Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, March 22, 1903, Page 28

Teaching Bird Lore a New City Mission EW YORK, March 19.—(Special Correspondence of The Bee.)— “The Lady of the Birds' is the name bestowed by the pupils of New York's public schoois on Elizabeth Putnam Moore, whose Miss mission is to bring children to a more inti- mate knowledge and a better appreciation of bird life. Once in so often she makes her rounds of the schouls in what are known as the tene- ment disiricts, and to the children these rounds seem far apart. They never know when she is coming, but some morning when the opening exercises are over a class finds her standing at the table wish her arms full of “sky,” as they call the big blue cloth which she carries about with her for a setting to her bird talks. The “sky’ is placed on the table and out of its changeable folds she draws bird after bird—birds that are all red, large birds of black and yellow, brown birds with a flash of crimson on the breast, and modest gray-brown birds. And then the fifty or a hundred children whose daily horizon is bounded by skyscrapers and towering dwelling houses listen to the tale of the songsters they all hope to see some day. Miss Moore conceived the idea about six years ago of teaching city children bird lore. To pursue her own studies of the bird life as city children might find it, if they were induced to visit the parks, she spent days in the rarks and outlying districts, dress- ing in green and sitting motionless among the trees, while the birds flew and played about her, built their nests and fed their young, unalarmed by the presence of a strange creature. Today her work, both professional and socisl, is broad and far- reaching, but her chosen field is the pri- mary schools in the poor, overcrowded sections of the city. The wrapt attention of the children and their delight at seeing the most ordinary birds familiar to all children who live in the country is truly pathetic. This first wonder is at the real size and color of the birds of which they have read. It seems (hat the best of illustrations to be found in ‘irculating libraries give wvong impressions. Generally the size of a bird is a disappointment. The children have imagined it many times as large. In- variably when a scarlet tanager is pro- duc>d, there is a hushed chorus of “Oh, see the robin!" Fer the children have read that a robin is called “‘redbreast.” The' teachers are cnthusiastic about Miss Moore's work, as are the children, and her methods may be followed withort trouble by mothers and teachers everywhere. A “bird talk" means much more the name implies. For one thing it is an excellent form of mind training. Miss Moore profits by a long experience in work- than ing with children in the kindergarten. Her talk is not a recital of facts, but a con- versation with the children, in which rhe tells them interesting stories of the birds she shows and keeps them on the alert to think out the various points for them- selves. A woodpecker is drawn from the blue sky. The children guess its name. Generally there is at least cne who has read that woodpeckers live in trees. M Moore draws a tree on the blackboaid. She shows how the bird runs up and down the trunk. She draws a hole in the side of the tree. Then she draws cggs inside the nest. With the specimen in her hand she illustrates how the bird goes into its hole and how it comes out. She tells how it feeds on in- sects which it picks out of the bark. At the Episodes and Incidents in EVERAL senators were talking in Mr. Hoar's committee roowm, the subject being Senator Morgan's wonderful ability as a long distance talker. One man ex- pressed the opinion that the aged Alabama statesman was about “talked out,” but Mr. Hoar scouted the notion, saying: “Why, gshow him a penknife and he’ll talk for an hour about it.”" Just then Mr. Morgan came in and one of the number showed him a curious knife. Sure enough, the old man began a long discourse on the subject of knives, continuing until all elipped away except Hoar, who was nodding in a chair. B e King Edward has been restricted by his physiciacs to five cigars a day. He has been an inveterate smoker almost since his boyhood. Some thirty years ago he was dining with the late Lord Derby, who re- garded the use of tobacco as a vulgar and unpleasant habit After dinner the prince suggested a cigar, whereupon his lordship expressed regret that his house did not contain a smoking room, adding that he could only suggest the stables as a suitable place for burning tobacco. Much to his surprise the prince adjourned to the region indicated and enjoyed his postprandial eigar. — During his tour of England, Sousa, the band leader, met a woman with a large rep- utation for worrying celebrities of all kinds to attend her dinners and “at homes.” She sent him a pressing invitation to sup at her house after the performance, but it got to Sousa’'s ears that she had issued invitations to her neighbors ‘“to meet John Philip Sousa.”” The invitation was pelitely de- clined, but the would-be entertainer, with THE BIRD LADY AND HER MOST INTERESTED AUDIENCE, end, when she asks why the woodpecker has a long, hard bill and why its claws are rhaped in such a peculiar fashicn, she finds that the children have reasoned all this out for themselves. Or, after telling her listeners of the dan- gers which beset yoing birds and how the nest is gemerally the same color as its sur- roundings, in order (o hide it from the watchful eyes cf squirrels and hawks, she shows them the male and female tanagers— the father bird with his scarlet plumage, the mother with her sober coat cf green. ‘“Why is this difference?"’ she will ask. The guick brains have thought it out in a minute. The mother must be the same color as the leaves and grass around her, £0 that, while on the nest, she will not at- tract the attention of her eneries. But the father, who doces not have to stay by the nest, may have a brilliant plumage. “In summer birds rise at abcut 4 in the morning, and go to bed at T in the even- ing,” says Miss Moore. “How long, then, is a bird's day?" The cLildren work out the problem. ‘“And I have sat by a swallow's nest and watched it feed its young for seyeral hours,” Miss Mcere pursues. ‘“The mother bird flew back and forth with feod about thirty times each heur. If she dces this all day long, how many times will she feed her little ones in a day?” It taskes scarcely two minutes for the children to make the calculation. “My,” says an awed voice among the little girls, “just think of feeding your children 450 times a day."” “Even your mother doesn’'t have to work that hard, dces she?’ asks Miss Moore. FFrom that time the idea that all that birds have to do is to hop around and en- joy themselves, vanishes from the childish mind. Miss Moore never talks poiniedly against cruelty to birds, “Interest the children in birds,” she says, “and after that you cannot induce them to harm one."” Her hearers never leave her without a persistency characteristic of her class, wrote back to him with desperate solic- itude. “I am terribly sorry to have your card saying you cannot come, but 1 s.ill hope for the pleasure of your company.” To this she received the following: ‘“‘Dear Madam-—I have given your kind message to my company, but I regret to say that only fifty of them will be able to accept your invitation, the rest of them having appointments (o keep elsewbeore, Yours truly, John Philip Sousa." Despite hie pleasant smile and corlial grasp of hizs hand Mayor Low of New York is regarded by those who have occasion to do much public business with him ar a cold man. He has ncver shown one spark of temper gince elected to the office of mayor and this is a of remarkable self-con trol, as he has a temper that would biaze up if he would let it. he may D¢ it in a che case No matter how loudly calling an ofiicial down he does quict and in choice words n with gcademie precision. This char ncteristic ig all the predo voice more markced as his Van Wyck, was a steel trap baited with vitriol. Representative A, D county, I{au, had an experience in the house that was somewbat mortifying to him fer a short time. He bhad been writing a letter to his wife. In his he an amendment to a re: essor, Mayor Morris cf Schuyler te tc prepare oluticn that pending he mistakenly wrete it en the back of a sueet of pa in the letter and sent it to the clerk's desk. He arcse at the same time and said: *“Mr. Speaker, 1 wish to offer an amendment.”” ‘‘The gentleman from Schuyler, Mr. Morris, offers an amend- ment,"” gaid Speaker Pro Tem Duncaa. was promising to protect all animals from harr and to join the Audubon society, or some other similar body. After she had told a class of little girls about the chatterbox bird, which guacks like a duck and barks like a dog, and of the bluejay, which hid a sced in her hair as sho sat perfectly still watching him one day, and a dozen other simlilar stories, Miss Mocre asked: “Now, who can tell which birds have?” “Hawks,” said the little girle, lessly, ““‘and cats.” ‘“Boys throw stones at them,” sald scv eral voices, with evident satisfaction at being able to dilate upon the wickedness of boys. “And what do little birds?" A rause. “They pick them up,” suggested a small vcice, “And squeeze them,” €ald another. “And put them in cages.” “What do little girls wear in their hats?" Miss Moore askcd, finally. “Ribbcns—and flowcrs—and suggesicd several girls. “Apnd where do feathers come from?"’ “Why, we buy them on the hats.” “But where do the people who make (he bhats find thcse frathers?” Eyes opened wide. There was a pause When Miss Moore explained that the birds must be killed to obtain the feathers, fifty little girls pledged themselves not ‘o wear feathers agaln. me some enemics breath girls do to harm feathers,' Boys do not leave Miss Moore's talks without learning the game laws of the etate. That in almost every state in tho union a person may be fined $20 fer eithor killing or caging a native cong bird is a fact that many grown people do not under- stand. In her talks Miss Moore shows the chil- dren only those birds which abound in the parks and the country about them. Jhe wishes to avoid the impression hat she ‘s exhibiting specimens of rare or curious