Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1901-12-23
APPEAL IN BEHALF OF BIRDS.
Let Us Save the GulIs and Terms,
Pleads an Eastern Man.


of birds from extinction. The union
has devoted itself to this cause, and
now it is in immediate need of money
to enable it to continue it's bird pro.
lection. The appeal reads thus:
The few people who really care
whether our seacoast birds disappear
forever, or increase in their former
beautiful throngs, are now summoned
to rally about the standard, unless the
noble work for which their subscrip-
tons have backed the American or
nithologists' union committee in the
last two years is to be undOne. The
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
Letting.
Short-sighted dealers have in the
past few years changed, from New
Jersey to the Gulf, beach thronged
with millions of exquisite white sea
birds, filling the air with their wild
voices, to waste, silent but for the
sound of the surf, and where there is
little hope that a distant object will
prove to be anything more inspiring
than an old shoe.
This devastation Wrought by at
lacking the birds in their breeding
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 gulIs, 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 system of
wardens, paid by subscriptions Of this
small body of beauty-loving Ameri-
cans. Our triumph has been COM
plete. Nearly every colony has great
ly increased each year.
The dealers plead that we are
Gripping an industry. That which
passes like a blight across the fields,
leaving no seed for the morrow, is
not an industry.
Half our work is the securing i'm
proved laws land the watching them
to see that they be not scuttled in the
next Legislature by amendments in
stigated by the dealers.
The American Ornithologists' union
committee consisting of two men
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. Inc COM
mittee have used almost the last Of
our remaining funds, and every one
who wants the work to go on must
send them at once any money he can
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 are
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 un.aWfully procured bird-skins
from state To state.
Sea birds are wholly essential as
scavengers of the coast and harbors,
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
colonies of the gulf coast and those
Of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick
as we'll as to inland breeding colonies,
and will strengthen the protection Of
the Florida pelicans and the compare
lively few herons that remain there.
Sportsmen, 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
thankfully received, and if every one
east of the Mississippi who has even
a slight desire to perpetuate this
beautiful form of nature would send a
small contribution, the aggregate re-
suit would go far toward accomplish
ing the desired end.
The whole work of patroling our
coast from New Brunswick to south
ern Virginia, Louisiana and the long
journeys to visit legislatures and in
spect the work Of wardens cost about
$4,000 during the past year.