The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-10-03
Every North American Feather
at the State House.
SNEEzING SNAKES THERE, TOO
But They Are Not Ossified and
Have Speared Tongues.
Kansas State Museum an End
less Chain of Interest.
IRy Harvey Parsons. ]

D
Is commodore Noah was just about to
batten matches on the feathers depart
ment. when First Mate Shem dropped
in and gave the assortment the once
over AMI the up-and-down.
what in the name of excessive high
water" says Shem, ARE you going to
do with them sparrers?" Nat ...or
II want a few" says Noah, Tor
some future simp to import from one
country to the other on the theory
that he is doing a Great Work. The
rest are for Colonel Goss, OF Kansas.
That's why the late Colonel Goss, OF
Kansas, has about steen hundred as
sorted sparrows for his collection OF
perpetuated birds. The collection, as
seen on he fourth floor of the Kansas
date house, begins with humming
birds, Of which there are large num-
her, pauses quite while in the spar
row department and then rises by
5umps to the ultimate in birds. the
Freckled GazzaZa-Or something like
that, which is a bird and half wide
and seven and three-eighths' birds
high. To perpetuate the humming bird,
At took a mere Whit Of arsenic and a
Wad OF cotton the size of an unstewed
navy betn. To keep the GazzaZa-or
whatever it is, looking natural for all
fime, required quart of Doc Fowler's
well known solution and framework
of meal.
Valuable Collection.
This wonderful collection of feath
ers IS worth a lot more than anyone
can afford to pay for it. Shortly be-
fore the death of Colonel Goss, who
shotgun and hard work, he was Of
8ered $4,000 for the brides. He
Wouldn't even consider the offer. He
announced that the specimens he had
gathered by years of hard work and
travels through dangerous places, were
the property of the Kansas people who
cared TO call at the state house and
see them. Even the sparrows were
Kansas property; perfectly good spar
rows who couldn't stop up an cave
spout or commit any other depreda-
ton. The collection is now worth ten
times what Colonel Goss was offered,
and many Of the specimens cannot be
duplicated for any price.
From All Over North America.
The Goss collection Of birds repre-
scents about every species that ever
waved a feather over any part of North
America. To catch and preserve them,
he hunted through the jungles of Cen
trail America and Mexico. the ever
Canada and the bleak stretches of
Alaska and Labrador. He died in
1891, with the satisfaction Of knowing
that his record as a soldier and citizen
had been added to by his service to-
the state as an ornithologist Yep.
that's the word, a big word. but not
of sufficient size to express it. A few
more syllables should be added to get
an idea OF what this well meaning
gentleman did toward saving speci-
mems Of birds. The name of Col.
Nathaniel Stickney Goss will always
be associated with Kansas history as
the man who killed many birds, but
didn't kill them for hat trimmings.
Col. Goss did not pick on the birds
because they were easy specimens to
catch. He caught and picked bull
xinches when it was easier to catch bull
buffaloes. To salt the tail of the Jing
whazxit bird in Yucatan or the Spfif
f1icated F1amingo on the neither shores
OF Lake Okeechobee was no easy task.
"A Gossified bird does not attempt to
sing. Which is just as well. Should
the assortment in the top deck of the
state house break forth in song, it
would be some song. With the picked
prairie chickens singing soprano and
the crows and henhawks coming in on
the bass, it would not be pleasing to
musical crank
Among the Gossified birds one notes
with pleasure the remains Of former
Topeka resident, the late Mr.. Spirella
Palhda, otherwise known as zone of
them be-dashed sparrers" The tag on
his permanent roost advertises that he
was caught and cured Of his cussedness
IN our fair village. For that one speci-