Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-25
CITY HALL PIGEONS
COO HAPPILY WHILE
DESTRUCTION PENDS
Handful of Determined Wo-
men All That Stands Be-
tween Birds and Official
Decree of determination.

When Director Harte. Of the Depart
ment Of Health and Charities. begins his
crusade against the pigeons Of City Hall
Square II he does shoot one he will find
he must contend with Mrs NJ VI. Halvey.
office manager Of the Women's Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
The crusade wa. to have begun tOday.
but Mrs. Halvey headed a delegation Of
women who called upon the Director
He listened to their remonstnnce against
killing the pigeons and then stated he
would hold the matter under advisement.
Mrs. Halvey says there will be no
slaughter of the pigeons.
She is not threatening in attitude or
anything like that but her one aim is to
save those birds
Some people say that the City Hall
pigeons are nuisance. Others say the
pigeons lend atmosphere to City Hall
square. They l!kan them to pigeons Of
st, Marks Cathedral in Venice. Who
would ever hear of st. Marks II it were
not for the pigeons, they ask. II It were
not for St Marks, it is argued who
would ever hear of Venice a few people,
perhaps might remember il because OF its
wet highways and because a certain Bill
Shakespeare wrote a drama concerning
mercant of the place
There are a few friends OF the pigeons
even in City Hall Sheriff A. Lincoln
.AckeT says; Let the pigeons stay. Drive
out the rats. I give those little pets Of the
plohc nearly lco pounds of feed each
week. There are a number OF rats in
the City Hall that should be disposed Of"
SAID the Sheriff with a wise nod. What
ne meant can only be guessed at.
When the city Hall was completed and
before even the officeholdars could select
comfortable chairs and desks that were
not meant for hard usage. the pigeons
arrived, They looked that big pile of
stone over and decided that under the
caves was Just the place for them. II
was and has been for years
THE FIRE HOSE AGAIN.
Director Harte is contemplating aiming
a high-pressure fire hose at the caves and
drowning the pigeons. That was tried
once before during the Reyburn admin
istration. While Constant readers" wrote
70 the newspapers protesting against the
cruelty the wet pigeons, with cries Of
protest and anger, few over 10 Broad
Street Station and lighted upon the train
6hed. There they dried or groomed
themselves and returned TO the City Hall
a soon as the hose ceased 10 be a menace
When a fre hose did not discourage
those birds, Tim O'Leary. who then was
Assistant Director OF Public Safety. got
busy. He said he knew pigeons ali the
way from the homing variety to stool
"a Ia
as he did about race horses and that
vas considerable.
o'Leary is the man who devised the
wlre-screen scheme that is today seen
over all entrances 10 City Hall
The screens, all credit 10 OIAary, did
hafAe the pigeons for several days. Some
BIRDS flew home late In the evening. ana
in not the hest mental condition bumped
against the screens.
They became bruised and wiser birds
Then the pigeons got used 10 the device
and cleverly ducked under the scree ms TO
md their roosting places
A janitor Of the City Hall came near
solving the pigeon question, He fed the
birds every morning and as they ate from
his hand on the City Hall roof he would
wiring the necks Of half dozen or so.
He did 1t quietly so as not to frtghten
the fock. II Is said that janitor ate
pigeon pot pie even for breakfast. He
died from appendicitis. The death certih-
cate did not state what effect a steady
diet OF pigeons mad upon him.
John Ritchie, a former detective. feeds
the pigeons every day, He viii miss the
birds II they are exterminated. So will
a tall. slender young man who feeds the
pigeons every time they are photo
Eraphed. II Is remarkable how he can
bob up at the psychological moment and
get into the cameras range.