Evening star., 1949-05-21
This and That
BIZ Charles Z. TrdceDell


Seventh Street.
Dear sir:
THE pigeons didn't do thing but eat
the bread with rat poison on it. and believe
it or not. they are alive, and brought two
more! So now I have six Of them.
There seems to be no way out. so am
sure must be patient and feel the good
Lord does not want me to have the pretty
wild birds on the feeding stations in this
yard.
Sincerely yours. A. M. W."
y
This shows again the futility of trying to
solve problems by killing.
Mostly it doesn't solve anything.
The best way. in handling animal prob
lens, is to wait.
Time has Its own solution for difficulties.
If we wait, when some creature bothers
us. often the matter settles itself.
We have seen this happen so many times,
but often it Is impossible to convince others.
People are in such hurry, and so upset
because some animal or bird seems to COM
plicate matters so.
To hear some persons talk, q cat In q
flower bed means ruination.
Actually, cats do very little harm, in the
long run.
IdLS SOIlctHucS StdIlu Ou IiltH Il4Ilu lckS
and swat at oriental poppy blossoms.
When poppies are new to one. OF course
this seems pretty monstrous.
Actually. the cat knocks down one or two
blossoms. not more.
Dogs sometimes scratch vigorously in o
lawn.
II the grass has just been seeded. this
looks bad. but actually in week or two the
marks will all be gone.
It is much the same with birds. Garden
lovers at times grow red in the face over
starlings or English sparrows.
They fear for the safety of their trees.
when lone yellow-bellied sapsucker arrives.
Neither starlings nor sparrows do much
harm, and as for the sapsucker, he may, but
usually does not.
1t was an old comforting philosophy Of the
late '20s, that life is q great deal what you
make 1t.
Well, we know better now. at least to some
extent. Often enough 1t Is what some other
people make 1t. unfortunately.
But it was good idea. in smaller world.
and it meant, at bottom, that one could do
a great deal by thinking. Just by taking
thought.
BY thinking one way. one saw more than
WlIc1 IS t2tOQsAlb d4OuS u AdiIOWSls
more restricted line.
This philosophy stiI has something In it.
It is particularly good for worrying souls.
Are you worrying soul? II you are. for
heavens sake do not worry about I'll Just
go on worrying. so that you win not set up
any conflicts with yourself, but at the same
time try to offset them by an optimistic way
of regarding things.
When 1t comes to pigeons at the bird
feeding stations. for instance. think some
such way as this:
Those pigeons are there because they are
hungry.
They know nothing Of bird feeding" as
such And II they did, they probably would
think Of themselves as birds, too.
They would probably think Of themselves
as pretty fortunate birds, to find a place
where food was to be had for the asking.
Think Of them as birds. as well as any. and
hungrier than most.
Poison and shots are poor substitutes for
mercy.
Leave them alone. and in time they may
stay away. Try Withholding food for few
days, until they 60 elsewhere. At the worst.
the small birds must split the take" with
them, that is all. Pigeons win not keep small
wildbirds away completely. although ut times
Ii may seem 50.
And you win appreciate them all the more.
when you have to look harder Tor them.