The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1903-06-24

b
ired to come down first rather than
have his snakeship run over him,
and a race began Here come the
snake aud here went Brown. but
the old man came so hastily that
his clothing got caught ON snag
and there he was held. The snake
ran over him and he turned spot
ted, so he says. 1 mention this just
to tell the boys that ioathsome
snake is diligent in breaking mp
birds. and surely they will not fmi-
tate this loathsome reptile any
more
While 1 am thinking about these
birds allow me to persuade all the
young boys to watch what we call
the '.peckerwood." These ..pecker-
woods have a red head which sets
them off somewhat. but they are
not fayorites of anybody that ]
know. either for their looks. their
songs OF their sociability, but they
are wonderfully useful. as you may
see for yourselves by watching
them this year. Watch the apple
trees When you see a ''pecker-
wood" on an apple tree peoking
with all his might, make note of
it and then see if there are not fine
apples on that tree. On the other
band there will be no good apples
ON trees that this bird misses. This
is true, beyond doubt, and as all
boys like to eat apples this should
impress them with the importance
of preserving the birds.
In this connection 1 desire to
compliment the ladies on the alb
ssnce of plumes on this last Easter
season. / didn't see but one East
er hat with plume, and the boys
dubbed the lady that wore it
"Shoddy Sue" and it looks now as
If the name would fasten itself ON
her. 1t is monstrous easy for a
nickname of this sort to get at
tsched to persons,but shall strive
to keep "Shoddy Sue" from being
attached to this lady, for it is more
an error of the head with her than
the cruelty of heart that caused her
to wear the plume. She knows
nothing of the fun the boys are
having calling her "Shoddy Sue"
and 1 think the people of our coun-
try are too polite to ever mention
it where she will know, but the
sisters of the boys are catching on
to it aud is having the effect TO i'm
press them that it will not do to
wear the plumes since all sensible
and thinking people have come to
consider it an invitation to destroy
birds.
In this neck of the woods we
would like very much to persuade
the ladies to start a fashion of
wearing a rabbits skin. They de-
stroy everything but insects They
peel the fruit trees, destroy the
garden and would spit in the face
of the average farmer, if it were not
that they want him to plant some
more peas and set out some more
trees. If fashion" among the Ia
dies could be brought around to
use his skin, perhaps they could be
downed as the birds have been.
Everything else has been tried and
nothing reduces their number
They thrive on progress and now,
that they are getting the aristocrat.
10 blood of the Belgian hare mixed
with their own, they strut the same
as the F. F. VS. and have added
impudence to their destructive hab
its. My great desire is to array
fashion" against the rabbits and
win it over to the protection of the
birds Every mother should un.
derstand that an egg broken and a
nest destroyed means the destruct-
ion of birds. and they should strive
to teach the boys that it is cruel
and impolite SO to do. 1 don't be-
lieve there would be many boys
that would break up nests if they
all knew the Importance of birds.
Those boys so hardened as to not
be persuaded out of such will even
tually land in the prisons or be
hung. 1t has been my observation
that boy who will wilfully break
up bird nest will come to some
bad end, but this wilfulness can
generally be traced to the neglect
of the mother in the impressions