The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-01-14


choose TO appear on the following morning
as wen as during divers other interval
te1 numerous To mention. on the SAM
. theory. Mr Cage might accept the prezi
deucy OF the Standard Oil raDk, provide,
it was understood that The Secretary OF
the Treasury would be able 10 devote only
the hours when he was not in his Wash
ington department to the duties required
by the Rockefeller money trust
Tho Preservation OF Native Birds.
A correspondent of the cincinnati Com
mercial Tribune" suggests that a concerted
tnor. be made to cxterminatc the English
sparrow. on the ground that this bird is
/ destroying native soagsters. It is alleged
that the sparrow takes the eggs Of the red
bird biuebird. etc. out Of the nest drops
them ca the ground. and eats them. and
also attacks these birds themselves
70 is possible that this happens now and
then. but it is not very common The
English sparrow is much-abused bird. but
he is really not entirely responsible for the
vanishing OF other fea.hered inhabitants
from our cities Mr.. LANCE a Minnesota
naturalist, who has made considerable
study of this problem, says that there are
many other reasons besides the presence of
the sparrow for the disappearance of other
birds from city streets and parks. One
is that there is no water for them to drink
except at the public fountains, and being
shy creatures and unused to human COM
pany, they retire to more secluded places.
Another is that the city parks and squares
( afford no shrubbery in which the may
nest. Birds love underbrush and tangles-
/ just the kind of arrangement which dis
! tresses the eye of the city-dweller. Sull
another reason for the birds departure is
the prevalence of the city cat. lean, sharp
I eyed, and hungry, and of the small boy
with a pebble in his hard.
Mr.. Lange is much Interested in the
preservation of our native birds, and has
written much on the subject. II would be
a good thing if the study of birds were en-
couraged among schoolchildren every
where. Such study would give the chill
dren habits of observation, gentle man
ners, and considerable scientific knowl-
edge of one sort or another. One cannot
know birds without the habit of strict at
/ tention to business. and any rough or
sudden movement sends the quick-eyed
little things soaring away into the blue.
The habit OF observation once formed, the
child will easily learn to notice all natural
objects from rocks to squirrels and in
sects and the result will be better IN
Outstanding OF the world in which We live.
There is. Of course, an economic side to
this question, which will seem more i'm
portant TO some practical people than its
ethical phase To be sure, it might be
reasoned that the character Of the CON
ing generation is as important as few
dollars more or less in their inheritance,
but some fathers and mothers do not APP
pear to hold that opinion. However, the
farmer. more than anyone else should be
interested in the preservation OF birds,
since they are the police OF the insect
world. and insects are the farmers worst
enemy.
As for the city dweller. he also has an
interest in this mater. Nine out Of ten
of the people who lee in cities wish to
have at some time or other a little home
OF their own in the suburbs where they
may have at least a small garden or a bit
Of shrubbery; and they should remember
that without the presence OF the birds
their green things wiz be simply pasture
for insects. A rose-coyered cottage is
beautiful, but cottage covered with rose
bugs is destructive Of every tender and I
>. e.
edy for the bug.
Mr.. LANCE recommends that everyone I
who can, whether in the city or the coun-
try, should take pains to attract, feed, and |
tame birds. He suggests that they be pro-
vided with drinking places. and that |
shrubbery, instead OF being kept entirely /
free from all wild growth be left to grow
so that the birds may have nest
ing places. He also suggests that food be
scattered for them when the trees are COW
cred with ice, so that they cannot get at
the seeds. There is no prettier amusement
for children than feeding and tanning
birds. and nothing which viii do more to
develop a kindly. gentle. and generous
character. Most boys have the sporting
instinct. but they need not be encouraged
TO kill bluebirds and song sparruws The
boy may find. if he is properly educated.
that there is just as much sport" land a
great deal more experiencei in tanning a
red squirrel as in shooting him on the run.
Havana advices indicate that General
Wood. Cuba's new American reconstruc-
zionist, is equal to a genuine emergency.
and does not shape his policy entirely
upon following the line of the least resist
lnce. The goyernor-general's summary
official decapitation of FREDERICK Mora,
Fiscal of the Supreme Court. because OF
ais delinquency in furnishing offenders and
his impertinent opposition to American
plans, is likely to have salutary effect.
Mora may now be expected TO re-enforce
he disgruntled small politicians who have