The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1916-04-04
WHITING FOR BIRDS
ONO BOYS UTILIZE UNOCCUPIED
MOMENTS IN MAKING
BIRDHOISES.

Felix j. Koch in Our Dumb Ami
mails: If you're fond of whiting
as what boy, i'm these days Of manual
training, is not-and have an idle
moment or two, now and then, why
not devote your time and skill to the
good cause of helping our %feathered
friends. Whether you live i'm coun-
try or town, the birds are always will
ing to accept help, and such assist
ance as this cannot, alone. come
amiss, but will be like casting bread
on the waters, leading others to imi-
tate, till the reward of bird songs and
of crops saved from insect pests will
be yours, before many days.
1t remained for the young lads OF
the Taylor's Creek school, closely SUI
burban to Cincinnati. TO chance on
the clever idea and put il into axe
cution forthwith.
AS the boys chatted and had moth
ing else IN mind, instead of whiting
a stick, or toying to no end, IL oc-
Cured 10 them to cut and shape some
Of the innumorable bits of boards
that are always at hand. These
boards would then be fashioned to
birdhouses, and who so poor as I'M
able to donate a few tacks for such
purpose, or secure gift OF them from
hardware dealers somewhere?
III was not long before numerous
birdhouses were completed, with the
artistic touches boys love to give,
added as the individual carver had a
mind. One house had its porch,
where the bird could sit to feed her
young; one had a twig nailed before,
for the same purpose, another raj
given a barking protection. to pre-
vent felines and other bird foes creep
ing out to it in the night.
Each birdhouse had enough indi-
viduality to characterize it and set
it apart.
The birdhouses, however, were not
set up on the owners farms, but on
the grounds of the schoolhouse. Aft
err all. from s i'm the morning, when
most school folk leave home. until 4
in the afternoon, when they're really
settled back there, five days OF the
seven are spent around the school,
and so the birds might as we'll be
coaxed to come there, where me may
see, hear and enjoy.
Not only that but a wise teacher
saw other possibilities in the bird
houses i'm the schoolyard. There are
boys. still, who delight in using
slings. i'm robbing birds nests to col
lect the eggs. and scolding, ven pun.
ishment does not always correct such
tendency.
And when. through the window, on
winter days, the teacher saw some
bird taking refuge from the storm in
the boy built house, she would point
out the comfort the bird charity was
giving. Suppose one of the boys, or
girls, had to stand outside i'm the cold.
hunting dinner where perhaps none
was to be found, or when at last a
mite was had. there was no place to
enjoy it, safe from ones enemies?
Again. i'm the spring, when the
birds built their nests, the care OF the
mother bird would take in hunting
for string or h~orsehair. or down, to
complete the houselet! Ordinarily,
the birds had all they could do to
find food for themselves; yet. bye
and bye. note how they saw to ii that
the little ones came first Of all!
No pleading for the birds. no ask
ing boys not to kill; just the pointing
out of some little why's and where
fores and phases of bird life one Is
apt. perhaps, to forget.
Then, when the bluebird sang, or
the cardinal piped, compositions that
day were on the subject of that bird,
and the teacher had the boy who had
been wont to shoot birds tell of them
and asked what he believed could be
done for them. and make him an an-
thority on bird protection until he'd
have fought any boy he caught harm
ing a bird.
It's only a little thing. this getting
the boys to make birdhouses for the
schoolyard trees; but if the expert
ence here at Taylor's Creek may
count, it's one Of the most all around
successful schemes this section has as
yet seen.