Nebraska Newspapers

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DAKOTA COUNTY HERALD; DAKOTA CITY, NEBRASKA.
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LEWIS OF ILLINOI8 INTRODUCES
PEACE RESOLUTION IN
THE 8ENATE.
U. 8. NOTE TO BRITAIN AND
FRANCE 18 MADE PUBLIC BY
STATE DEPARTMENT.
PRESIDENT WOULD AID ALL
TO MAKE CLAIM FOR LOSSES;
They are the night hawk, killdeer plover, chimney
swift, bluebird, downy woodpecker, phoebe, chickadee,
barn swallow, purple martin and chipping sparrow
Mf.
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N EMINENT American ornithologist re-
ccutly was aakcd to name tho ten moat
beneficial birds of tho United Stat03.
Hero Is his answer: Nlghthawk, kill-
jr deer plovor' chimney swift, bluoblrd,
Vb downy woodpecker, nhoebo. chickadee.
barn swallow, purple martin and chip
ping sparrow.
Having given the names of tho ten
birds over whoso good deeds man should
rejolco tho ornithologist said, "But tho list Is
longer. There are other birds and many of
them, that work as hard or nearly as hard for
man as thoso which I have named. Between
30 and 40 species there Is small room for cholco,
but let the ton stand becauso tho Hat perhapB
cannot ho Improved upon."
Later tho scientist wanted to hedgo a little,
for he said that there wero some birds of prey
which at least should have a place Bide by sido
with tho familiars of orchard and garden to
which he had given first rank. Tho cause of tho
birds of prey, however, has been pleaded before.
Tho barn owl, tho sparrow hawk and somo
others havo been given thpir credit marks, but
It is to bo doubted, perhaps, if anything which
can bo said in behalf of a predatory ono which
occasionally picks up a chicken will serve to
save its life when it Is caught In tho act of lar
ceny. Not ono of tho birds in the Table of Ten
Is a thief. Honest, woll-meaning, cheerful, and
for the most part neighborly, they go through
their Hvos working, which means eating, in order
that man moro fully may reap what he has sown.
It is admittedly probable that somo close stu
dents of tho habits of birds may dispute tho ac
curacy of the list as it is given, but it Is not
likely that anyone who has watched tho daily
operations of theso friends in feathers from night
hawk to chipping sparrow will bo able to prove
that so much as ono black mark should bo entered
on the daily records of their lives.
By their appetites yo shall know then?. A bird
Is good or bad from tho agriculturists' viewpoint
according to what and how much it cats. This
Is a plain tale of the birds' bill of fare. It is
lucky, perhaps, for the songsters, as woll as for
the tuneless ones, that tho birds of tho best
habits of life are well known by sight to all
Americans. Tho trouble that the bird protectors
havo found lies almost wholly in tho fact that
tho habits of birds are not as woll known as
tho birds themselves.
It was Dr. A. K. Fisher of tho Biological Sur
vey who named tho ten most useful birds. Ho
is in chargo of "economic investigations" In the
Bureau of the Biological Survey of tho Depart
ment of Agriculture. In tho bureau are kept
tho bird records. Tho papers in tho pigeon holes
In part read like the catalogues of a seed store
and the collection lists of an entomologist. Ono
can say of tho birds that seeds and insects "form
the chief of their diet."
To go to tho mammals for a figure of speech
It has taken years of closest work and field work
to separate tho sheep from tho goats. In tho
bird world there are many moro sheop than there
aro goats, but the Job of separation has boon
hard. In the little flock of best friends of tho
farmer thero are only two birds which, perhaps,
aro not woll known to all suburban dwellers. Tho
twd aro the killdeer plover and tho yellow-billed
cuckoo. Tho nlghthawk, which heads tho list,
is, or ought to be, known to ovorybody. Of courso
it Is not a hawk at all, and tho name by which
It is known in the Northern states, has hurt it.
Paraphrasing it might bo said, "Give a bird a
bad name and it will shoot it." In the Southern
states the nlghthawk is known as the bull-bat.
