The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-16
NO PITY FOR THE BIRDS.
THE SLlUGHTBR FOR FlsHIoR'S
SAKE GREATER THAN EVER.

and wings on their hats than ever before. This
will probably be Encouraging news for tho
members Of the Audubon Society Of the State Of
New York and. indeed. to all lovers OF birds.
Tho society has been a~gitating It's pet theories
for a year, but somehow these theories haven't
taken very deep hold on tho provcrblally tender
heart Of womankind. Women are queer crea-
turcs. They are great reformcrs and 20 In for
all sorts Of reforms, 30 long rs tho reforms do
not affect their personal appearance. About
nine hundred and ninety.ninc future genera
tions will have passed away before woman's
true spirit of righteousness overcomcs her van
ity." some mon say. or course, such critics are
mostly crusty old bachelors; but oven IL they
are half way right. dealers In feathers and birds
will not have to go out OF business very soon.
Women gather together by hundreds to dis
cuss tho complexities OF life. and their heads
form an pathological exhibit that would do
credit to n museum Of natural history. Sorosis
complacently discusses for hours at n time
whether America has or has not formed a dis
%tinctive school Of literature while her three or
four hundred members nod their heads. be-
decked with aigrottes, birds of paradise, owls,
terms, sea gulls. and what not of the feathered
tribe, approvingly. These women never stop to
consider that the question In hand will settle
itself, and that they. by concerted action, might
DO the means of stopping America from
falling into the condition of q country without
song birds. The members of tho Rainy Day
Club curtail their skirts and reform their foot
gear, but 1t never seems to occur to them that
they could at the same time reform their head
gear. too, by stripping 1t of plumage. which
represents the loss Of millions of lives. Politi-
cal societies and clubs debate at length the
restriction OF immigration. the Tariff bill. the
effect OF wealth upon society. tho annexation
OF Hawaii, the attitude OF the Government
toward Cuba. and such questions when they
could do the country n deal more practical good
by making an effort to protect bird life to fur
ther agricultural pursuits. It has been estimat-
cd that birds save to agriculture alone annually
moro than $780, 900 900 in the United States.
One thing only will stop the destruction Of
bird life. That isn't tho influence which COOS
forth from the various Audubon societies
throughout the country. though, IT. has set the
ball in motion. 1t is woman's influence; She
has but TO. show disapprobation and millions
of birds will be spared every year. More and
moro women every day are refusing to wear
but they are comparatively fow in numbcrs and
little can be expected from individuals In
is needed, and SO far it has not come. One has
only to look at the hats and bonncts on the
heads of the women one passes in a walk down
Fifth avenue or Broadway to see this.
When a buyer for one Of the largest millinery
establishments in this city was asked to state
Society's crusade, she snid:,
|" Idon't know whether the Audubon Society
tain, and that is that moro fancy birds and
feathers are being used in millinery now than
have been used in eight or nine years. The in.
dications are that oven more Will be used next
the fashion, for frequently q customer comes in
aigrctte or any kind Of wings or plumase OK.
oept those Of domcsiicated birds. Nine
Of some bird that was wild when Killed. has it
put on her hat, and goes away satisfied. She
does not ask us what the ornament is, and we
do not take 1t on ourselves to enlighten her, for
only anti.bird wcarers that we really dread are
grounds. They viii not look at anything except
ostrich feathers and wings and feathers that
Fortunately for the feather dealers. and unfor.
%tunately for the world. such women are rare.
birds rPh 1sis SEASON. are sn %4 I'm s ssea th beae cam any Bot S,h nor
harm In wearing them. The men who sell tho
birds to the hotels and restaurants. sell the
killed primarily for their plumage. Parrots are
also used in enormous quantities. They como
black. Sea eulis, owls. terms, birds OF paradise.
and humming birds are very fashionable. and of
anything else. for they are not only worn on
hats and bonnets, but they are also extensively
fhs o i'm dfef br r. the su hslr' nv VIZ the buy Gos aigre 6ns BY 3y
short, IN, every conceivable way, 1t would be
impossible to give gu any statistics OF our pur'
but we have bought and sold them, not by hun
dreds, but by thousands, and ours is only one of
many houses in this city that deal largely in
These people who harp on the crueltyof the
dash nanro oT 4 minGcS 9iFd Il t tRf % fashioa should nFp Ssd,
denly be wiped out, think of the thousands and
ten thousands OF persons who would be left
and fowls killed for food. Tknow this because
have been in London and Paris many times to
buy for wholesale dealers. The feathers of tho
stroas ]soiutio S'FS @h fGS f bisae G&inpi 'ho IN slm nesy
white. Then they are DYED and they take all
s SfrGs. eMss sn pTspSr to and rn dye n the % pia@a %S i anG
%say q our birds and fsat9sr ~ is lI that the
making them up. Feathers are like heads
Of hair; no two take dye alike. They
purposes. There seems to be something In
French water favorable 70 dyeing feathers. and
Rlo %s S Sodn shine IN Be the si w1rl 70 SACK ban s@ USHER Z Re pi"mss
and tips. All of these aigrettes, owls, gulls. and
terms you see in the cases were killed in this
and purchased from them by the French, who
prepared them. and we imported our own birds
ing, before women give up fancy birds and
" There Is n perfect fad for wearing birds and
feathers among women, 1t amounts almost to
a craze. Nearly every day. however. a woman
except ostrich feathers; but such women do not
hurt the business. for they are too few and far
between. We import nearly our entire stock of
birds. and want TO tell YOU frankly that very;
very few OF the thousands and thousands Of
birds. wings and feathers that we sell
are from domesticated birds. They are
wild birds that come from all parts OF the
world; do not believe In denying that fact,
though | see no harm In women wearing them.
These people who oppose the fashion are a lot OF
folks who have nothing TO do; and they must
find something. So they rant about killing the
birds for their feathers. 1t isn't likely that they
will hurt the business much; for waving plumes
and soft. fluffy birds and stiff wings are too be-
coming to the average woman
Mrs. Harriet Beccher Stowe onco said: When
you get into IA tight place and everything goes
against you, till II seems rs II you couldn't hold
on n minute longer. never give up then, for that is
just the place and time the tide will turn. and she
Found occasion to repeat 1t often. The Audubon
Society finds itself In the tight place. so far as
this bird and feather fashion, Is concerned. but
the members are confidently holding on to their
principles and work, for they believe that the
tide is about to turn. They are convinced that
tho destruction OF birds for the Disagreement OF
women's heads" has about reached the top
notch, They do not claim that 1t will abate
perceptibly very soon. for this cannot be ex-
pccted when some feathers sell for moro than
their weight In gold,