Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-08-29
EFFORTS TO GET RID
OF ENGLISH SPARROW


The agricultural department has
recently printed a map showing the
extent of country now occupied by
the English sparrow. 1t has been
multiplying with marvellous rapidiiy
and is now found in most parts of
the country. Only three states, Mon
tans. Nevada and Wyoming. and these
territories. Alaska, Arizona and New
Mexico. are free from the sparrow.
1t is found in California. both north
and south of San Francisco. in the
valleys of the Sacramento and San
joaquin rivers. and along the coast.
1t is scattered among the settlements
on the Columbi river and Puget
sound. 1t has spread all over the
eastern half of the country from
North Dakota to the Mississippi delta
1t has, however, avoided the sandy
region of Florida and Is not found to
any extent in our most densely wood
ed areas. AS might be expected, it
has given our vast semi-arid colony a
wide berth, though q large colony has
settled in the fertile agricultural
region around Salt Lake City.
1t is only 81 years since the En-
glish sparrow was first introduced
into this country by a gentleman of
Brooklyn, who sought a remedy for
the worms that were destroying the
| trees of that town. The sparrow has
keen appetite for worms. In the
course of time injury done the tree
by worms was largely abated through
this little bird. so it became quite a
fad to import sparrows from L irope
and then turn them loose in our
towns. A thousand birds were sent
to Philadelphia in a single lot. Many
birds were distributed far and wide
from the colonies already started.
One hundred pairs were brought to
Monmouth in 1875 by Nathan Carr,
Jr., to help exterminate the insects in
the Maple city. The birds cost 800,
of which $75 was raised by private
subscription and S25 donated Dy the
! city council.
Undoa btedly the sparrow has de-
stroyed a great many tons of worms.
But the remedy has proved worse
than the disease. Perhaps the worms
have been held in check No some ex-
tent, but we have great many more
sparrows than we have use for. They
destroy fruit and grain, disfigure
building in cities and towns, drive
away other birds and in fact are
nuisances. The dear little sparrow has
come to be regarded as the worst CT
the feathered pests. Efforts to ex-
terminal it are now making in the
country. but it is too late. The spar
row has become naturalized aud he is
here to stay. Illinois, Michigan, Ohio
and Utah in the past few years have
paid out many thousands of dollars
in the bounties offered for it's destruc-
ton. but no one has yet observed an y
Idiminution in the mum Der of birds.
The English sparrow is very sue
cessful emigrant. 1t has been carried
to the remote islands of the seas and
is flourishiDg in the Pacific ocean, in
Guiding the Hawaiian islands. 1t has
gained foothold in Argentine and is
hopping all over Bermuda, the Bahia
mas and Cuba. 1t was sent to Bar
muda from New York in 1874 and a
tine was imposed upon any one who
destroyed it. Ten years later boun-
ties were paid for it's destruction and
in three years nearly 80 600 were ex-
pended in this way without causing
Iany appreciable decrease, though the
islands have an Al ca of less than
20 square miles. Ali the colonies OF
Australia have sparrow destruction
laws" but the bird declines TO leave
the friends who welcomed it as 9
blessing and would now be happy to
speed its departure.
Il