guns and Has
an object Lessen Waiting Tor the Bird Lovers
NEW HAVEN. Conn.,, Dec. 25. johnnie"
Powers IL staggered. Everybody who drives
ever tho old Providence pike for any length OF
time knows and likes Johnnie Powers, the ordi-
narily philosophical tender Of the big electric
swing draw at busy Tomlinson'e bridge on the
Quinnipiac River. Mr.. Powers, although cole.
brated as q life-saver at the river side. and faith.
full servant of tho public without an accident
these many years, y being showed under by
remonstrances both verbal and epistolary in
consequence Of an impatient utterance made
in the limo of his work when he de-
clsred that birds are FOOLS" He made this
remark one day last summer after he had swung
tho draw for the fourteenth time that day to
stop a free fight between the largo colonies Of
English sparrows and purple martins which
tenanted tho bridge. The birds nest in the orna-
mental iron posts which tower above the
tenders lever room on the draw. This room Is
suspended over the narrow roadway.
Now, Mr.. Powers is just Q little sorr y that he
made the remark. There were several per-
sons about at the time. including o magazine
artist, and q month or 30 later Mr.. Powers was
surprised to ind himself quoted as above in an
article in that magazine upon the birds. and the
artist had made him still further famous by
portraying him in the act Of swinging tho big
draw in order to stop tho battle. But that was
only the beginning of his troubles In the mat
ter. for ever since he has been q shining mark
for lovers OF birds. who feel indignant because
of his sweeping declaration.
"Of all the places to get into hot water, this
here draw 10 the star" said Johnnie yesterday,
"and of all the troubles that Two ever had on 1t,
boy and man, this battle of the birds, and the at
tacks upon me which have followed. have been
the worst by o long shot. Who's a-going to run
this draw, them birds or met When you get n
lot of highly educated folks after you, like I
have in this matter. It makes you feel as though
bridge tending amt what 1t was once. They've
got me SO mixed up on 1t that sometimes I'm In
doubt as to which is right, them people or me.
why, its worse" said Mr.. Powers, as he took
. few whiffs ct his pipe and then reflected, "it's
worse, l say, than bearing up under the abuse Of
the river hogs thatpass up down and through this
here draw. Did you ever notice that pedestrians
and teamsters will mostly give way quietly to
the passage of traffic through adrawbridge and
wait patiently. even in a driving rainstorm. but
q river hog don't do nothing but kick and swear
II he has to wait for ono team to drive OF tho
draw. He'll blow his whistle at three miles
eway for mo to open, Just az though. he owned
@ Sas 5,vs ssourn neVfr ,u lss the msf ft7s ssm ho sSia sfoq tSsy me nc
the boss. the same as you do your wife. and then
."But here's them bird people a:writing mo
hater and S-essins the birds on to fight Why.
OF, tell YOU. bridge tenders have their troubles.
going TO oDen II and delays, you until
ens fellow %sa slhSsl' wss ea : iss'f bay over sS't tSs
signal. Well, / cooked his goose. for him one
way way, T for I swung Ssn u the draw Sa' end dn Tor end end. and i iefs
him hind side before; and moving back toward
drive back q mile 70 get a vide place to turn
around with his load.
them sra l lets Ise Ses ssp m can F hSna sss 5S CURSE is S1s
tending this draw on q, Fourth Of July, when
s sns so%s, s nlss,i E R dsM int sh "S%s so see Ss a s %SS'
last Fourth they came down here In such show
s5s tsG Ses aei np ~ t 1t ss ssmsiet to m and II ios sseSSE n
their ancestors for seven generations back to GO
for 9 sail. Just to keep me aiopening this draw"
pa saF; sG pies. e% sWSfssS. I f'I love t Seo BIRDS frtis Just R!s e as
S Miil t 20 sRye0dHyII n PIT i bean ssn't a tssp It np b fhs ~ dfaS
don't i shelter more'n 500 Fl EN- every night
they pitch into me. Why, they attack us
WOEbo imam hNlh u Ok iuhord pIoCcoSioh
having a threo-masted schooner towing, 10
for h9 mo t. P S%ln up the Sa draw aRs oF'q New 'P a6er S,0E IS
one thing that WON'T stop With this here draw,
sVsry taaGs Z In 'd the World Pd0f but ONE Of t fhsSPD'f I
wouldn't cut a funeral In two II 81: Peter MIN
spotes at the wheel. Why I Wei. I dunno.
always feel toward a funeral as though it was
f brid LSs' a sa@e as ahi L 'Gi f oSg Gs' to o'f EaHs II the USE Fight shs
.W1y =
solemn VOW. You see the difficulty began early
last summer. begun to notice then that these
fights between the sparrowa and the martins
were getting so bad as to attract a good deal OF
attention. Them h9llow posts on the Grnw
lilies in. The martins came first and nosted in
the posts on the north side Of the draw
posts on tho south side: From The very frs!
noticed that sometimes the birds would get
as pleasant with them as a May morning, but
didn't make no account Of 1t then. much less die
whole trouble. But when the colonies grew
larger and the fights hercer, then l concluded
Nov come into the lever ROOM, said the
draw tender. You soc that starting lever there
facing %siai ny eSs s1 West. ai toHard '| NeW II T. v en- ' Ssca SSS
my rush travel comes from that digestion, and
@ most s + q 3 stands SaR t ISS[' %ey, IT we'll dIH IL a Prosl M
the bird mystery. 1 found that when I'd swinI
s shs e or tow snd East 1Ss f aSvo snd the he'i bisd ,0 woGId ' q
on one Of their pitched battles. as though tn
devil had kicked 'em in end, and the battl,
would last as long as / kept the draw
swung that way. AS soon as "a swinI
tho draw. back again.. and turned mysel
round facing the west. / found that peace onc'
more reigned in the camp and that tho domestic
HE OF the birds went on quietly again, So TIT
the lever room and watched the birds. As sooi
as they felt the tremble OF the draw In motioi
they all flew out of their nests in the iron post
and kept out, and circling around until i shu
the draw again. If the draw was back as bs
fore, the birds seemed peri, city satisfied, but !
I'd ewing IL end for end their nests woul'
be half turned around, you see. Then the tron
BILE would begin, for the martins would try y
get into the sparro WIS nests, which would now b.
on the north side of the draw, the martins no
knowing enough TO know that they were no
their own nests. The sparrows would do tn.
aame thing TO the marLins' nests ON the sontl