In tho fall and winter it is killed ruthlessly and
to no purpose except that of so-called sport, for
it is useless, or virtually useless as food.
Nlghthawks. aro wholly insectivorous. They do
no damage "Svvcrops. p, E. L. Beal, who has
mado field studies for tho Biological Survey of
tho dietary of virtually all tho commoner birds,
Bays of tho food of tho nlghthawk, "Truo bugs,
moths, flies, grasshoppers and crlckotB aro im
portant olements of Its food. Several species of
mosquitoes, including tho transmitter of malaria,
aro eaten. Other woll-known pests consumed
by tho nlghthawk aro Colorado potato beetlos,
cucumber beetles, rice, clovor-lcaf and cotton
boll weevils, bill bugs, bark beetles, squash bugs
and moths of the cotton worm."
Tho killdeor plover is one of tho noisy birds.
A part of its Latin namo Is "Vociferus," which
speaks for itself. Whilo tho killdeer ordinarily
Is accounted a game bird it is poor eating. Tho
good that it does should savo It from persecu
tion, hut gunners aro not apt to discriminate,
and so tho killdeer frequently suffers. This bird
lives In tho open country. Moro than 09 per
cent of Its food consists of animal matter. Tho
record shows: Beotloa, 37.0G per cent; other in
sects, as grasshoppers, caterpillars, ants, bugs,
caddis flies, dragon flies .nnd two-winged flies,
39 54 per cent, and other invertebrates as centi
pedes, spiders, ticks, oyster worms, earthworms,
snails, crabs and othor crustacoa, 21.12 por cont.
Vogotablo matter compoaos 2.28 per cent of tho
ttA food, and Is chlelly mado up of Woodsoods,
such as buttonwood, smartweed, foxtail grans and
nightshade Tho alfalfa weevil, a new and do-
jQ moTocRAPHs mon u. s. JWMUs T
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structlvo pest, has been proved to bo a favorito
food for tho killdeor.
The chimney swift, almost always called tho
chimney swallow, although it Is not a swallow
at all, is sometimes looked upon as a nulsanco
because in tho summer tlmo it is apt to mako
moro or less of a racket in tho chimneys lead
ing from bedrooms in which tired folk aro try
ing to sleep. This swift-winged bird never lights
upon tho ground, a treo or a building. Its only
resting placo is on sooty bricks in tho dark
interior of a chimney or on tho inner wood of
somo hollow tree In a wilderness that knows no
chimney. All of tho swift's food is captured on
tho wing. It cats thousands of mosquitoes, gnats
and other noxious winged Insects. It hunts from
daylight to dark, and nil its hunting is in tho
Interest of man. Tho swift gathors its nesting
material while on tho wing. It has a curious
habit, whilo in flight, of nipping oft tho tips of
dead twigs, and so quickly and neatly is tho
thing dono that tho eye barely can follow tho
operation.
The bluebird, with its "violet of song," is loved
wherever it Is known. Luckily bluebirds aro
prolific creatures, for about twenty years ago a
severely cold winter mndo such Inroads on tho
tribe that it was feared the birds might novor
como back into their own. They camo back, and
now there nro as many as over and thoy aro con
tinuing n warfare against man's enemies with no
pacificist in tho land to Interposo objection.
Tho bluebird Is given third placo in tho list of
tho ten most benoflcent birds. Scionco is cruol
In order to be kind. Nearly nine hundred blue
birds met death so that tho scientists might
prove that they wero useful to man. An exam
ination of tho stomachs of tho martyrs showed
that 68 per cent of tho food "consists of Insects
and their allies, whilo tho othor 32 per cent Is
mado up of various vegetable substances found
mostly in tho stomachs of birds taken in winter."
