Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-03-22
MRS. SAGE TO SAVE BIRDS.
Buys Marsh Island, La, for a Perma.
nent Winter Refuge.

Mrs. Russell Sage has purchased
Marsh Island, La, for a bird refuge,
with the intention of dedieating it in
perpetuity to this purpose and of plac-
ing its control in whatever hands will
best accomplish her object, either the
federal government or the State of
Louisiana or some association organ
lied for the purpose.
The island, which has been acquired
at a cost of about S150,000, is on the
gulf coast, southwest of New Orleans
1t has long been known as a famous
winter feeding ground for ducks,
geese herons and various other mi
gratory birds. and has for many years
been the most popular resort in the
South for market gunners. 1t is
about eighteen miles long and nine
miles wide at its broadcast part, and
contains approximately $4,000 acres.
The matter was brought to Mrs
Sage's attention by Edward A. Nc
Ilhcnny, of Avery Island, La, who in
conjunction with Charles Willis ward
of Michigan, recently gave a $4,000
acre bird refuge on Nermilion Bay to
the State OF Louisiana" said Robert
WADE Forest MIR. Ward then found
ed the magazine THE Illustrated Out
door World to further the work of
establishing a chain of bird refugees
across the continent.
THE first issue in April of this mag
azine contained the announcement of
this plan and the purchase of options
on Marsh Island as the most impor-
tant bird refuge in the South, for
Nv Or Word OK IIo five err
in the work planned.
Regarding the purchase of Marsh
Island by Mrs. Sage. DR.. W. T. Horn
aday. director of the New York Zoolo-
gical Gardens, said:
1T is the most delightfully."- startling
coup that has been executed in behalf
of the birds of North America since
the win of David Wilcox financed the
National Audubon Society. The new
seems altogether too good to be true
Mr.. McIlhenny is Il most fortunate
man to awaken and find that his wild
and impossible dream has been realiz-
ed more fully than ever he had dared
to lima CINE.
In view of the awful condition of
the remnant of the birds of North
America the men and women on the
firing line need all the encoura cement
they can get. Only to-day a man
from Brooklyn whom l never had
seen asked casually at the end of a
business interview: Tell me, why is
it that birds are getting so fearfully
scarce in Prospect Park? There are
fewer each year. Now, for instance,
etc.
II said, How many birds are there
now each year in Prospect Park in
| total number in comparison with what
You saw twenty years ago. Why he
exclaimed, there is not more than one
| bird to-day for every fifty that We're
| in Prospect Park and Greenwood Gem
etery twenty years ago. And so it is
all over the United States.
1T is a matter of official record that
| during. twelve months of the killing
| season of 1909-'lO the enormous total
| of 4,265, 5S5 game birds We're slaught-
cred in Louisiana. Nor does that tale
of terrible carnage include the robins
and other crop protecting birds that
We're killed by thousands by the ne
groes and poor whites for food.
| Around New Iberia, a short distance
| north of Marsh Island, at least ten
thousand robins are killed for food
every winter
Excepting Currituck Sound, Marsh
Island is, l think, the most important
winter feeding ground for wild ducks
| and geese that exists anywhere in the
| South oft the wild fowl of the CEN
| tral United States resort in winter to
| find food and shelter when the north
| ern streams and lakes are locked fast
under ice and food is no longer OBJ
tainable in them.
| I'm the spring those birds go north
| in great fan-shaped flight that
| reaches all the way to Manitoba and
| spreads from Ohio to Nebraska. The
water birds that winter on Marsh Is
! land are mallards, canvasbacks, teal,
black duck, blue geese and snow geese.
| The other birds are thousands of he
rons bitterns, looms, rails and shore
| birds of many species.
II think that Marsh Island is des-
tined to play an important part in
preserving the unfortunate snowy and
American egrets. the birds that are
cursed by the possession of plumes
that are literally worth their weight
the white egrets now live in unpro-
tected colonies.
But in two years time the egrets
of the Avery Island rookery, founded
and protected for twenty years by Mr..
| McIIherny. will find that Marsh Island
| has been purchased by Mrs. Sage and
is now safe haven of refuge. They
will coonize that island, and twenty
years from now it will contain 10000
breeding pairs And think how the
birds will multiply in that sanctuary
as the years go by,
Marsh Island is a great achieve
ment. In it's purchase and dedication
to the birds of America Mrs. Sage has
done a great public service. When
the friends of the birds hear of it they
will literally thank God and take cour-
age"