New-York tribune., 1905-08-10
AUDUB0NITES AROUSED.
WM Spare No Pains to AUenge
Death of Bird Warden.

The Audubon Society appears to have reached
a crisis in Its history. After all the years dur
ing which it has been laboring for the pro-
lection Of birds the demand for plumage is so
great that warden of the society. Guy NJ.
bradley, was killed this week in the discharge
OF mis- duty, in Monroe County. Fla. where a
lew rookeries Of the aigrette-bearing bird. the
snowy heron. still remain. Aigrette plunes
now worth literally their weight in gold S32
an ounce being the price commonly said to be
pdid Tor them and in consequence of the new
uenland created by the fall and winter fash
ions the plume hunters have become unusually
active. The death of Bradley was the result.
1t has been said that the murder the
outcome of personal animosity. and that it
not due TO the interference of the warden with the
business Of the plume hunters but the officers
or the Audubon Society do not consider the
matter open to doubt, and intend to see that
the murdeTers do not go unpunished.
Mr.. CHAPMAN TALKS OF CONDITIONS.
"On the prosecution Of this case depends. in
measure, the success of our work in the future,
said Frank NJ Chapman, treasurer of the Ma
tional Association OF Audubon Societies. yester-
day. I'VE have wardens all over the country. and
prompt justice to Bradley's murderers will mean
future safety for the wardens and the enforce
ment of the laws for the protection of birds. be-
birds by education, but meantime, much depends
on the enforcement of law. About fourteen years
ago noticed hats in the shopping district in
New York forty different native birds. and only
10 per cent Of the hats were without feathers.
You would not find these birds either hats or
in the milliners shops now for the reason that
there is a penalty attached to selling them
Should they be shown. the dealers would be
promptly prosecuted. I know where the skins of
1000 birds are stored for lack of a buyer-this
because we would institute suit if they were
put on the market. The dealers know that we
have won such suits in the past, and they do not
care TO risk the sale Of native birds. the
plumage which you see on hats is imported
WOMEN TO REDEEM THEIR SEX
In spite of this dark chapter in the history Of
| the Audubon Society," the president, William
butcher. still continues to take an optimistic
view Of its future and the attitude or women
toward the birds.
when the real truth in regard TO wearing
birds on millinery is pointed out to women they
are very willing to help us in our work" he
said to q Tribune reporter yesterday. Very
rarely is the contrary the case. I pointed out
to a fashionable woman once the cruelty OF
wearing aigrette plunes, telling her how the
parent birds are killed in nesting time. when
the aigrettes are at their best, and the young
| herOnS left to die slowly or StarVaLon oIle Ie-
piled, I'm going to wear them even if it is
cruel; they are so pretty can't help it said
to her, But madam. you are engaged in phil
anthropc work and under these circumstances
you cannot wear them and be consistent
| Then I'm afraid I can't be consistent she re
piled. But this was most exceptional Ord1-
narily we find that it is only q question OF
bringing to & woman's attention the real facts
in this matter of wearing birds, and she is only
too glad TO help US in every way she can Re
Gently the society sent out 5000 circular letters.
addressed to people of both wealth and refine
ment. OF these letters 1000 were sent to women
and 5000 TO men, but the greater proportion OF
the responses came from
In the last three months nearly five hundred
new people came into our society," and of these
the majority were women 1t was due TO women
that the birds were first shot for ornamentng
hats. but that they are being educated to
see the wrong they have done they doing
all in their power TO remedy il. 1t is all a mat
ter of education, q work which try to for
ward by means Of circulars and lectures and
through the press. We need funds to do this, and
If every bird lover would cooperate with us by
joining the Audubon Society for which the
membership fee is only So a year or contribut-
ing to its support work would be greatly
assisted. Every year more women join our
ganiza tion-the majority of our members
wonderland believe that with each succeed
ing year the women who wear aigrettes or bird
plumage viii become fewer and fewer"