The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-09-09

them said c. E. Bird of 523 East
Thirty-third street. as he sat down to
a supper of sparrow pie. And it's
a very pleasant way" he continued,
smiling as the pie disappeared. Spar
row pie is better than chicken pie
It's better than most any pie 1 ever
ate"
Bird catches sparrows in an in
genlous trap of his own invention.
The trap sits in his back yard, where,
thru the alluring power or grams
Of corn glued to a metal plate, ne
catches from ten to fifteen sparrows
every day. When twenty-five spar
rows have been collected Bird wrlngs
their necks and Mrs. 'ird 5akes them
into a pie-a dainty dish. enough to
SET before any king.
% Make I'ie.
There are four of us-Mrs. Bird,
myself and two chill iren. Twenty
five sparrows make 2. pie big enough
for several helpingF each-and we
always take them. About eight spar
rows to the person is the right num-
Der Sparrows properl.- cooked are
better than rice birds, and Mrs. Bird
knows how to cook them to the
queens taste"
Bird Is thinking of patenting his
invention. But he can't patent the
idea of DISCRIMINATING English spar
rows by eating them, and it's safe
bet that this improved and pleasant
method of getting rid of the pestif-
erous English breed of birds will
soon spread to many parts of the
country.
It's Great in England.
I'm England people eat sparrow
pie and think it's great" said Bird.
IF the people in this country only
knew what 1 knew about how good
this PIE is. it would be upon tables
other ways of cooking sparrows in
case one gets surfeited with pie. You
can bake them, stew them, boil them
and cook them with spaghetti. Spar
row soup makes a delightful relish:
and you can eat the bird afterward if
you like.
Think of how you can cut down
the high cost of living by eating
sparrow pie. My trap, which doesn't
cost even the price of corn for bait,
as the corn is glued down, stands in
the back yard. 1t nets me seventy
five sparrows, or three large and
juicy pies week The birds are
kept alive in the trap until we want
pie-then twenty-five of them are
killed.
Only a Small Trap.
The trap consists of a square
wooden frame, about 20x1s inches,
over which is stretched close meshed
wire netting. On top the trap dips
in the center to crater. At the
bottom of the crater. about half way
to the bottom of the trap. is metal
of corn. This plate fits evenly over
the bottom of the crater, being held
In place by a lead weight. This
weight is so delicately adjusted that
when a sparrow steps upon the plate
to try to eat the glued corn the plate
tips over with the weight, dropping
him into the trap. The plate, re-
lieved of the weight of the sparrow,
automatically swings back into place
again.
To prevent the sparrow from flut-
tering out of the crater the plate
tips over, another plate is provided
at an angle to the first one, so that
when the first plate tips over the sec
ond follows suit, providing a tenn
porary covering over the hole, pre-
venting the sparrow from fluttering
upward to freedom. The sides of the
crater is also confusing to the bird.
which is the reason for providing the
lndentation for the bait.
Never Releases a Bird.
The trap never releases a bird
after its feet have once touched the
bottom of the crater. After the first
bird goes into the trap there is no
trouble in getting others. Those in
the trap seem to Undue those on the
outside with confidence. The num-
Der that can be caught in day de-
ponds absolutely on the prevalence
Of the pests in the community in
vshich the trap is set