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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (June 2, 1916)
THE 9EMI.WEEKLV TRIBUNE, NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA. They are the night hawk, killdeer plover, chimney swift, bluebird, downy woodpecker, phoebe, chickadee, barn swallow, purple martin and chipping sparrow Of TO C fM Cduwd B.Clark mar 4 EMINENT American ornithologist re contly was askod to nnnio tho ten wont f bcnoflclul birds or tho Unltoil States. (f I Hero In his answer: Nlghthawk. kill r Si dcor Plvor, chlmnoy swift, bluebird, VLA 1 downy woodpecker, phoobo. clilckadoo. barn swallow, purple martin and chip ping sparrow. Having given tho names of tho ton birds rojolco tho ornithologist said, "Hut tho Hat Is longer. Thero nro other birds and many of thoin, that work as hard or noarly as hard for man an thoso which I have named. Botwccu SO and 40 spocles thero is small room for cholco, but lot tho ton stand bocauso tho list porhaps cannot bo improved upon." Later tho scientist wanted to hedgo a little, for ho said that thoro woro aomn birds of prey which at least should have a placo Bldo by sldo with tho familiars of orchard and garden to which ho had given ilrst rank. Tho chuso of tho birds of prey, however, has been pleaded before. Tho barn owl, tho aparrow hawk and somo others have been givon tholr credit marks, but It la to bo doubted, porhnpa, if anything which can ho said In behalf of a predatory one -which occasionally picks tip a chicken will servo to save Its Ilfo whon it is caught In tho act of lar cony. Not ono of tho birds in tho Table of Ton ib a thief. IIono8t, woll-monnlng, cheerful, and for tho moat part neighborly, thoy go through their lives working, which means eating, in order that man more fully may reap what ho has sown. It is admittodly probablo that somo cloao- stu dents of tho habits of birds may dlsputo tho nc curacy of tho Hat as It Is given, but it Is not Ilkoly tUat nnyono who haa watched tho dally operations of those frlonda In feathers from night hawk to chipping sparrow will bo ablo to prove that so much as ono black murk ahoulii ho entered on tho dully rocordB of tholr lives. By tholr appotltog ye ahull know them. A bird Is good or bad from' tho agriculturists' viewpoint according to what and how much It oatB. This is a plain tale of tho birds' bill of faro, It la lucky, porhaps, for tho songsters, as well an for tho tunoless ones, that tho blrdtt of tho host habits of llfo aro well known by sight to all Americans. Tho trouble that tho bird protectors havo found lies almost wholly In tho fact that tho habits of birds aro not as well known aa tho birds thorosolvos. IC was Dr. A. K. Fisher of tho Biological Sur vey who nnmod the ton most uaoful birds. Ho Is in chnrgo of "economic Invoatigatlons" In tho Buroau of tho Biological 8urvoy of tho Depart ment of Agriculture. In tho bureau aro kept the bird rocords. Tho papers in tho pigeon IioIob In part road llko tho catalogues of a seod store and tho collection lists of an entomologist. Ono can aay of tho birds that soods and Insects "form tho chiof of tholr dlot." To go to tho mammals for a flguro of speech Jt has taken years of closest work and flold work to aoparnto tho eheop from tho goats. In the bird world thero oro many more snoop than thero are goatB, but tho Job of separation has boon hard. In tho llttlo flock or boat friends of tho farmor thoro aro only two birds which, porhaps, nro not well known to all auburban dwellers. Tho two aro tho kllldoor plover and tho yellow-billed cuckoo. Tho nlghthawk, .which heads the list, k Is, or ought to bo, known to ovorybpdy. Of course It is not a hawk at nil, and tho name by which It Is known hi tho Northern states, has hurt it. Paraphrasing it might bo said, "Glvo a bird a bad namo and It will shoot It," In tho Southern Htaten tho nlghthawk Is known ns tho bull-bat. Iu tho fall and winter