The Monmouth inquirer., 1898-03-03
BIRD CLUBS THE CRAZE
No End of Organization to Protect the
Songsters.

Songsters.
Almost every phase Of activity is be
ing formed into club, and we have al
kinds of clubs-clubs on domestic sci
ence. clubs on current topics, women
llubs, mixed clubs, mutual benetit clubs
and now we have bird clubs, says
Mrs. Ellen NJ Henrotin. For several
years the subject of preserving the
birds of the United States has been
much discussed. and the several Aud
ubon societies have issued pamphlets
and labored faithfully to arouse the
conscience of women, and one might
with propriety add, of the men who
sold the birds. to the cruelty of wear
ing the feathers of singing birds as dec.
oration, and yet fashion dictates this
winter the use of feathers on almost
every article of woman's dress. The
hats are literally made of feathers, anc
even furs are made of feathers, while
feathers decorate the bottom of her
dress, both for street and evening wear
met girl the other day on the
street who looked as if she had been
tarred and feathered. She had on a
woolly dress. over which little bits OF
wool stuck out, and she had a tibbet
which came down to her waist, made
of black and red birds feathers, while
her hat an enormous creation, was
simply made of blackbirds. Altogeth-
er she was fearful and grewsome
sight. and yet she had pretty face and
a good figure, and she walked along to-
tally unconscious of what she really
stood for. if only her dress were taken
as an index The Audubon clubs have
been organized in many cities. In lii
nois ther els a fourishing club of 200
members, and the Chicago Woman
club has been instrumental in arousing
the interest of women's clubs all over
the State, so that in time the movement
will extend and similar clubs be or
ganized Prof Eliot, DR.. e. G. Hirsh
and Mrs. Irene Wolff are members OF
the Audubon society. Mrs. Sarah Hub
bard has for several years given lee
lures on birds to large classes of la
dies, and during the summer has been
invited to many of the beautiful subur-
ban towns near Chicago to give lec-
tures; but do what we may, or, rather.
what we can. for the older people, it
is after all with the children that we
must work to secure just apprecia-
tion of the value of the animals and
birds of the world
AS a sign of the times many beauti-
full books are being written for chill
dren on this subject, and probably no
two men have done as much for our
dumb and singing friends as have Har-
ris. with sUncle Remus," and Kipiing
with the Jungle Book Massachu-
sets has committee on the protection
of birds, the committee having recently
beer added to the list Of committees oi
the State federation. and the chairman
of that committee in recent article
tells of what has been accomplished in
connection with the work, the chiel
of which was the passing Of a bill by
the Massachusetts Legislature making
it punishable by fine to buy, sell or
wear the dead bodies of the wild birds
of Massachusetts or any portion there
of. The game laws have been steadily
disregarded until quite lately by Am
ericans, but recently the conscience OF
the people has been aroused and these
laws are being enforced. We have
therefore, reason to hope that the leg
islation for the preservation of bird
life will have the same happy result.