The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-03
RECALLED ny A SPARROW BOx.
A Reminder of the Monumental Btmder
Made by the brooklyn institute.

\ Reminder OI the Monumental Blunde1
Made by the brooklyn institute.
Several New Yorkerr, who have already
moved to their summer homes on Long
Island, were gazing out OF a car window
on their way to the city one morning last
week when one OF their number called atten.
ton to a sparrow box in front Of fine old
residence close To the railroad track.
"There are very few Of those boxes left.
he said.
Il never noticed ono BEFORE" replied q
companion,
you are too young to remember the
sparrow craze" said the first speaker. Let
me see. This first sparrows were brought
to Brooklyn In 1880. just hfty-tnree years
ago,
Just before and Immediately after the
civil war they were all the rage. About
every other house had a sparrow box, in
which the birds were carefully guarded
against harm.
Things have changed since then. Only
few old-timers still exhibit the sparrow
boxes, and State Legislatures are trying
to legslate the birds out Of existence.
suspect that the dwelling We have just
passed belongs to an old member Of the
Broo klyn Institute, to which body We owe
thanks for the first Of the sparrow family.
They thought at the time that they
were doing great thing, and everybody
else thought 80, too. What scramble
there was for sparr ows! Orders came
from every CITY in the country A pair OF
sparrows cost 80 much in the early 50s and
COS that it was cheaper to import birds
from Europe than If was to buy them from
a dealer.
body except the bounty payer would give
a cent for the finest sparrow In the land.
Down my way, the little ru6ians have b.
come such nuisance that am paying q
bounty on my own hook.
"The men who brought the sparrows to
America thought the birds would kindly
cat rothir 6 but caterpillars, and the seeds
Of weeds, such as the field mustard. the
dardelon. the goose foot ard tho chick
weed. No one suspected they would prove
to he the. enemies they actually are Of tho
song birds.
greater rush than the anti-sparrow feel
ing. Along about 81 lava were being
made all over the country for the supprxs-
ard is going to stay Rhede Island passed
XII Ed d 81 Snd or xse e sns s
Of the year. In the same year, the New
York LIZ gislature made 1t a misdemeanor
for any person TO give food or ahelter to
epsrrow.
the Brooklyn Institute sent for the Inst
large Gaze was built tor them and p.ople
&c cked to see them during the winter
months- In the spring they were set at
.The next year Nicholas Pike, ono Of
the directors Of the Brooklyn Institute.
was sent to England for larger supply Of
birds. He bought all he wanted In Liver
pool and sent them to this country on the
steamship Europa.
Narrows and the remainder were placed In
the tower Of Greenwood Cemetery Later
they were moved to the residence OF John
Hooper, q member Of the institute, who
cared for them until spring. Early In
wood Cemetery. and man was hired to
watch over them.
THUS the Long Island sparrowe are the
Mayhower stock Of sparrowdom.
1T was not until 1858 that Boston received
supply Of the birds. They were i'm
ported by man living in q small Massa-
c husetts town, but escaped on their ar
rivpl in Boston.
Two years later twelve sparrows were
turned loose In Nelson Square. In 1904
seven pairs were placed in Central Park,
and in 1865 200 of the birds were allowed
to nv from their cages into Union Square,
philadelphia was seized with the spar
row fever in 1859 and imported 900 pairs.
THE people who are now trying to ex-
terminate the sparrows are wasting time
The only thing ever heard Of that hurt
them real bad was the blizzard Of 1888.
They did not mind the wind, the snow or
the cold. 1t was the inability to find food
that laid them low, and they starved to
death In great numbers. But IL would
take ono or two billiards. every year ut
terly to suppress the breed