Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1901-06-13

fitted around him to see what he
was doing, as men loaf around brick
layers. And we suppose they gave
the feathered cat advice, just like
men.
The man who shoots a hrwk or
an owl, under the impression that
they prey upon farmers, doesn't
know what mischief he does. Tie
hawks feast and gorge on grass
hoppers, taking one hundred at a
meal; a flock of three hundred
hawks eat nine hundred thousand
hoppers a month, and a hopper eats
his own weight every day. Nearly
a ton of hoppers eaten per month
by such a flock. If the hawks did
not take them they'd eat thirty tons
of farm products wer month. Owls
are invaluable in orchards, taking
field and house mice, moles, rats,
etc. They are better mousers than
cats, and neither an owl nor a hawk
takes one chicken to the cats score
of them. Let the birds alone
"The Cuckoos, woodpeckers, king
birds, phoebes, jays, crows, black
birds, orioles, field sparrows. gros-
beaks, swallows, cat and cedar birds
and the robins, wrens, blue birds do
farmers and orchardists and gard
ners infinitely more good than
harm by destroying noxious insects
that sting, suck, bore and blight
plants and trees. And they are no
end better economists than the
greenhorns and ignoramuses who
shoot them.
Men help out birds a good deal
unwittingly. Telegraph and tele-
phone lines are favorite roosting
places, or rest room for swallows,
martins and sparrows, and arc-light
hoods are prime nesting places, as
good as the gables of houses. And
a church ridgepole is no end con-
venient as a SUI bath. And when
men strung the first wires they did
not know they were rendering a
musical service. A humming tele-
phone wire equals a harp, and is
almost asfine as the "melIow bass"
of a humble bee"
Worshipful Master Thomas H.
Allen returned from attending the
Masonic Grand Lodge of the State
and reports it one of the most profit
able sessions in it's history. He
tells of the following incident which
made a deep impression upon him
and all those present.: Between the
Grand Lodge of the Iowa Masons
in session at Davenport, last week,
and the home of the veteran Grand
Secretary of the lodge, Theodore S.
Parvin, in Cedar Rapids, there was
a double journey of a committee of
the grand lodge and incidents con-
nected Herewith which will live in
tho annals 0f Mono1~r -, T~-x,
Grand Secretary Parvin is lying ill
the history of the grand lodge has
been unable to attend. He was one
of those who signed the application
for the establishment OF the first
Masonic lodge in the State, and he
has yer since been identified with
the order. But he is now too feeble
to rise from his bed. So when the
grand lodge opened and the formal
words of welcome had been said
Grand Master Eaton told how a few
days before he had visited Crane
Secretary Parvin and had listened
to his words of greeting to the lodge
He said:
Tell the Masons of Iowa that ]
have put my life, my very soul, into
the Masonic library. Tell them il
they would do aught to honor my
memory and at the same time ado
enduring honor to their profession
as Masons, that they keep up and
advance the work upon which ]
have been engaged. Tell them, too
from one who is close upon eternity
to ever act to all that the fraternity
means in clean living, in morality.
When this message was given the
grand lodge Judge A. r. Dewey, o
Washington county, spoke in reply
and formulated a message to the
grand secretary. in which he said
Though the silver cord may sool
be loosened; though the COLDER
bowl may soon be broken; though
the pitcher may soon be dashed t.
pieces; though old age and enfee
bled condition may surround YOU
though the ides of time may hav,
reduced your n vigorous bod,
to a condition of enfeeblement anc
weakness, bear in mind that tn,
soul-stirring vigor you ever pos
sessed is fresh and green in tn
minds and memory of Iowa Masons
Highly thoughtful of your chris
tan, moral and Masonic worth, w
hereby tender you the sincere es
TEEN, high regard and deep affec
ton of the craft in Iowa, and thu
the grand lodge joins, with on
accord, in the fervent prayer tina
the Lord will ever bless o an,
keep you, and so will the Masons @
Iowa ever pray
"A committee consisting of tn
Messrs. Gamble, Ball, Lamber,
Dewey, Hunter and Ereonbrack wa
appointed to go in person to Ceda
Rapids and visit the veteran. Thi
committee visited him. found hin
too feeble to rise from his bed, bu
with keen intellect and thouohtfu
of the welfare of the Masonic fra
ternity. They read to him the mes
sage and received another in repl,
And although they were with hin
but a few minutes he sank back es
hausted. The report of the commit
tee, when it returned from Ceda
Rapids, made a profound impress
ion on the Masonic body, and tn
report was orderedspread upon tn
records of the grand lodge"
The Grand Lodge then chose Du
buque as the next place of meetin