it Is killed ruthlessly and to no purpose except that of so-called sport, for It is usoless. or virtually uaeloas as food. ' NlghthawkB aro wholly Insectivorous. Thoy do no damogo to crops. F, E. L, Beal, who has made Hold studios for tho Biological Survey of tho dietary of virtually all tho commoner birds, flays of tho food of tho nlghthawk. "Truo bugs, moths, flios. grosBhoppers and crickets uro im portant olomontH or its food. Several speclea or mosquitoes, including tho transmitter of malaria, are eaten. Other well-known poata consumed by tho nlghthawk aro Colorado potato bootlos, cucumbor booties, rlco, clovor-loaf and cotton boll woevlls, bill bugs, bark booties, squash bugs and mothB or tho cotton worm." Tho kllldoor plover Is ono of tho noisy birds. A part of Its Latin namo la "Vocirorus," which speaks for Itsolf. While tho kllldoor ordinarily Is accounted a gamo bird it Is poor eating. Tho ?ood that it does should save It from porsocu tlon, but gunners aro not apt to discriminate, and bo tho kllldoor frequently suffers. This bird llyes in tho open country. Moro than 99 per cent of Its food consists of animal matter. Tho record showa: Booties, 37.00 per cont: other In Bocts. as grasshoppers, caterpillars, ants, bugs, caddis filos, dragon files and twowlngod flies, 39.54 por cont. and othor lnvortebratos as cent! pedos, spiders, tlckB, oyster worms, earthworms, snails, crabs and othor crustacoa, 21.12 por cont. Vegotablo matter compoaoB 2.28 por cont of tho total food, and is chiefly made up of weodseods, Buck as buttonweed, smartwood, foxtail grass and Blfchtshada. The alfalfa weevil, a now and do- " atructivo pest, has been proved to bo a ravorlto food for tho kllldoor. The chimney swift, almost always called tho chimney swallow, although It Is not a swallow at all, is sometimes looked upon as a nuloanco bocauao In tho summer time It Is apt to mako moro or leas of a rackot In tho chimneys lead ing from bedrooms In which tired folk aro try Ing to sleep. This swift-winged bird novcr lights upon tho ground, a tree or a building. Its only rostlng plnco la on sooty bricks In tho dark Interior of u chimney or on tho Inner wood of somo hollow tree In a wilderness that knows no chlmnoy. All of tho swift's food Ir captured on tho wing. It cats thousands of mosquitoes, gnats and othor noxious winged Insects. It hunts from daylight to dork, and all Its hunting 1b in tho interest of man. Tho swift gatuoroTtn nesting mntorlal whllo on tho wing. It has a curious hnblt, whllo in flight, of nipping off tho tips of dead twlga. and so quickly and neatly la tho thing dono that tho oyo barely can follow tho operation. Tho bluebird, with Its "vlolot of song." Is loved wherever It la known. Luckily bluebirds are prollllc creatures, for about twenty years ago a aoverely cold winter mado such inroads on the trlbo that It was feared the birds might never como back Into tholr own. Thoy came back, and now there aro aa many aa over and thoy aro con tinuing a wurfaro agalnat man's onomles with no pactflclBt in tho land to Interpose objection. Tho bluebird la given third placo in tho list ot tho ton most benollcent birds. Sclouco la cruol In ordor to bo kind. Nearly nine hundred blue birds mot death so that tho sclentlata might prove that thoy woro useful to man. An exam ination of tho stomachs of tho martyrs showed that 08 per cont ot tho food "constats of Insects and their allies, whllo tho othor 32 por cent Is mado up or various vegotablo substances found mostly In tho BtomacliB or birds taken In winter." It Is a happy thing ror tho bluebird that tho Bclontlsta are ablo to set it down that "so tar as Its vogetabl'o food Is concerned tho bird 1b posi tively harmless." Tho bluebird 1b a beauty. It la neighborly and kindly disposed, Its appealing sprlng-tlmo noto sounds far away, ror tho bluo bird la a ventriloquist. It porches In a troo nt tho doorstop, but seemingly calls