The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1904-05-25
FAMOUS BIRD PETITION.
A Remarkable Legal Document on The
Protection OF Our Birds.
BY SENATOR GEORGE F. HOAR.
Should be Read in Every School and Home
In the Country, and by Every Person at
Least Once In Every Ten Years.

I'Sdi uOCuuleuJOu Olru prOUecIlOn
that the world has ever known is
the famous Bird Petition by Sen
ator George F.. Hoar, Senior Sen
ator from Massachusetts. When
this was presented in the Massa
chusetts State Legislature, the
enthusiasm that it aroused was
50 great that it passed through
both Houses like a whirlwind.
This famous petition should be
read IN every school and home in
the country, and we, therefore,
reprint it for the sake of both our
birds and our people. 1t will nev-
er grow old, and should be read
by every person at least once ev
cry ten years
To the Great and General Court
of the Com mmonwealth of Massa-
chusetts, We, the song.birds of
Massachusetts, and their playfel-
lows, make this our hum BILE petit
ton:
We know more about you than
Won think we do. We know how
good you are. We have hoped
about the roofs and looked in at
the windows OF the houses you
have built for poor and sick and
hungry people and little lame and
deaf and blind children. We have
built our nests IN the trees and
sung many song as we flew
about the gardens and parks you
have made so beautiful for your
own children, especially your
poor children, to play IN.
Every year we fly great way
over the country, keeping all the
time where the sun is bright and
warm and we know that whenev-
er you do anything, other people
all over the great land between
the seas and the great lakes find
it out, and pretty soon will try to
do the same thing. We know;
we know. We are Americans
just as you are. Some of US, like
some of you, came from across
the great sea. but most of the
birds like US have lived here a
long while; and birds like us wei.
coined your fathers when they
came here many years ago. Our
fathers and mothers have always
done their best to please your
fathers and mothers.
Now we have sad story to tell
you. Thoughtless or bad people
are trying to destroy us. They
kill US because our feathers are
beautiful. Even pretty and sweet
girls, who we should think would
be our best friends, kill our broth
ers and children so that they may
wear their plumage on their hats.
Sometimes people kill US from
mere wantoness. Cruel boys
destroy our nests and steal our
eggs and our young ones. People
with guns and snares lie in wait
to kill us, as if the place for a
bird were not in the sky, alive,
but in a shop window or under a
glass case. If this goes on much
longer, all your song birds will
be gone. Already, we are told,
in some other countries that used
to be full of birds, they are almost
gone. Even the nightingales are
being all killed IN Italy,
Now we humbly pray that you
will stop all this, and will save us
from this sad fate. You have al
ready made law that no one
shall kill a harmless song bird
or destroy our nests or our eggs.
Will you please to make another
that no one shall wear our feath'
ers, so that no one will kills us to
get them We want them all our
selves. Your pretty girls are
pretty enough without them. We
are told that it is as easy for you
to do it as for Blackbirds to whls-
tie.
If you will we know how to pay
you a hundred times over. We
will teach your children to keep
themselves clean and neat. We
will show them how to live TO-
gether ia peace and love and to
agree as we do in our nests. We
will build pretty houses which