Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-02-25
OHIO BIRD RETREAT.
Game Warden kuertz Builds Homes
for His Feathered Ffienes.

Game warden kuertZ lives out In the
forest with his wife and little daughter
a good two miles from the nearest
traction line and farther still from the
nearest railway
liiS home is a naturalists retreat. 1t
is a cottage, the exterior protruding
al each facade center, ana there stuc--
coed over and enclosing cathedral win
dow panes. only in Iatt autumn and
winter. though. will you note the stuc-
co. The rest of the time the VINES en-
close it entirely.
There KuertZ. who is know, far and
wide over Ohio. spends spare moments
building homes for the birds or plan
ming WAYS and means OF dlgtributin.
them where the, Will do most good.
You who have never been to the
"Bird Retreat as people call It, havs
al experience still before you. The
trolley deposits you at Hardwood. jus1
at crossroads hamlet You take a roll
ing country turnpike out among the
hills. Birds twitter in the hedges, biril
carol from the fence rails, quail dars
across the road, fioeks of crows gossip
in the trees above you.
Signs prohibiting hunting are posted
everywhere. You turn down side road
bearing such notice above its sgnboartj
and there n birdhouse is Set to post.
Bluebirds nest in this every year. You,
who know the birds of America, realize
how scarce these have become One
spring there were nine little cnes in the,
litter there, and for -four or five wee ks
passe myers on the highway had tho
/ treat of seeing the baby birds round
the box. Three filters are SO far credit
ed to this birdhouse. The bluebird
boxes ii is shown, are deeper than
others-considerabl deeper, for exam
pie, than those of the Wrens.
The birdmun's wife and daughter SPY
the stranger from affair: they see. toe,
that you're inspecting the birdhouses.
If your mission is one of mercy TO the
birds. well and good. They show you
more birdhouses among the trees and
on the posts Yonder's a fiicker's house
that is deeper still. and the home of
the woodpecker is deerer even than
that.
All these houses are made by the
birdman and his apprentice. aided by
the daughter and wife The boxes are
of wood-oak. as a rule-and cotted
with stnceo prepared b. himself
breaking the game laws. Kuertz is
busy at these. It takes him about a,
day to finish a box. putting on tNyigs.
painting the whole, etc. First, there is
the saving out of the boards. then the
fitting. the mailing completing the hole,
finally putting on the twigs' and tire
like. Not long since an enterprising
Cincinnati art dealer managed to get
hold of quite a number of the bird
houses and sold them iii the city at
from seventyfive cents apiece up This
lowest price was for the Wee wren
houses. Finer bird houses carved and
decorated, netted the dealer from 1--WE
to ten dollars.
All of this you learn while still In
tow of the birdman's daughter, de-
scending the pike to their home. You
would know the place at once, so dis
tinctive is 1t, with beeches round about
on which are nests innumerable. Some
younger hickory trees too. have
sprung up; nor are they spared their
burdens of nests. Two hickerboxes.
green at top the lower half notified
emerald, the upper turning to white
hang on opposite sides of tree. A few
feet from this is another hickory: fac
ing the road upon this, there is IL
huge squirrel house, built in the same
style. Kuertz is wont to set the house
in the woods and before very long finds
that a pair of young squirrels have
taken quarters In 1t. Al sides and rear
Of that box there arc three other
houses. intended for fiickers. but avail
able for woodpeckers as Well.
From this point the grounds descend
tie II hickory glade where the bird
man has a rustic bench and sofa,
fashioned by himself fer his own usa
in watching the birds. Just above it
there's an old bluebird house Continu-
ing on down irto the valley, one dis
covers a purling brook jumping and
foaming over falls. The binds come
there to drink and battle, and there's
cool water in the hottest August.
Across the creek the estate ascendsi
the hill is covered by forest. where
a cali grazes at sundown and many
birds chatter in the bare branches.
That though, is the rear of the pros
pect. It's almost more delightful than
the front. There the read bends In, as
4 drive, and next the path, here's
so-called bird -feedery. a broad, square
table upon a post with smaller shelf.
or table above that. Here, in the win
ter. the family throw crumbs. old bones
and the like, and birds como from near
and far to feast These tables Kuertz
sometimes intends for parks and then
they're fashioned of old tree. trunks,
with winding brush about the base.
and are really quite artistic Often toe,
a peak formed hood of green tops the
affair. Behind all this huge beech
stands high, and on it are hung more
bird boxes. From out its shadows you
pass to the side where is red barn.
with fioeks of guineas, turkeys and
chickens about.-Our Dumb Animals.
The highway department Of the city
Of Leeds England. has recently treat