to you trom tho skies. Tho downy woodpocker la tho tiniest member or tho woodpockor ramlly which spreads itsolf pretty woll over tho United StatoB. Tho downy oats ovorythlng in tho bug and Insoct lino from tiny ants to big caterpillars. Frequently theso llttlo woodpeckers aro shot by orchardlsts bo causo thoy appear to bo Injuring tho trees. This Is what Dr. Glovor, an ontomologlat of tho De partment of Agrlculturo, has said concerning thla matter of suspicion: "On ono occasion a downy woodpockor was observed making a numbor of small, rough edged porroratlons In tho bark ot a young shado treo. Upon examining tho troo when tho bird had flown away, It was round that wherever tho bark had been Injured tho young larvae of tho wood-eating booties had boon snugly colled under nonth and had boon destroyed by tho birds. Tho hairy woodpockor, a blggor brother or tho downy, also la a benoilcont bird, but tho llttlo ono rather outdoes tho big ono In tho work or well doing. Tho phoobo is tho truo harbinger or spring, ovon ir tho robin and tho bluebird moro frequent ly aro given tho honor. Tho phoobo belongs to tho trlbo or flycatehors and it takes virtually all or Its rood on tho wing. It cannot como north until spring comoa as its companion, bocauso its food does not lly about in cold weather, I havo Been rour young phoobes sitting side by sldo on tho limb ot a treo whllo tho mother bird ror two hours struck down quarry with which to feed them. Not a mistake did Bho inako, and Bho ployed no favorites. Out trom tho limb sho would dart, thoro would bo a click or tho bill and an Insect tidbit would bo red to ono or tho fledglings. Tho young wero red ono aOnr an other, the mother bird apparently romoraboring which ono had boon given tho last mouthful. F. K. L. Ileal of tho Biological Survey aaya all that is nocoBBary to prove tho phoobo's cobo; "Thoro oro but few blrda In tho United 8ttoa moro endeared to tho rural and vlllago popula tion than tho common phoobo. Ub habit of as Boclatlng itsolf with man and his works, Its truatrul disposition and tho tact that It novor Is soon to proy upon any product of husbandry havo rendered it almost sacred." The chickadee appealed to Ralph Waldo Emor son. Tho bird has a philosophy of Its own and Emerson recognized It. It stays In tho north country all winter, for no cold can shncklo Us activities nor chill Its cheor. Emerson mot tho chickadee on a blustery winter dny and wrote: Horo waa this atom In full breath Hurling dollanco at vast death; This scrap or valor Just for play Fronts tho north wind in waistcoat gray. A favorite food of the chickadee consists ot the eggs or tho two specl03 ot tont caterpillar moths which aro among tho moat destructive of lnsocts. In winter It oats larvae, chrysallda and egga of moths, vnrlod by a few seeds. Tho bird's bill or raro Is made up for tho main part of Insects, nenrly all of which aro known to tho rarmer or rrult raiser as pests. Tho barn swallow and tho purple gracklo, cousin swallows, aro familiar to all dwellers in tho country. There aro five other common spo cles of swallows found within tho United Statoa and all or them aro of bonoflcent life. Swal lows tako all of their food, or nearly all of it, while on tho wing. Virtually all of tho Insects which they destroy ure either Injurious or an noying, and tho government scientists say that the numbers of tho pests "destroyed by swal lows aro not only beyond calculation, but nlmoBt beyond imagination." Wordsworth might havo asked tho American cuckoo, as ho did its European cousin, whether ho should call it a bird or but a wandorlng voice. Thoro are two fairly abundant species or cuckooa In America, tho yellow-billed and tho black-billed. Their habits are much alike. These two birds aro vontriloqulsts. One hears their voices whoro thoy aro not. Tho cuckoos thread tholr way through the tangles or broriches, gliding aftor tho manner or ghosts. Tho