Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1901-12-26


great achievement of this committee
has been the procuring of effective
state laws and effeCtual hardening Of
all remaining sea-bird colonies along
our Atlantic coast. The American or
nithOlOgists' union committee has be
gun several suits in New York state,
with good hope of success, but this
winters fight looms big before them,
and is wholly dependent on the sub
scriptiOns for which we are now So
Gciting.
Short-sighted dealers have in tn
past few years changed. from New
Jersey to the Gulf, beach thronged
with millions of exquisite white sea
birds, filing the air with their WILD
voices, to a waste, silent but for the
sound of the surf, and where there ls
little hope that a distant object will
prove to he anything moro inapirin"
than an old shoe.
This devastation wrought by a.
lacking The birds in their breedirs
colonies. as they madly hover over
the invader) was only complete as
far northward as New Jersey, while
in Long Island, Vineyard Sound and
in Maine, good colonies, both of terms
and gulls, remained. These and
some remnants in Virginia and Mary
land, the dealers were about to finish
when, two years ago, they fOUnd
themselves confronted by a system Of
Wardcns, paid by subscriptions of this
small body Of bcauty-IoVing Ameri-
cans. Our triumph has been com.
Elete. Nearly every colony has great
ly increased each year.
The dealers plead that We al"
Gripping an industry. That which
passes like a blight across the field.
leaving no seed for the morrow. IL
not an industry.
Half our work is the securing i'm
proved laws and the watching them
to see that they be not scuttled in the
next legislature by amendments III
stigated by the dealers.
The American Onith0IOgists' union
committee consisting Of two MEL
who can i'll spare the time and who
give their services gratis, will conduct
the whole warden system and will be
present at the meetings OF legisla-
lures all over the United States east
Of the Mississippi, if we can raise the
money for their expenses. The COM
mittee have used almost the last Of
our remaining funds, and every one
who wants the work to go on must
spare, as their winter and spring cam
paign will involve heavy expense.
There is every reason to believe
that few years struggle will put
this cause on a more stable and less
expensive basis, if not wholly abolish
it's need, but in the meantime we arc
in crying need Of an organization and
funds enough to meet emergencies.
and any one promising to stand by
us with a certain annual contribution
will do yeOman service.
The legislature work is to cover the
protection of all birds threatened by
milliners and to watch for violations
Of this protection and of the Lacey
act of congress, which prohibits send
ing uE!awfulIy procured bfrd-skius
from state 10 state.
Sea birds are wholly essential a.
scaVengers Of the coast and harb0rs.
and as pilots for fishermen to schools
of fish. English fishermen allow No
one to Kill them
The work already accomplished is
only beginning, and if the commit
tee can get the money they will ex-
tend the protection to the breeding
of the gulf coast and those
of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
as well as to inland breeding colonies.
and will strengthen the protection CT
the Florida pelicans and the compar4-
lively few herons that remain there
oportsmen, too, will find themselves
indebted to our wardens, who have
not only protected sea birds, but,
equally, rails and shore birds.
The smallest subscriptions will be
received, and if every one
EAST Of the Mississippi who has even
| slight desire to perpetuate this
beautiful form of nature would send a
mall contribution, the aggregate re-
ult would go far toward accomplish
ng the desired end.
Money should be sent either to
William butcher, SIS Manhattan
venue, New York city, or to Abbott
I. Thayer, at Monadnock, N. H.