It is a happy thing for tho bluoblrd that tho
scientists aro able to set it down that "so far as
its vegetable food is concerned tho bird Is posi
tively harmless." The bluoblrd is a beauty. It
is neighborly and kindly disposed. Its appealing
spring-timo noto sounds far away, for tho bluo
blrd is a ventriloquist. It porches In a tree at
tho doorstop, but Beomlngly calls to you from
tho skies. ,
The downy woodpecker is tho tiniest member
of tho woodpecker family which spreads itself
pretty well over tho Unltod Statos. Tho downy
eats everything in tho bug nnd Insect lino from
tiny ants to big caterpillars. Frequently thoso
llttlo woodpeckers aro shot by orchardlsts bo
cause they appear to bo injuring tho trees. This
is what Dr. Glover, an entomologist of tho De
partment of Agriculture, has Bald concerning this
matter of suspicion:
"On ono occasion a downy woodpecker was
observed making a number of small, rough
edged perforations in tho bark of a young shade
treo. Upon examining tho treo when tho bird
had flown away, It was found that whorover tho
bark had been injured the young larvao of tho
wood-eating beetles had boon snugly colled under
neath and had been destroyed by tho birds. Tho
hairy woodpecker, a bigger brothor of tho downy,
also is a beneficent bird, but tho llttlo ono
rather outdoes tho big ono In tho work of well
doing. Tho phoobo is tho truo harbinger of sprirtg,
oven If tho robin and tho bluoblrd moro frequent
ly are given tho honor. The phoobo belongs to
tho tribo of flycatchers and it takes virtually all
of its food on the wing. It cannot como north
until spring comos as its companion, bocauso its
food does not fly about In cold weathor.
I havo seen four young phoobes sitting sldo
by sido on tho limb of a tree whilo tho mothor
bird for two hours struck down quarry with which
to feed them. Not a mistako did Bho mako, and
she played no favorites. Out from tho limb 'sho
would dart, thero would bo a click of tho bill
and an insect tidbit would bo fed to ono of tho
fledglings. The young wero fed ono after an
other, tho mothor bird apparently romomberlng
which one had been glvon tho last mouthful.
F. E. L. Beal of tho Biological Survoy says all
that Is necossary to provo tho phoobo's case:
"Thero aro but few birds in tho Unltod States
moro ondoarod to tho rural nnd vlllago popula
tion than tho common phoebo. Its habit of as
sociating ItHolf with man and his works, itB
trustful disposition and tho fact that it never Is
seen to proy upon any product of husbandry huvo
rendered It almost sacred,"
Tho chickadco appealed to Ralph Waldo Emer
son. Tho bird has a philosophy of Us own nnd
Emerson recognized It. It Btnya in tho north
country all wlntor, for no cold can shacklo its
activities nor chill Us cheer. Emerson mot tho
chickadee on a blustery winter day and wroto:
Hero was this atom in full breath
Hurling defiance at vast death;
This scrap of valor Just for play
Fronts tho north wind in waistcoat gray.
A favorito food of tho chickadco consists' of
the eggs of tho two spoclos of tont catorplllnr
moths which aro among tho most dostructlvo of
insects. In wlntor it oats larvao, chrysallds nnd
eggs of moths, varied by a fow seeds. Tho
bird's bill of faro is mado up for tho main part
of Insects, nearly all of which aro known to tho
farmer or fruit raiser as pests.
Tho barn swallow nnd tho purplo gracklo,
cousin swallows, aro familiar to all dwcllors In
tho country. There aro flvo othor common spe
cies of swallows found within tho Unltod States
and all of thom aro of benoflcent life. Swal
lows take all of their food, or nearly nil of it,
while on tho wing Virtually ajl of tho insocta
which thoy destroy aro olther Injurious or an
noying, and tho government scientists say that
tho numbers of tho pests "destroyed by Bwal
lows nro not only boyond calculation, but almost
beyond imagination."
Wordsworth might havo askod tho American
cuckoo, as ho did its European cousin, whether
ho Bhould cnll it a bird or but a wandering voice
Thoro aro two fairly abundant species of cuckoos
in America, tho yellow-billed and tho blnck-bllled.
