The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-08-19
THE sFoRKs OF sTRAsBoURG
 WILD SOON FLY TO FRENCH SOIL

Strasbourg, the quaint old capital of Alsace, which nest1es on the banks of the III and overlooks the Rhine, has been transformed within the last year into a great military depot. It is 8 city swarming with so1diers-blithe youngsters marching gaily into the hopper of war, and others, maimed and shattered, coming back again. And it is a city divided in it's allegiance, a portion of it's population hoping and praying that victory will crown tue arms of the kaiser's men, another DOT ton as devoted1y hopeful that when the terrible struggle is over the tri- color of France will float from it's ancient Settlements and towers.
 Those who have visited Strasbourg in more peaceful days cherish in their memory many pleasing pictures of this old town, the Argentoraturn of the5Ro- mans. cursed with position of such strategica1 importance as to have made it through the centuries a bone of contention between warning nations. Not the least pleasing of these mental pictures of the Alsatian capital is that of the storks of Strasbourg. These famous birds build their nests on the roofs Of the dwellings, and there they hatch their offspring and teach them to fly. In the summer months the storl1s are to be seen everywhere in. Strausbourg, peFched on the roofs or flying to the III, the Rhine and other nearby streams for the little fish and frogs which are the stavIes of their piet.~ They are protected by law, put such protection is not needed and public sentiment would utterly con- demn anyone who might harm them. If it were true that storks are the bringers of babies, Strasbourg would long ago have become the most popu- lous city of the earth.
 sfrasbourg will soon lose it's storks however, for one and ali. young ana old, they will soon fly away oni their annual migration to Africa. Some day, in sthe near future. the word will be passed about among the feathered tribes that the time of departure has arrived, and by sundown of that day usually in the latter part of August, there will not be stork left in Stras- bourg, unless 1t be crippled or jdetain- ed against it's will. The exodus is complete, and it is accomplished inA a single day. All Strasbourga turns out to bid farewell to the birds and heart cheers speed them on their way.
 It must be parti cularly ga11ing to the Germans that most of the Stausbourg storlxs will soon seek refuge on French soil AIgerae., now almost dS French as France itself, is the goal of the Strasbourg storks, and they will remain in Africa until the return of springtime sends them on their northward flight. As they leave, so will they return all in single day. o military machine of Teuton contri- vance ever acted with such unanimfty and singleness of purpose as the army of he Strasbourg storks.
 While there are storks to be found all along the Rhine valley during the summer months, nowhere else are they so numerous as in Strasbourg. They seem to have made this quaint old city their capital and seat of govern ment, and it is always the Strasbourg storks who give the signal for the an nuaI August migration to the south watd. Just why they should have chosen strasbourg 4as their principal home; rather than some other city of the vicinity, is known only by the birds and they won't tell. Certain it is that Stra asbourg has been the cen ter of the stork colony for centurles. They were there when it was annexed by Germany in. the ninth century, when. it was taken by the French in 1881 and when it was recaptured by the Germans years ago. There they remain, serenely indifferent to human vici issitudeS.