Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-04-10
and plants, thus doing the farmer an
immense service in checking the
propagation of troublesome weeds.


Little Excuse for Ruthless Killing.
zone excuse often given for bird
killing is the plea that they ravage our
fruit trees and grain fields.
"sEven though there may be few
specimens that take without giving in
return, their depredations are compar-
atively so unimportant' says DR.. Allen,
that it would be better to protect all
birds without exception, for the sake of
saving the vast numbers unjustly ac-
cused.' l might say here that the En-
glish sparrow is an exception which
most leading ornithologists think
should be exterminated in as prompt a
manner as possible, not to protect our
crops but to protect our native birds.
But this painful duty is the result of
mans unwisdom in importing a foreign
bird to destroy our insect enemies in
stead of saving our native birds to do
the work as they were by nature de-
signed to do it.
Not Only Unitarian Motives.
"But there is still more important
issue than this. If unitarian motives
are our highest motives, then farewell
hope. not only for the birds but for hui
mainly as we'll So the climax of this
appeal is the humanitarian side of the
question. call attention to the cruel
methods of the plume hunter. 1t is
done not to be sensational, not to har
row up your feelings, but to inform
those who may not know the terrible
cost of feather decorations.
Cause Great Agony.
"I cba1l QUITO tho oranhic uordc of
reliable eye witnesses. First, just
paragraph in reference in tearing
feathers, wings, and even whole skins
from the writhing bodies of live birds.
When the smaller gulls are shot for
do not stop to kill the wounded birds
birds back to die of slow agony in the
water
Innocents Suffer.
"Egret plumes, or aigrettes, are the
nuptial dress of the white heron. The
plumes appear only during the breed,
ing time, and upon both male and fe-
male Mr.. Hudson says that the plume
hunters know that to obtain a good
supply with little trouble, the birds
must be taken when the young birds
are Matched but not yet able to fly.
What does it cost, this garniture of
death? 1t costs the moral degradation
of the thousands of men, who with gun
in hand learn to hear unmoved the nes
things piteous cries for the mother
bird. 1t costs the deadening of the
finer sensibilities in all people whether
men or women. who may knowingly
help on this brutal butchery.
The Demand Causes the Suffering.
THE next question is what can we
do about it? The chief responsibility
is with the Influential women, the edu-
Gated, the refined the leaders in social,
intellectual and religious circles. If
women did not buy the birds, they
would no longer be brought into the
market. But every purchase We make
helps to create the demand. helps to
set price on those innocent heads
and to perpetuate this unholy traffic
Means of Prevention.
another thing we women can do
land ought to do, is to train our chill
Edren along this line. Discourage all
tendencies toward the egg collecting
| cad. Teach them that the egg left in
the nest to become a living creature is
far more interesting than an empty
egg shell. They will not be long in
learning that their field glasses brings
the real bird nearer to them than any
young can. Let us be fellow students
with our children in this delightful
| field.
1t Is Needless.
"a strong argument against hunt
ing for sport, as against bird millin-
cry is that it is absolutely needless.
There are countless forms of outdoor
recreation that can be substituted for
| this with no real loss to the pleasure
seeker. The most serious feature of
this sport is the subtle debasing effect
upon the hunter. Let us protect the
birds not to provide for ourselves a
low form of pleasure. but for the bird S
| own sake and for our sake in the best
and highest sense.
Let US Rule Kindly.
MAY we all learn to respect the
sanctity of life. May we never debase
our own life by the wanton and use
less destruction of even the humblest
life. May we never stoop to take a
mean and cowardly advantage of the
creatures that are helplessly within
our power. 1t was given us to rule
over them it is to rule wisely, kindly
and not to tyrannize We human
creatures are the superior animals on.
! ly as we endeavor in all things to do
justly, to love mercy and to walk
humbly with out God"
The Reception.
After the close of the lecture deliv
cred last evening by Mrs Margaret
Olmstead an informal reception was
held at the church. The decorations
were as they had been throughout the
convention, of roses, carnations, to
gether with palms and ferns. Amid
these surroundings a most pleasan
social hour was passed in closing one
of the most successful conventions
ever held by the sixth district There
were twenty-three clubs represented
at the conference with an attendance
of f1fty-three delegates and visitor!
from out of the city.
Chisman Bros. & Burton are the ex
I-t .r.. q IL.