The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1908-02-27
BIRDS NEED CHILD HELP.

School Army Enlisting to Save Crop Guards
/ Movement OF Young Folks May do What
Adults Still Try. What Children Can
Accomplish.
| NEW YORK, Feb. "a, 1908. On the
eighteen million school children III this
country final hope of avertlng the ex-
tlnction OF the valuable species Of in
sectiverous birds in America has been
rested today. What the federal govern
meut, the State legislatures and even
| the oranges, WomenS clubs or national
commercial organizations have failed to
accomplish completely, the National
Association, of Audubon Societies have
announced will be now given to the
children of the land to bring about. 10
organize every body OF pupils, from the
largest public school IN this city to the
most remote district school Oh the Pa
cific Coast, into a general movement
for housing, feeding and protecting the
wild birds that save the country'S crops
is the object of the Audubon workers
today.
General headquarters for this new
campaign of the children are being es-
tablished in the offices of the National
Association of Audubon Societies at 141
Zation is in touch with thousands of
teachers and girls and boys clubs all
over the country, to which it has regu-
larly sent literature on bird guarding
and care. With these as a nucleus, the
children are to push the fight out into
every section OF their locality, till the
members of each school in every neigh
borhood are enlisted in the work OF
building bird houses and restaurants to
sustain the sadly thinned ranks of the
feathered army of insect destroyers.
Special ammunition in the form of
printed directions and suggestions for
making bird shelters and lunch counters
is being prepared for every boy and girl
who will write and ask for it,
Old kettles, boxes or milk, tomato
and kerosene cans are being used by
the children as emergency bird SheltersI
Elaborate houses, rustic limitations OF
hollow limbs and neatly furnished
apartments are also being planned. All
must be made cat-proof and should face
to the south or west if possible. Like
any human married couple, the feather
ed pair who are seeking quarters for
rearing their family in the spring are
quite particular in their tastes. Ii they
find no promising spot for home IN
any locality, they will pass on and
leave its fields and gardens at the
mercy of destructive insects. The
children are urged to the immediate
building of houses for this seasons bird
families, because seasoned and wealth
er-beaten structures most quickly
tempt the birds when spring moving
day comes. -.
fine march Of civilization has robbed
millions of useful, as we'll as slightly
and tuneful, birds of their old-time
facilities for home making, ornitholo-
qists here declared today. Shelterihg
tree trunks are being laid low every
wear over hundreds of acres. The old
fashioned structures. where birds might
flock under open caves, are being re-
placed by modern roofs that shut out
bird life. Whole races, like the CHM
ney Swifts, are being deprived OF their
shelter in the big, old-style chlmneys.
Such conditions, combined with lax
laws for spring shooting and pot-hunt-
ing, will soon drive the valuable insect
eaters to extinction, it is agreed. IL
will be the children's work to house the
evicted birds at the time when they
not only rear their young out eat most
copiousIy of the insect crop-deStfoyers.
''The children are now the great lac.
tor in this great economic movement,
said William butcher, president OF the
National Association Of Audubon So
! cieties to-day. 'Not only their patriot:
ism but the self.interest of every one of
their parents is the motive for prevent,
ing the extinction OF the Deautllul anu
highly valuable birds of this country.
We are calling on Congress, the legis-
Iatures of the entire country and on
every adult body to help; but beileve
the work of the school children OF the
land will accomplish more than al sne
other methods combined. 1t is tne
chance for every boy and girl to 90
something for his village, State. and
the country at large and l know they
will not neglect to do their part. save
the birds is the motto and raliylng cry
| OF the school children OF America.
| DeWitt's Carbolized Witch hazel SAVE w
is best for cuts, burns, bolls. bruises an; anu