Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-02-11

suited IN the engagement Of wardans
along the Atlantic comet. from Maine to
Virginia, and the proposition is to ex-
tend this line OF protection further
southwark, where the havoc among the
birds protected by law, IS said to be
very great The society Is actively on
gagged IN procuring onactments In yaH-
Gus States for the protection of birds
that are useful, harmless and desirable
for their song or plumage. IT Is said
that but FOR the labor Of the American
Ornithologists Union, many species
would now be almost extinct, The So
clety certainly deserves encouragement.
MI. william butcher, 525 Manhattan
avenue, New York City, Is the treasurer
Of the society, and he VIII receive con-
tributlons.
From the report It is learned that in
1899 postal cards were issued by agents
Of millners. 10 All postmasters along the
coast offering prices for various kinds
Of birds, The request was added that
the cards be placed IN the hands Of
gunnors and fishermen. A massacre Of
birds was thus contemplated. But the
matter was brought to the attention Of
the government, and the postmasiers
were warned not 10 lend their aid to
business made unlawful IN many
States. Governors were enlisted In the
crusade FOR the birds One railroad cor
poration Joined the cause. Seizures were
made Of conslRnmonts Of birds. AT Bal
tlmore 1000 gulls and terms were conhs-
Gated and thus the Illicit business was
discouraged One wholesale millinery
house at Baltimore announced rs lnten-
tion to abandon the sale Of gulls. terms,
grebes, peicons, herons and other birds
protected by state or Federal laws.
Firms in Boston, New York and Phlla-
delpha followed suit, and thus the good
work went on.
II Is quite possible, as the Boston
Transcript remarks, that superstition
has something to do with the success
achieved For II appears that there is
a tradition among the ladies back East
that the wearer OF gulls' wings is at
tended by Ill luck" But apart from
that, the work Of the society, In calling
public attention to bird slaughter, and
arouslng public sentiment against 1t,
the framing OF protective laws and the
placing Of wardens along the coast to
see that the Jaws are not broken, are the
measures that have had telling effect
Common sense and humane instincts
demand the protection Of the song birds
and the beautiful winged inhabitants Of
our coasts They are not only ornament
al but also useful, They MI our woods
with sweet music and enllyen the sea
shore landscape. They kill many Of the
insects that carry destruction 10 plants
and trees, and they serve as scavengers
along the water edge, where but for
them disease would find breeding places
Here IN Utah 1t Is one of the great at
fractions on the shores OF the Salt Lake,
to see the gulls almost mingle with the
excurslonists and partake Of their pic
mic in a most sociable manner; or to see
them in the spring following the pillow
of the farmer, as If the millennial reign,
as far as their relations to man goes,
had already been inaugurated. Let the
birds be protected. The pleasure of
seeing them enjoy life is much greater
than can be the satisfaction derived
from their killing, for the purpose Of
wearing their plumage, which human
beings certainly do not need, either for
a dornment or protection.