Their habits aro much alike. Theso two birds
aro ventriloquists. Ono hears their voices whoro
thoy nro not. Tho cuckoos thread tholr way
through tho tangles of branches, gliding after
tho manner of ghosts. Tho bird oats what most
other birds disdain. It has a apodal fondnosa for
tho groat hairy dostructlvo caterpillars, and when
it finds a nest of tho tent cnterplllars It will not
movo on until tho destruction of tho posts and
their home Is complete Tho cuckoo frequently
is called tho rain crow. It has no placo ns a
woathor prophet, howovor, for it is npt to bo
ospeclally vociferous In tho dryost times.
In tho list of tho ten best birda thero is only
ono bird of tho dooryard. TIiobo llttlo birds
nest in tho currant bushes, in tho vinos which
clamber over tho porch or in tho hedges which
bound tho dooryard domain. Sparrows aro known
ns seed eators, and this might carry an implica
tion that thoy aro destroyers of grain. Somo
of thom aro, but wo havo tho scientists as wit
nesses that tho food habits of tho chipping spar
row, tho bird which comes to your doorstop for
crumbs, aro all good. It has boon written of it
that it is "well worthy of tho welcome and pro
tection which It ovorywhero recolvea."
It must not bo thought bocauso ten birds havo
been named as tho best frlonds of tho farmer
that thoro nro not scores of othors whoso dally
work Is for tho good of man. Tho ten excel,
lmt tho othors ntrlvo with thom throughout their
short lives to work as woll as in thom lies for
tho good of man who too often, misunderstanding
tholr intentions, becomes tholr porsocutor.
SAFE FROM BARBED WIRE.
Ono of tho most trying tasks Incident to trench
fighting has boon considerably lightened by tho
appearance In tho British trenches of glovos mado
of n fabric which Is said to ho imporvlous to
barbed wlro points, saya Popular Science Monthly.
Tho fabric is mado up into mittens, with tho first
flngor and thumb aoparato. Tho fabric is water
proof, and in addition tho glovcB nro Insulated for
gripping electrically charged wires.
Tho samo material is applied to tho manufac
ture of slooplng bags, which, when openod, may
ho thrown over a barbed wlro entanglcmont to
allow a soldior to climb over tho sharp points
without injury. When mado up into vests or tunics
tho fabric is strong enough to turn ahrnpnol
splinters or oven n bullet when it has loBt purt of
its momentum. The interlining is antisopticized,
so thnt if a bullet goos through It takes into tho
wound onough antlsoptlc wool to prevent poison
ing. Tho materials used In tho manufacture of this
remarkable fabric havo boon nodulously kept
secret this far.
America Will Not Pload Cause of Any
Single Belligerent, but Will Servo
Best Interests of All Nations Ber
lin In Favor of U. S. Mediation.
Washington, Mny 27. A resolution
requesting tho president, unless in
compatible with tho public intorost,
to suggest to warring nations of Eu
ropo thnt tho Unltod States undortnko
mediation was introduced into tho son
ato on Thursday by Senator Lowls of
Illinois, to lie on the tnblo for discus
sion later.
Tho resolution would authorlzo tho
prosidont to proposo that tho bolllg
orcnts doclnro n truco and thnt each
of them solcct n neutral country ns
Its roprosontntlvo on a board of ar
bitration thus created:
Each selected neutral would namo
ono member of tho board, ovor which
tho president or his roprosoritatlvo
would prosldo as roforoe Undor tho
plan each bolllgoront would prcsont
its demands or claims to tho board,
which would bo authorlzod to arrlvo
nt an cqultablo adjustment.
Tho resolution rocltcs that It 1b sug
gosted as nn expression of tho doslro
for world peaco and not of favoritism
for any of tho bolligcronts.
Prosidont Wilson told cnllors that
tho intervention of a noutral in bo
half of peaco in Europo could rest only
on a mutual understanding by tho bol
llgorcnts that forms to bo nrrangod
aro to consorvo tho Intorsets of all,
nnd of tho world at largo, rather than
thoso of a particular nation or group
of nations among tho warring powers.
Mr. Wilson gave tho Impression
that ho would mako poaco suggestions
only when tho conditions ho outlluod
wero lilkoly of fulfillment.
