The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-11-28


editor of the Topic, an interesting
pamphlet. "A Plea for Beast and Bird
and at our request Mrs. DR.. Spainhour
has made the following extracts for
publication in the Topic. There are
many thoughtless people who ought to
read these extracts for there is no
question but what there is, at this day,
too little consideration given to the
sufferings of the lower order of beings
which have been put under the domin-
ion of man.
''How do the beasts groanf' is an
exclamation Of Scripture. Hardly d day
passes that does not bring to light in
stances OF cruelty practiced upon dumb
brutes of one kind and another. Any
one who keeps his eyes open, and he
will not need to exert himself much, can
zee any day upon our city streets horses
with locked tails; horses with huge
curb bits in their mouths; horses with
their heads drawn high with check
rein; while the white foam fiecks their
jaws as an evidence of the torture from
being subjected to such things Horses
are overloaded until every muscle and
nerve is quivering under the exertion
and strain of drawing their burden;
horses hitched to various kinds of de-
livery wagons are every day driven
through our streets at a speed positively
injurious. They are rushed down hill
at a break-neck speed and up hill as
fast as they can be urged. The treat
Gent which that noblest of all animals
God has given for the service - man
receives daily at his hand is a disgrace
10 the civilization of the century and
. christian land.
fTILa r.rt4nl4x- ny .fionJ I,,,,,I
extends beyeond the horse. Cattle are
dehorned; they are crowded into the
holes of vessels and compelled to stand
upon their feet during long and tedi-
Gus voyage. To keep them from lying
down and thus being tramped to death
in their crowded condition, all sorts of
devices full of cruelty are resorted to.
1t was not very long ago that / read
an account of the shipping of cattle
to foreign countries. and it was re-
marked that one of the attendants was
80 exasperated at the cattle in their
attempts to lie down, that he deliberate
ly knocked the eye out of a steers head.
A gentleman told me of a form of cruel
ty practiced upon these cattle, which
refrain from mentioning because of its
disgusting nature. Such brutality makes
every nerve in us Jingle, but this is
emily a fraction of the torture inflicted
upon the beasts of the earth.
Live Holsters are thrown into boiling
water while alive, killed by this pro-
cess so as to preserve the red color
which characterizes Holsters killed in
this way. DR.. Charles s. Robinson, an
eminent writer, says along this line that
friend of his was shocked beyond
measure at hearing screams that
sounded like the shrek of a baby COM
ing from the kitchen range, and rush
ing in to find out what was the matter
saw a lobster swimming and crying out
in agony in the scalding water in the
pot; and never afterward could be
bring himself to partake of lobster or
use for food any creature of God that
needed to be boiled alive to be palatable
] have no doubt that many think
nothing of going out and knocking over
with a gun, many a bird which they
could never use for food, and call it
sport. Many of these birds are not
killed at once, but are only wounded,
and left TO suffer for longer or shorter
time, as the case may be.
Many of the female sex will wear the
wings and stuffed bodies of birds upon
their hats with no feelings of remorse.
1t would seem that women, and espe-
cially Christian women, knowing the
facts about the bird catching for milli-
merry purposes, would forever refuse to
ornament their head-dress with the
wings, and heads. and feathers, of our
songsters and bright-plumag birds.
The facts, however, are against them.
Time and again this matter has been
brought to their attention through
societies for the protection of the "feath-
cred tribe" and it has been with little
avail. The slaughter still goes on ac-
companied with the most cruel toltures.
Ornithologists are once more calling at
tention to the wholesale slaughter of
birds; will this appeal prove to be any
more effectual than others in stopping
it? The Smithsonian Institution has
quite recently sounded the alarm. 1t
Is declared that 'civilized man is sweep
ing the wild birds off the face of the
earth at such rate that before long
hardly any species of feathered creatures
will survive save those which are do
nesticated." We are told that many
species have already been totally wiped
cut and at the present rate Of destruc-
tion many more within a short period
will become extinct.
1t was published in a paper called
Science, that an ornithologist of great
auickness of observation, riding in a
Madison Avenue car, reported that he
noted there was in it at one time thir-
teen women, Of whom eleven wore
birds, as follows: Heads and wings of
three European starlings; whole bird,
specie unknown; of foreign origin. seven
warblers, representing four different
Species a large Tern, some heads and
wings of at least three shore-fnches;
ene-half of gallinule; small sea-
swallow: blue turtle dove; vireo and
a yellow-breasted chat, and the usual ar
ray of ostrich plumes a la mode. Do
we stop to consider how these birds and
bodies. wings and feathers, are OBJ
tanned? Think Of the cruelty and torture
of plucking feathers from live birds, and
stripping skins from quivering bodies.
Yet this is precisely what is done. A
minister had printed over his signature
this statement: "In Louisville, / saw in