Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-12-30
Hold a Bird Fair Every Sunday
In the Unsavory White.
chapel District.
UNIQUE SINGING CONTESTS.
They Are Held I'm the Back Rooms OF
Saloons and Fights and Brawls
Frequently Occur.
Special Correspondence.

don's least known, but most curt
Gus sights, IA the remarkable
Bird Fair" held every Sunday
morning In the famous Whltechapsi
district. AS early as o'clock. menu
Ders Of the "Hooligan" hordes that in
fest this district begin to assemble In
Sclater street. not far from the White
chapel road. Each man carries a small
square parcel, wrapped about with a
black cloth. All the little black parcels
contain birds-lnrks, lnnets, black.
birds, canarles. and bullfnches. Even
sparrogs are brought TO this strange
assembly, but, they are more or less
disgulsed--many Of them being actual
~ painted to represent canaries, lin
nets, and other birds
A SINGULAR SIGHT.
II Is "A singular thing TO see London
Hooligau9 playing the role OF bird
fanciers, and yet on Sundays, bird
life seems TO occupy their whole atten-
ton. salvation Army officers have
made repeated efforts to break up these
assemblies. and persuade the bird
gamblers-for such they are-to aban-
don their Sunday morning trade. and
~ fli Ali- DblNt IsiNt dlltlnpAtu w SUP
II. But the Bird Fair has held its
own despite all interference from out
siders. There is no specific act OF par
lament against dealing with birds on
Sunday morning IN London. and, until
such an act Is passed. the bird fair Is
likely to continue.
FIFTEEN CENTS EACH.
The peculiar attraction OF the bird
L., ~. ~. r..
that one may buy singing bird for
about IL cents and, before the day is
out, make anywhere from ST. so to $40
out of him in various singing contests
that take place In the back rooms OF
certain saloons IN the neighborhood. As
the average weekly wage OF most OF
these men does not amount to more
than SO to 81, the making of SO on sum
day morning Is something worth striv-
ing for. The people who engage In the
bird fair--or, as 1t should be called, the
Bird Monte Caro"-do not seem to
look on the reverse side OF the picture.
and consider what big hole the loss OF
a dollar or SO makes IN a small weekly
wage, The fascinating fairy tales that
float about OF how certain winners"
have made as much as $50 for their
owners I'm the course OF few singing
contests lead most OF these people into
looking for similar feathered gold
mines. Needless TO say. however, the
bird-owner who brings the average
songster to the Sunday fair goes home
n sadder, IL not wiser, man. only to
come again the following Sunday with
renewed hopes.
REGULAR BIRD GAMBLING.
As a matter of fact, this bird-gam-
bling is one OF the greatest Of evils
among the working classes of the lower
type Gambling in some form or other.
together with drinking, are the two
great evils OF England. Much Is said
every year Of the terrible sufferings OF
the unemployed; but II is recognized
that II the gambling and drink
evil were checked, these suferings
list: or. IL they did, they would not
be nearly so acute. During the week
days, British laborers-not the man
making from 81 per week and upwards:
hut those earning less than s5--spend
a large portion OF their wages In back
ing tips from various sporting papers
on horse-racing; and. when Sunday
comes. and there is no race. they go IN
for bird gambling, rabbit courslng, dog
and cock-hghting. and other forms OF
betting amusements.
RUN ON SCIENTIFIC BASIS.
The system OF bird gambling is run
on almost as scientific e basis as that
OF horse-racing. Everybody who has
bird that can sing few notes has
a chance OF winning something; de-
pending, OF course, OH the nature OF tho
contest he goes in for. The highest
winnings are made with larks. and pip
ing bullfnches. II man has one Of
-. l.,.ls - at f.tw Ill
he takes Il to the back room of a sa,
loon, or public house" as It Is called
in London. and the bird. with others.
Is placed In It's cage on a shelf which,
as a rule. extends entirely around ths
four sides OF the room. This shelf will
sometimes accommodate as many as
hundred cages. In other places, the
cages are hung on one side OF the
room. from the ceiling TO the floor. Ths
audience, consisting OF own
ers OF birds seat themselves on
benches IN front OF the cages or stand
in rows, while the birds are encour-
aged by whistles to sing their best.
Each bird -owner must deposit with the
publican" or saloonkeeper. before en-
tering his bird, the sum of u cents
TN English. sixpence). As there are Of
ten az many as one hundred entries,
this means that a fund OF IS IS put UP
as the winning stake.
THE LARK's LONG SONG.
Larks. as a rule, have very long
songs: and sometimes the men will 81.
for over an hour IN almost dead silence
save for the songs OF the birds. Each
lark has In its cage n small square
piece OF grass-grown sod, 10 make the
poor creature think OF the green fields
whence IL came, and the bird sings
and sings necessarily, Teach bird trying
to Guido les nelghbor The bird singing
the longest time. and showing the
greatest range Of notes wins the Tot
Not infrequently. AZ the end OF two or
three hours. only two or three birds
Will remain singing the res. having
become tired out or siisnccd by the
more brilliant work OF their rivals
INTENSE EXCITEMENT,
Tho excitement which gathers