bird eats what most other birds disdain. It has a special rondnesa ror the groat hairy destructive caterpillars, and when It finds a neat ot tho tont caterplllara it will not movo on until tho destruction or tho peats and their homo is complete. Tho cuckoo frequently Is called tho rain crow. It has no placo aa a woathor prophet, however, for It is apt to , bo especially vociferous In tho dryest tlmo's. In tho list of tho ten best bTrds thoro Is only ono bird o the dooryard. Thoso llttlo birds nest In tho currant bushes, In tho vinos which clambor over tho porch or In tho hedges which bound tho dooryard domain. Sparrows aro known as seed eaters, and this might carry an implica tion that thoy aro destroyers or grain. Somo of them nro, but wo havo tho sclontlsts as wit nossos that tho food habits of tho chipping apar row, tho bird which comes to your doorstop ror crumbs, ara nit good. It haa been written ot It that it la "woll worthy or tho wolcomo and pro taction which it everywhere rocolvea." It must not bo thought bocauao ten birds havo been named as tho best friends or the former that thero aro not scores of others whose daily work is for tho good or man. The ten excel but tho others atrlvo with them throughout their short Uvea to work as woll ns in them lies tor tho good or man who too often, misunderstanding tholr Intentions, becomes their persecutor. SAFE FROM BARBED WIRE. CONDENSED HEWS OF INTEREST TO ALL. DATES FOR COMING EVENTS. Ono of tho most trying tasks incident to trench fighting has boen considerably lightened by tho oppearanco In tho British trenches of gloves made or a rabrlc which Is said to bo Impervious to barbed wire points, says Popular Science Monthly The rubric Is mado up Into mittens, with tho first linger und thumb separate. Tho rabrle Is water proor, ond In addition tho gloves aro insulated for gripping oloctrlcally charged wires. The muiio material Is applied to the manufac ture of sleeping bags, which, whon oponcd, may bo thrown over a barbed wlro ontanglomont to allow a soldier to climb over the sharp points without Injury. When mode up Into vesta or tunics tho fabric Is strong enough to turn shrapnel apllntors or even a bullot whon It hos lost port ot Ita momentum. Tho interlining Ib antlsoptlcizod so that If a bullot goes through It takes Into tho wound enough ontlsoptlc wool to prevent poison Ing. Tho materials used In tho manufacture of this remarkable fabric havo boeu sodulously kept socrot this far. Juno 5 nnd 6 Pngeont of Lincoln, presenting "The Gate City." June 6-7-8 State Undertakers' Con ventlon .it Hastings. Juno 5-0 Spanish War Veterano State Convention at North Platte. June 12 to 15 Trans-Mlssisslppl Duk ers' Ass'n convention at Omaha. Juno l.'M 4-1 5 Annual convention ol Nebraska Elks at Omaha. Juno 13 to 10 State P. E. O. Convon tlon at Alliance. Juno 13-14-1 r- Great Western Handi cap Tournament nt Omaha. June 13 to 15 Nebraska Pharmaceu tlcal Convention nt Hastings. Juno 19-20-21-22 American Union of Swedlah Singers, West. Dlv., coj certs nnd convention at Omaha. Juno 20 to 24 State Stockmen's con ventlon at Alliance. Juno 21 to 23 Fraternal Ordor ot Eagles, state meeting at Lincoln. Juno 7 Elkhorn Valley Editorial as sociation meeting at Long Pine. June 28-29 International Auctioneers Association Convention at Omaha, July 3-4-5 Mid-Summer Race Meet at Kearney. July 15 to 8 State Golt Tournament at Omaha. July 10-11-12 Northwestern Hotol Men's Association Convention at Omaha. July 10-11-12 Missouri Valley Veteri nary association convention at Omaha. July 25 Nebraska Democratic con vention at Hastings. J. W. Colbert of Weeolnir Water lias a phenomenal beef-ralslng record. Just a rew days ago he disposed of a bunch of steers on the South Omaha market that showed un with a record of more than 580 pounds average gain in nve months, and the gain in price over whut ho nold for them was S3.ln per hundred. He asserts he