Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1920-11-04
WOULD PROTECT
ALASKAN EAGLES
Audubon Society Urges Halt In
Destruction, Due to 50.Cent
Bounty Law.
BIRDS OF FREEDOM LIBELED
Official Cites Instances Of Mistaken
Bird Campaign In Asking suspen.
sion Of Bounty Law-12,0o0
Killed Since Law Enacted.

New YOrk.-American eagles In
Alaska frequently kill full-grown
deer, and are devastatOrs of sheep and
other live stock, fur-bearing animals,
domestic and wild fowl. salmon and
other food fish, according to Alaskans
who have been writing Oh the sub.
tect to L. Gilbert Pearson, secretary
of the Audubon Societies National as
ISOLATION.
MIR. Pearson has been directing from
the New York offices Of the assOcia-
ton an agitation to save the American
eagles IN Alaska by removing the
price of so cents a head, which was
placed on their heads by the Alas
kan legislature In 1917, which made
them outlaws because of their sup
posed destructiveness. The accusers
of the bird of freedom in Alaska have
made out very black prima facie
case against him, but the bird experts
of the Audubon societies generally be-
iieve that the eagle has been convicted
on hearsay evidence and without much
of a trial. BY way of giving the bird
his day in court, TIL. department OF
agriculture has sent scientist to
Alaska 10 make close study Of ways
and habits of the defendant.
The number of eagles killed In
Alaska since the bounty law went into
effect is not less than 1900, accord
Ing to estimates today. c. d. Gar
field, secretary of the Alaska Fish and
Game club, in letter to Mr.. Pearson
i'm August said:
"A vast difference Is noted in the
numbers of these birds showing in
southeastern and western Alaska, and
1t is safe prediction that, II the
slaughter continues for a few years
longer, the species will become prac-
tically extinct in this country"
Asks Suspension Of Bounty.
According to Mr.. Pearson, one Sec
ton or another of this country is al
ways working itself up into witch
burning zeal against some particular
bird. which usually proves in time
to be not only innocent, but benefl-
cial.
"Oc course, human beings are more
important than BIRDS" he said, land
their concerns are entitled to first con-
sidcration. If the charges against the
American eagle were all proved, the
bounty law would be justified. But
there have been so many mistaken
Strengthening campaigns against valu-
able or harmless birds that we are ask
ing in this case a suspension of the
bounty law until the study of the hab-
its of the eagle, which have been I'M
dertaken. show whether he really de-
serves slaughter or not.
"A few years ago there was an anti
meadow-ark campaign In California
Speeches were made in the legislature
TO the effect that they were running
the grape crop in some sections. For
a time 1t seemed as If the meadow
lark WAS doomed, but careful inves-
tigation of the origin of the cutlery
against the lark showed that 1t all
started with & statement of farmer
that he had seen lark sitting on the
grapes.
New Jersey had a similar period
of hysteria against the robin, which
was alleged to be destroying the
cherry crop. There was great propa-
ganda in Arkansas and Texas for a
time because Of the untrue charge
that they were destroying rice fields.
zone of the most exciting cam.
paigns of persecution against lib
eral bird started along the gulf coast
in 1918, when it was alleged that the
brOwnDelican was destroying food fish
mt the rate of nearly a million dollars
a day, and as it was put in one in
dictment-'every day they consumed
more food fish than the people Of
Texas got in year.
Mistakes Campaign Against GuiIs.
1.-The assailants of the birds placed
their numbers at million and started
the slogan: Kill the pelican or the
kaiser will get YOU They appealed
10 the federal food administration to
aid in destroying the bird to save the
fish. BY cooperation between the
federal and state authorities under
took an investigation of the habits
of the bird and made a cruise with a
party visiting all but one Of the is
lands on which they were supposed to
breed. This showed that, instead Of
numbering a million, their number
could not exceed 5000. 1t also
showed that they slved exclusively on