Omaha daily bee., 1905-10-28
GREAT INDUSTRY OF BIRDS
Two WREOn-LOads of Hay Carried
Into Loft by spnrrOws in
seven Years.

Piled up on all sides until It filled the
attic, hay and straw and twigs enough to
make a regulation stack we're found over
George Moellers saloon in Louisville, KY.
For more than seven years birds have
been making their nests in the attic at 900
East Gray street. The discovery was not
made until Mr.. Moeller had occasion TO
visit the attic for the first time. To his
surprise he was confronted by stack OF
hay. straw and twigs which reached al
most to the roof The entire attic looked
as though it might be in use as a hayloft
and Mr.. Moeller was Unable to advance
more than four feet on either side Of the
trap door because of the great accumu-
lation on all sides. He knows that the
loft had not been visited before in seven
years, and probably for a much longer
time.
Mr.. Moeler has conducted the saloon at
800 East Gray street for seven years. hav-
ing leased the building. Recently he pur-
chased the property. which accounted for
his making a reconnoiter OF the place.
When he attempted to raise the trap door
affording entrance TO the attic. he found
that something was holding It down: 1t
gave for only a few inches. and he could
not account for it. He finally summoned
assistance, and after vigorous efforts. the
passage of one man. Mr. Moeller took the
lead and soon found himself almost nnoth-
cred in hay.
81 was startled by the hutter of birds
when ] first climbed through into the at
tic" said Mr. Moeller. ut seemed to me
that geo or 300 had taken up their abode
there and my unexpected entrance created
CONSERVATION among them. II is hard to
tell which was the most startled, myself or
the birds. l had expected to find big.
empty attic, the floor covered with several
! inches of dust, and was not prepared for
what found myself up against. thought
that possibly an old chest or something
filled with junk was holding the trap door
down but II was the weight of hay that
had been accommodating for years. When
all those birds began to circle around my
head and set up a clatteT that was caleu-
lated to drive anyone insane, beat nasty
+ retreat and explained the situation TO the
! others downstairs. Several Of the boys
! volunteered to clear out the loft for me.
and when they had concluded their work
! there was fully two wagonloads OF nay
piled up i'm my back yard. expect TO
realize a neat sum on the sale Of IT, as
have no horses or cows Of my own"
/ At least 200 birds nests were found In the
hay in Mr.. Moeller's attic Some OF them
contained bird eggs and others were empty
Many birds that had just been hatched
were found IN the attic, and the mother
birds set up desfening chatter while the
men were engaged in destroying the nesS
and hauling the hay through the trap door
to the floor below. The birds had saineo
access 70 the attic through a hole several
inches square near the front gable OF tho
building Had the house ever ceught hrs
from a defective fue, IL would nave CONS
up like powder, owing TO the great guam.
tity OF dry and infiammable material thai
bad been erammed into the attic by hum
dreds OF English parrows.-LouisViUs
Courier-Journal