Borlin (via London), May 27. A
wireless dispatch from tho Unltod
States giving tho substnnco of Presi
dent Wilson's speech nt Charlotte, N.
C, In which ho referred to tho possi
bility of American mediation, is glvon
tho placo of honor In tho morning pn
pers. Tholr commonts, togother with
tho wide Intorost shown by tho Ger
man public, show how important this
nowB is regarded.
Though definitely stated nowhoro,
thoro is llttlo doubt that Germany Is
willing to consider a tender of good
ofllcoB to Innugurato poaco negotia
tions. Tho formor attitude that Amor
lea had disqualified ltsolf as a peaco
modlator on nccount of munitions
shipments to tho allies has now
changed. If President Wilson can
hold out any tnngiblo possibilities of
poaco through his mediation, Germany
will undoubtedly bo willing to consid
er such suggestions.
NAVAL APR0PRIATI0N BILL
Committee Reports Measure to Houoo
Carrying $241,449,151.99Bulld-
Ing Item Has $98,859,378.
Washington, May 20. Tho naval ap
propriation bill, tho biggest nattonn!
defenso measure was reported to tho
houso on Wednesday from tho naval
affairs committee It carries a total
of $241,449,1G1.99, about $90,000,000
moro than last yoar's bill.
Tho biggest item is tho building pro
gram. Counting tho cost for tho first
year of the program provided in tho
measure and making appropriations
for continued work on vossols au
thorized heretoforo, with tho ammuni
tion supplies for tho ships that will
bo finishod during tho coming year it
amounts to $98,8G9,378.
APPROVES L D. BRANDEIS
Senate Committee Votes 10 to 8 In
Favor of His Selection for Su
preme Court.
Washington, May 20. Tho Benato
Judiciary committee after wcoks of
consideration, by a voto of 10 to 8,
decided on Wednesday to mako a fa
vorablo report to tho Benato on tho
nomination of Louis D. Brandois to bo
an assoclato Justlco of tho Supremo
court. Tho result was a straight party
voto, tho ton Democrats voting to fa
vorably roport tho nomination whilo
tho eight Republicans voted against
such action.
Russ to Take Offensive,
Geneva, Mny 27. Russia 1b pre
paring for military operations of
great importance on tho cast front In
order to relievo tho Gorman prcssuro
against tho French at Vordun and tho
Austro-Hungnrlan prossuro against
tho Italians in southern Tyrol, accord
ing to information from diplomatic
source
To 8mnBh Twrk nnd Bulnar.
Home, May 29. A terrific smash
within n fow woeks, aimed nt elim
inating tho Turks and Bulgars from
tho war, will bo tho allies' first great
stroko for poaco. This Is a roport In
general circulation here
Thaw Shoots Down Fokker.
Paris, May 29. Lieut. William
Thaw, an American member of tho
French air corps, shot down a Fokltor
rncchino, it waa anno:tuod by tho war
nlnco. Ho was wouudod in tho urm
by a bullet.
Time In Which Change Must Be Ef!
fected Is Not Spoclfied In Message,
But Washington Government Ex
pects Prompt Action. .
Washington, May 29. Tho United
Statos, denouncing lntcrforenco with
noutral malls, has notified Great
Britain nnd Franco that It can no
longer tolorato tho wrongs which
American citizens havo eufforod nnd
continuo to suffer through tho "law
loss practlco" thoso govommonts havo
indulged in, nnd that only a radical
chnngo in policy, rostorlng tho United
Stntcs to Its full rights as a noutral
power, will bo satisfactory.
This notification is glvon in tho
lntcst American communication to
tho two Governments, tho toxt of
which wns mado public on Saturday by
tho stato dopnrtmont. Tho tlmo in
which tho chnngo must bo offocted is
not Bpoclflod, but tho United Statos
oxpocts prompt action.
