The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1907-02-16
....Gotham News Letter..


New York. Feb. 1s.-The first Sc
we're snow storms OF the winter. which
have occurred during the past few
weeks. have called attention to the
laws which are in force in this state
FOR the preservation OF the wild birds,
and the commissioners of birds are
BOW directing special notice to the
paragraph which Is added to the abb
stracts No the game laws for distri-
bution about the state. requesting the
public feed the birds. There are
many Persons who do this and in the
way the birds respond to the treat
there is ample cause for satisfaction.
The food may be placed for the birds
wherever they are seen feeding, and
their haunts may easily be learned
Ii Is TO be hoped that the birds will
not be forgotten. for with their regu-
lar supply of food cut off. all birds,
plume song and insectiverous alike,
are in danger OF determination by
cold and hunger. A small supply of
grain, table scraps, or the sweepings
from hay mows, will do much to re-
lieve their distress, while pieces of
meat or suet. hung on trees, will be
eaten by carniverous birds. In thel
feeding of birds 1t Is great advan-
tage 10 begin before the severe weather
sets in so that they may become ac-
customed to the places where food will
be found and more readily return
there when In need. In cities bread
crumbs on the window sills will coll
lect the birds.
Mr. Rockefeller's fittings, as told
by the newspapers. have been an in
teresting tale. The papers have had
him all over the country, and indeed
all parts OF the habitable globe. Some
of the kilograms had him flying from
town TO town, and none have been
more entertained than Mr.. Rookie
feller himself, who has laughed and
grown fat as he read of himself at
the same time in places of miles
apart. He must have admired his own
agility and ubiquitous qualities, and
must have thought himself a veritable
sprite, and yet all the while he was
going 10 and from his office and house
daily just as in ordinary times when
there were no process servers around.
That is. a very easy thing to do in
New York, which is the best hiding
place in the world il precautions are
taken. Very few can recognize even
such a subject for photograph and
caricature as Mr.. Rockefeller as he
passes along the street in carriage or
auto and IL he chooses a slight dis
guise ii Is almost impossible for any
one To detect him. AS he has the
ability TO surround his movements
with mystery, and GAN have all the
approaches to his grounds and Offices
under the stTictest surveillance, IT, is
the easiest way Of playing hide and
seek that he could adopt. Probably
his myriad agents are the authors Of
the hundreds of teiegrams locating
him at different places Some were
manufactured, undoubtedly. by the
newspapers for sport. but 1t is pos
sible. and quite probable, that the
Standard Oil Co. has created this
great structure of fanciful ubiquity,
under the shadow of which Mr.. Rocke-
feller haseplayed his great joke on the
American press. 1t is. however, a
pregnant commentary on the value Of
riches. that the richest man In Amer
lea has Ito fit from pillar to post and
finds the air full n pursuers, fmagin-
airy and real. And yet what an ex-
ample of the majesty OF the law It
affords--that a mighty man Of wealth
fears a few slips Of paper, that, in
the name of the Law. command him
to be present somewhere at some time.
s$*
The bonds of the city Of New York
are no longer the head of the process
sion as the solid. stable leaders Of
municipal securities, commanding the
highest price from eager and numer-
Gus buyers, and her 'fours" do not
bring as much as they did few years
back. The city is now paying a
higher rate than it ever has been
compelled to pay since consolidation.
and the rate will probably increase as
the prices of the bonds decline. The
truth is the city of New York, great
New York, as it proudly calls itself,
is spending money very lavishly, and
its financiers are figuring nervously
and eagerly all the while at the bor-
rowing capacity of the municipality,
and when it shows large increase
there is great JOY in the ranks of the
officials, for they are then able to
figure large additional expenditures.
An increase of rateables has put in
the power, it is thought, of the muni-
cipal authorities to issue bonds suf-
ficient to build new subway, and so
we have new buildings ad libitum new
avenues and new expenditures in
every direction. The city is flourish
Ing, that is certain. but its tax rate is
high, and there Is every prospect of
Its increasing And there is not a
club, or society, or organization, that
attends to city matters that is pro-
testing against expenditures. Though
the city's credit is most assuredly
damaged by heavy expenditures, it
will still be further damaged il the
present municipal ownership idea is
sssa5 A*&
This is an age Of fads. The latest
one is the Teddy bear fad. Fash
ionable women in this city are to be
seen riding about in their carriages OF
automobiles carrying one of these
humps of stuffed cloth in their arms
Their former fayorite. the poodle dog
has had his day and he must now give