creatures. She tries to teach them how to find and study birds in their native haunts. Few of the children to whom Miss Moore speaks in the public schools can afford a ride to the country or park. But after ome of her bird talks, three ambitiovs young- sters actually procured 10 cents apiece and started to a park to see the birds which she had shown them and had assured them were to be fcund there. In a strange terri- tory, with untrained eyes and no knowleige of the plac’s in which the bir¢s could hest be found, 1i.ey failed to discover a single specimen. They returned heart troken, and the next morning one of the trio confided te his teacher that he was “‘going to spend a whole penny on a postal card, just to write to Miss Moore and tell her that those birds were not in the park at all.” That the bird talks teach children (o le observant, even though they are confinel to the city, is proved by the many leti2's which Mies Moore is constantly receiving from children who have heard her talk. A boy of 9 writes: “I have watched a parrot owned by one of my neighbors. 1 saw that it hal two toes toward the front and two toward th» back foot, It has a long curved bill, and near its head it has two li‘tle holes called nostrils. 1 wish you would come to see us again with your birds, for I of ecach like to study abonut them.' Another writes: “When I went to see what 1 coull find out about birds I went to a store where they sold canaries. There were many Linds of them, and all had preity colors. One had a brown head and wings. It had gray under its bill. Another had pretty colors on its back and wings, such as red, black and brown. It had a very long bill for a canary. But the sign outside the window said that all are canaries.” Besides dozens of letters of this sort, Miss Moore, when near a school, is (re- quently surrounded by a troop of children who walk at her side telling eagerly of all they have observed abouf birds sirce she spoke of them. F. A. DAWSON. the Lives of Noted People “Read it, Mr. Clerk.” with a quizzical unusually loud, Maggie—1 find here without Clerk Jeff expression, Pollard, began in an clear voice: “My Dear myself awfully lonesome you “Hold cn, there, Mr. Clerk,” yelled Morris. “That's pot right. Thut's the wrong side.”” The house held its sides to laugh, while Morris sunk into his seat with a very red face, and Clerk Pollard turned the paper and began to read the resolution. There is no barbaric splendor about the court of Japan nur does the emperor in- sist on fantastic forms of homage. He is just a plain individual. His guests he re- ceives standing, and he enters freely into conversation with all. There is scarcely a subject that does not interest him or one on which he is not well informed. A de- lightful host, it is his custom to surround himsclf with clever men—men who are shining lights of their professions Kn- gineerg, artists musicians, writers so0l- dicrs, scientists—every class of persons who have won distinetion—are welcome at the royal table, for it is one acteristics of the tribution of his impartial. of the mikado that in favors he is char- the dis- thoroughly 0 Congress nan Lacey of lowa tells specimen of young America one occasion., Mr, Lacey was endeavoring to show his audience that great evil was result from the Wilson tariff bill and dwelt on the alleged fact that cupital- ists. were afraid to invest their money., *I ask any one of you gentlemen,” he said, “it your grandmether were to die and leave you $10,000 what would youw do with ji?” how a upset him on sure to There was perfect gquiet for a moment; then suddenly a youngster. sitting on the gallery rail with his legs dangling over, cried out: *I know."” ‘“Well, what would you do with it?" repeated Judge Lacey. “I'd buy a tombstone,”” was the answer, and such a roar of laughter went up that Mr. Lacey was forced to cut short his remarks. PTG Butler of 8t. Louis, the boss of the gang that has been rounded up by Prosecutor Folk, once paid a business visit to Indianapolis, This was several years ago at the time the garbage contract had been let to a St. Louis syndicate of which a man named MecCarty was ostensibly the head. The company was rot ness to the satisfaction of health, had not a sufficient number of wagons properly to care for the garbage, and heavy fines were being assessed against it from day to day. It was then that the attorney ployed by MecCarty. “What's the matter with this d of health of yours?” he asked ney. “Why don't you fix and get their figures. “Colonel”’ doing the board of busi- the colonel who had here been em- came to consult 4 hoard the attor- ‘em. Go ahead We'll pay to make it ‘all right.” “Well,” we have a the attorney, “(he fruth is, very peculiar board of health, The president is a Dr. Frank Morrisan, who, strange to say, doesn't know any- thing about money, doesn't anything about meney. There's to fix such a man, even, if 1 mysell to such a scheme.' “D--n singular sort of a man,” said the colonel, who immediately (ook steps to sell the contracts to another firm, and departed for 8t. Louis, where such tkings run much smoothei. care no way cared to lend