fed them snapped corn for the first two months, then sholled corn and alfaUa, with a llttlo oil meal added tho last two montliB. Tho citizens of Chappell are rals ing $2,000 to build a home In Lincoln for tho Rev. E. J. Hayes, who suffer ed a brain hemorrhage which has af fected his speech. This trouble and his ago. nearly 70, make It certain that ho can no longer carry tho burden or do the work of a pastor. A special election will' bo held nt Wymore, June 3, for the purpose or voting on a proposition authorizing the board of education to issue $45,- 000 bon,ds of which $35,000 is for the erection ot a new school building, and $10,000 In repairing and refurnishing tho old buildings. Contract has been let for the erec tion of a concrete ond steel bridge to cross the Platte river south of Kear ney, tho price being $44,350. It is to be a state-aid bridge and ono-fourth of the cost will be borne by Kearney and Buffalo counties. July 10, 11 nnd 12 havo been select ed as dates for the annual meeting ol tho Missouri Valley Veterinary asso ciation nt Omaha, an organization which bring visitors from Iowa, Ne braska, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado and South Dakota. Clarence, ten-yenr-old son or Mr. and Mrs. Wesley Dunkln, living near Story, twenty-flvo miles north of Har rison while wrestling with a brother, ran the point of a pair or scissors in tho back ot his neck nnd died from the Injury. Tho village ot Sweetwater, near Ravenna, was visited by a disastrous fire Just recently. Three buildings wero destroyed and tho nlno months' old baby ot Mr. and Mrs. Jansen was burned to death. A hall storm swept over a strip two miles wide and five miles long in tho northern part of Thayer county recently and reports aro that consid erable damngo was done to fruit and garden crops. t Twenty-two separate organizations in tho city of Omaha nre being invit ed by the Commercial club o co operate in tho arrangements for a big patriotic pnrado nnd demonstration to be held on Flag dny, Juno 14. Six hundred building laborers em ployed on a million dollars' worth ol buildings nnd twenty-live Jobs of pav ing In Lincoln, are on strike. Master Bakers of Iowa, Nebraska Missouri and Kansas will Join in a monster four-state mooting in Omaha, .June 12 to 15. The association will meet under the name of tho Trana Mississippi Master Bakers' nssocla tlon. It Is reported that J. II. Morrison Is to remodel his building that has been used for a snloon for years, at Superior, and mnko an up-to-date mov- Ing picture nnd vaudeville theater of It, giving Superior two moving piny houses. Deaplto the heroic efforts of her 5-year-old brother to save her, Luctnda Sargent, aged 17, was burned so badly at Falls City that Bho died. She had tried to start a flro with kerosene. W. It. Armogast of Rising City has challenged William Kaufman of Co lumbus for the Combs trap shooting trophy, and the match will bo held at Columbus Juno 11. Tho largest paving campaign ever undertaken In Hastings has begun. Whon completed Hnstlngs will havo nearly twelvo miles of new pavod streets. TOO GOOD TO THROW AWAY "Drippings" From Fried Lamb or Mut ton May Be Mado Into an Ex cedent "Gravy Stock." Tho housekeeper whoso rulo It la always to mako a savory brown or creamed gravy or tho drippings and meat-essonco remaining in tho frying pan after veal, chicken or hamburg steaks havo been cooked, will fre quently lot tho contents of tho pan bo discarded, if it woro used far frying mutton or lamb. This is on account of tho quality of tho fat that cooks out of tho moat, which is disagree able to many persons. But If earn has been takon not to permit any scorching during tho frying, lot a cup ful of boiling water bo poured into tho pan after tho meat has boon removed, and lot this boll up well, stirring with a spoon, until nil traces of tho meat essenco havo been dissolved away from tho pan. Strain r.hls liquid Into