"Onorous nnd voxatlous nhusos
which havo boon pcrpotratod by tho
British and French govornmonts in
solzing and censoring noutral malls
aro rocitod In tho communication,
nnd answers aro mado to tho legal
nrgumonts contained In tho reply of
tho ontonto governments to tho first
American noto on tho subjoct.
It Is vigorously act forth that not
only havo Amorlcan commercial In
terests'' havo injured but that tho
rights of proporty havo boon violated
and tho rules of International law
and custom palpably disregarded.
Notlco la sorved that tho Unltod States
soon will press claims against tho Brit
ish and French governments for tho
lossos which already huvo been sus
tained. Tho death of Corvantos will go far
toward cloarlng up tho banditry In
this section.
U.S. TROOPS KILL VILLA CHIEF
Notorious Bandit Cervantes Slain After
Attack on Engineers American
Killed and Two Wounded.
Field Headquarters Unltod States
Army, near Namiqulpa, Mox via radio
to Columbus, N. M., May 29. A short
sharp battlo botween a forco of Amor
lcan army engineers and a gang of
Moxlcan bandits undor tho loadorshlp
of tho notorious Candolarla Cervantes,
ono of Pancho Villa's most trusted
lieutenants, was fought south of Cru
cos. Throo Amoricnna wero wounded, ono
so badly that ho dlod a short tlmo
after, and two of tho bandits woro
klllod, sovornl wounded and tho band
scattered. Among thoso killed was
Corvantcs hlmaolf.
Lanco Corporal Marksbury, nttachod
to a machino gun dotachmont of tho
Sovontoonth Infantry, wnB tho Ameri
can soldior killed in tho claBh with VII
llstas noar CruceB, Mox. Markabury'a
homo was at Horrodsburg, Ky.
Tho onglnoors wero working on
road ropairs six miles south of Cruces.
With thom woro a fow soldiers.
Tho Mexicans mado a aurp.rlso at
tack. Corvantcs has been hunted from
pillar to post tho last two woeks.
Tho Mexicans dashed ovor a small
hill and down on tho unsuspocting
Amorlcana as thoy worked In n small
ravlno. Thrco Americans dropped at
tho first volley. Tho soldlors rallied
Instantly after thnt first volloy, and
roturned shot for shot at closo range.
Tho body of Cervantes was posi
tively Identified by rcsldonts of Laj
Cruces.
Ono of tho Amorlcana woundod was
Prlvato Hulltt of tho Seventeenth In
fantry, who was In chargo of tho ma
chino gun, and who killed both tho
Mexicans. His wound is not bollovod
to bo serious.
JAMES J. HILL SERIOUSLY ILL
Dr. Mnyo Called to St. Paul by Mag
nate's Son Stricken Ten
Days Ago.
St. Paul, Minn., Mny 29. James J,
11111, railroad magnate, Is sorlously HI,
This was rovoalcd when Dr. W. J.
Mayo, tho famous surgeon of Rochea
tor, Minn., camo hero on Friday In a
special train for tho second examina
tion of tho ailing man in four days. The
caso, whilo serious, Is not ono to cause
alarm, Doctor Mayo said after tho sec
ond examination. Mr. Hill has been ill
for ten days. Ho was stricken Mny 10.
Doctor Glllflllan, tho attondlng physi
cian, said after his consultation with
Doctor Mayo, that Mr. Hill's condition
is not serious and no oporatlon will
be necessary. Doctor Glllflllan saya
lntestlnnl troublo followed by Blight in
fection caused Mr. Hill's Ulnoss.
Nat Goodwin's Wife III.
Now York, May 29. Margaret Moro
land, fifth wife of Nat Goodwin, is
seriously 111 at St. Kllzuboth'a hos
pital whoro sho underwent an opera
tion. Miss Morolaud was formerly an
actress in Mr. Goodwin's company.
Dr. Timothy Dwlght Dead.
Now Ilavon, Conu., May 29. Rev.
Dr. Timothy Invlgbt, former proBident
of Yale' university, dlod wore on Fri
day in his eighty-sixth yoar. Doctor
Dwlght was born lu Norwich, Conn..
In 1828.
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