The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-08-06
EVENING CHAT
BY RUTH CAMERON.

Ine time when half a dozen profess
sions were all that were open to wo-
men is now left in the dim past and is
almost as unthinkable as stage coach
transit.
Women daily are entering new
fields of endeavor and making good
at new lines of work
1t is good for other women in con-
ventional positions to hear about their
more original sisters, both as matter
of human interest and because of the
germ of suggestion that may await
them there.
For that reason 1 devote this col
umn occasionally to telling of some
of the other things that women are
doing.
If there are any women among my
readers who have unusual occupations
1 wish that they would write and tell
me about them so that 1 might pass
on the story.
Be sure to tell the advantages and
disadvantages of your occupation,
how you started in it, what educa-
| ton is necessary and what the COM
pensation is apt to be.
One of the most interesting methods
of earning a livelihood with which
l ever happened to come into personal
contact, was a bird boarding house.
The keeper of this establishment
made a fairly comfortable living by
boarding birds whose owners were
travelling, ana by treating SICK D1rQS.
She also raised a few canaries.
She had no especially built aviary,
but simply devoted three large sunny
rooms in her home to her birds. Ca
naries and parrots were the chief of
her guests, but she also had many
| less common birds, such as Japanese
/ nightingales, thrushes and bullfinches.
For well canary she charged 25
cents week; for a parrot SO. Sick
| birds cost according to the care they
required.
Although she is very fond of her
work, she says it is by no means as
easy as it sounds.
There is much responsibility as
many of the birds are very valuable.
One beautifully plumed parrot which
| she was treating was valued at $500.
One hundred dollars is a very common
price to pay for a good bird.
Then the diet of the sick birds, most
| of which are being treated for indiges-
ton, is a great care. OF the fourteen
| parrots that she had when I visited
her, no two were being fed alike.
But then, of course, there are re-
sponsibilities and difficulties in all
kinds of business and the lady of the
birds thinks that for anyone who has
| home where she can keep the birds
so that she need not reckon rent, and
who loves and understands birds, there
is comfortable living in the bust
ness.
In talking with this woman about
the diet of her guests I stumbled upon
business as much more unique than
hers as hers is than school teaching
or any ordinary profession.
My lady of the birds has to have a
certain kind of meal worms for some
of the soft billed birds.
Where do you get them?" I asked.
From a New York dealer" she
said. but I used to get them from a
woman a few miles from here who
raised them for living"
Don't you think that caps the eli
max?
These worms are merely ordinary
meal worms-the kind that come in
your meal crock if you aren't careful.
Certain birds have to have them. The
raising is done by putting meal and
two or three other things into a dark
crock and letting the worms breed.
When ready for the market they are
sold for eight cents a dozen. This
woman not only supported herself,
but educated her two children and
sent them abroad on the money
earned by raising meal worms.
Can you beat it?
Now don't neglect to let me know
of that unusual thing, perhaps more
unusual than any of these, that you
are doing.