an earthen or agate bowl, dash a llttlo cold water Into It, and set aside in a cool place. In a few hours tho fat will havo formed a solid cako, and can bo removed, leaving a cupful of excollont "gravy Btock:" this ctfn bo used for re-sorvlng any loft-ovora or tno nroresaid mutton or lamb, if wanted ns haBh or ragout, adding notably to tho flavor and richness thereof; or it can bo added to ono'a soup stock. Tho same method can bo uaod with tho dripping pan in which lamb or mutton has" been roaBted. American Cookery. HOUSEHOLD HINTS A good furnituro polish Is olcht ounces of sweet oil. four ounces tur. pentlno, two ounces ammonia. Apply wun ciotb. and polish with woolen cloth. After washlnc a white knitted Inr, sey, put it on a coat-hanger to dry, and hang it on a lino In tho air. It will keep a better shano than if noeirod on tho lino. Ground rlco is excellent for rlnnn. ing white cloth. It should bo applied with a piece of clean white flannel, loft for two or three hours, and then well brushed and shaken. Rusty irons . should bo hentpd. rubbed on a piece of beeswax tied in nnon, and thon with a coarso flannel cloth, sprinkled with household salt. This will give a polish llko glas3. Silk stockings should never bo ironed. Wash them in sonnmnln mmin with good whito soap and lukewarm water and rinso in clear water of the samo temperature. Rough dry. l)o not Iron linnorio ribbons whlln damp if you want them to bo soft. Wrap while wet smoothly around o. big bottlo covered with thick muslin, ana press with a cool iron when dry. ir tne Knob has como off tho lent. tlo tako a cork, put a screw through it, pusii tno screw through tho lid of the kottlo and screw a burr on tho end. You will havo a knob that will not como off nor get hot. Spinach, German Style. Cook the spinach by steam (in a steamer) or in a very llttlo water, in a closed vosoel, over a slow flro until tender; then, chop flno. For every pint of spinach minco ono-half cunrut rat pork, and fry until crisp. Turn Bplnach into the frying nan with fried meat, and heat thoroughly; thon add ono-thlrd cupful of vinecar or lomon Juico for each pint of spinach and sea son with salt. Turn at onco into serv ing dish and garnish with sliced hard boiled egg. Rhubarb and Raisin Pie. Did any ot tho readers evor put raisins over tho top or tho rhubarb, about two inches apart? No moro plain rhubarb pies for mo aftor try ing them with tho raisins. Another thing I do which perhaps other sis ters do not, and that Is, I never peel my rhubarb for pics. I wash it and wipe each stalk carefully and then Blico It into tho plate. I think it makes a much richer pio that way. Boston Globo. - . , ' . Peach a la Bordslaise. Ubo canned peaches for this. Put thorn In a flat gratln dish and pour over tho following mixtura: Two ounceB or butter, two ounces or flour, one ounce ot sugar, half a pint of milk and peach sirup, four eggs. Cook but ter, flour, sugar and milk In a stew- pan. When cold, add yolks and whipped whites of tho eggs last. Baku halt an hour In modorato ovon. Creamed Celery and Egg. A lottovcr or creamed celery was rowarmod by setting dish in cold water and letting como to boll, thon pushed to less hot placo on stovo. Just before removing from heat, two leftover hard-boiled eggs woro chopped and cut into tho cream. Served on toast as a supper dish. . 3 . Fish Toast. , Take ono cupful ot cold flaked fish, free from skin and bones. Heat in water sufficient to moisten; add but ter, pepper ond salt. Whon hot pour on slices of buttered toast, garnish with eggs poached in muffin rings. To Clean tho Range. An ordinary blackboard eraser is splendid to keep noar the kitchen range to wipe off the top; tho range is kopt clean and docs not need to be washed or polished but onco or twlco a woek. Needs No Starch. Flno damask linen needs no starch. If sufficiently dampened and ironed until dry it will have all the neces sary dressing.
