The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-06-05
Read This to Your Boy
on,t kill the birds bows

II you kill them because they are small
and you big and strong, that is taking
an unequal advantage. 1t is just like
your jumping on to boy much smaller
than yourself
Use your sling shots and rifles in shoot
ing lat marks DO not murder innocent
creatures.
When you have killed a poor little thing
of feathers and have seen 1t futter to the
ground in the death throes and bathed In
its blood have you not felt ashamed of
yourself?
you should shoot you down lust for fun.
Well, the birds have as good right to
live as you have. They do not harm any
one. And do you not know how useful
they are?
Here are some figures:
1t Is estimated that there are at least
five birds to every acre in the state of
Massachusetts,. That makes 4 bird popu-
latlon of 5000, 900, which Is lot of birds.
For one days food supply for this many
birds It is estimated that 1t will take q
SOC, 900 oOo-two billion five hundred mil
lion-insects which is a lot of insects.
That is just for one day, mind you.
You can't figure how many insects the
birds Of Massachusetts would destroy In
one whole summer You would run out of
figures.
And then think hoy many insects the
birds of the United States destroy! To
try to count them would be like trying to
count the sands of the sea.
Think of the trees and plants and crops
they save from bugs and caterpillars and
the like Why, without the birds the
world would be overrun with vermln. &
The birds have many enemies.
Besides humans they must watch out
for the hawk tribe and the cat tribe.
Storms may blow away their nests. They
may perish of the cold.
Do noNbe a bird killer. -
Instead of making war on the beautiful,
busy, Joyful things, learn to know their
names and plumage and language, whis-
tie their songs, protect their nests, ieeu
them, love them!
By doing so a spirit of gentleness and
happiness will steal into your heart and
you will become friend of the birds.
O just Judge
Jim Flanagan was charged before the
court of Justice Connolly of New York
with assault upon his father
When the father had given his testi-
mony as to the knockout blow young
Flanagan raised his hand and said:
~ licked the old man good and plenty,
Judge. And If ! ever come home to find
that he's been beating mother again I'll
send him to a hospital for month
The wise judge let Jim go on.
{ ''I've picked the hospital, too. There $
a doc there told me just where to stick
one on the old mans jaw SO 1t won't
hurt him much after he comes to-
Bernard Flanagan, the father, six feet
three and built like Norman horse,
said in defense
II never touched the old woman with
my foot. just beat her up little pc
cause she sassed me. A mans gotter
right TO be boss In his own house."
The fudge asked the father If he ever
worked. .,
mot while this big stiff's got job"
he replied. pointing to his husky son.
Dismiss the case, Justice Connolly said,
1T wish a word with you, Jim" And the
father stayed, expecting Jim would get
severe lecture from the court.
Jim" said the magistrate, IF you ever
find it necessary to beat up the old man.
remember that my days on the bench are
Mondays, Wednesdays ana saturdays.
And, Jim"
The old man listened closely.
"Don't mark your father. Jim. Hit him
where he wears his clothes
Now, It is not every court that Is able
TO rise to the emergency In delicate
case like this of the Flanagans and az
minister equal and exact justice while
Nor is it every household which Is in
possession of such an athletic instrument
for carrying out the orders OF the court
and netting justice-more's the pity.
Power to Jim Flanagan's elbow!
Justice Connoly, 1t is said. Is a great
believer in the respect that should be paid
to parents and is accustomed on occa-
sions to quote his favorite Scriptural alb
DURATION
"Honor thy father and thy mother
But somehow in this case the quotation
from the Mosaic law seems to have stuck
in his throat. Perhaps II the Judge were
higher critic of the Old Testament
Scriptures he might put 1t this way:
"Honor thy father"-when he behaves
himself" and thy mother"
Sour Grapes
"For I, the Lord, am a jealous God and
will visit the sins of the fathers upon the
children to the third and fourth genera
tions of them that hate me.
It II a dirful law
And poetic, but portentous, is that other
Scripture which declares:
.'The fathers have eaten sour grapes.
and the children's teeth are set on edge
II is said the little eldest son of the
kine of Spain is already showing the eff
fects of ancestral sins-defects of speech
and hearing.
Replying to rumors that the boy is deaf