ELyAx uaLLy LEDO
COPYRIGHT ty09 OY WA PATTERSON
T WAS Dr. Theodore S. Palmer ,
of tlio government biological survey -
voy , tlic ninn who stands between
the birds of tbo country mid extermination -
termination , wlio invited u so
journing stranger In Washington
to lotwo the city behind him far a few houra
to catch a gllmpso of the wild , feathered
friends which bravo ( ho Washington winter.
The thought of an Intended interview In the
north wing of the capllol kept the Invited ono
from an instant acceptance , but the delay end
ed when the doctor Bald : "Coma ! Is not ono
eoiiRblrd worth many senators ? "
The displeasure of the Sons and Daughters
of the Revolution must bo braved for the next
few lines. The host of this day'ti tramp asked
Ills , guest If ho picfcrred to go to the south ,
there to follow a favorite Virginia hunting
trail of George Washington , or go to the north ,
to follow the bird-searching tracks of Klliot
Coucs and John Burroughs. The answer was
quick enough , "Lot's strike the trail of Cones
and Burroughs , " for while the sojourncr knew
that the father ot his country was first in
nearly everything , ho never heard that ho was
first lu ornithology.
The tramp lay through the valley of Hock
creek. The stream flows through a cleft In
the wooded hills and forms ono of the chief
natural attractions of the zoolog
ical park and of the national park
which lies beyond. Standing at the
edge of a street In a thickly set
tled part of the city , ono looks
down deep In a rocky chasm
through which tumbles the stream ,
washing in Its course the roots of
noble trees. It is as wild as a bit
of the Adlrondacks1 heart and has
all the beauty which attaches to
the wilderness.
The two hunters of birds hunt
ers , though neither carried a weap
on more deadly than a field glass-
went down the winding , snow-cov
ered path close to the edge of the
bank of the singing stream. Rock
crock sings aloud , but U can't
drown the noise of the cawing
crows , Corvus claims the capital
man the size. "
The zoological garden -
don of the Smithson
ian Institution is situ
ated In Rock Crook
park. There Is nearly
everything there that
a "zoo" nhonld contain
and little need lu there
of description. One cu
rious bird event , however -
over , marked the visit
of the winter morning
to the headquarters of
the animals. In an
outdoor cage were six
turkey buzzards , asleep
and as contented , ap
parently , as though
they wore fed upon
their favorite "long-
since-dead" dog , In
stead of fresh meat.
Circling just above the
buzzards' cage and
eyeing them with ap
parent pity were sev
eral of their free
brethren. The keep
ers at the park say
that the wild buzzards pay dally visits
of curiosity and condolence to" their
caged kinsmen.
Down again to the creek , and there
was a sight for city eyes. A cardinal
had como out from tlio woods and had
alighted on a snow bank , his blazing
body backed by the drift of white. No
sight like that in ether seasons , save
when a scarlet tanager stops for a mo
ment In springtlmo to rest in a blos
som-burdened hawthorn. In the bushes
near the cardinal were white-throats
and slate-colored snowbirds , and far
ther up the
creek were
n u t h a tches ,
Carolina
c h i c k a d ecs
/T GrtA V CQMULTAT/OH and tufted tit
mice.
and the district for his own. UntU a Pincy branch
few years ago there was a crow rr/ost tumbles into
numbering fully 15,000 birds at Arluig Rock crook
ton , just over the rlvor. The crows LTO near the di
: costing elaowhere now , but there are viding line be
just as many of them as over in the tween Smith
woods and fields along the Potomac. sonian park
Corvus will not leave the capital , lie and the great
feels that it is essentially his city , for la er national
not his surname Amcrlcanus ? The air
was full of crows , and higher up , ever SNOWB/flD ground. An
soaring , were the great buzzards the birds
to which above all others distance lends en
chantment.
The path leads upward from the creek into
a bit of wild , rough woodland tangled with
emllax , laurel and honeysuckle , all giving a
glad greenness to tlio waste of winter. It was
hero , where the rocks , the roots and' the en
tangling underbrush make heavy the way , that
General Funston took a walk that has as yet
been unsung. General Funston came to Wash
ington for a day. Ho called on President
Roosevelt. The president said , "General , will
you take a walk with mo ? " The general bor
rowed the president's favorite word and said ,
"Delighted. " A carriage drove up to the White
House door.
" 1 thought wo were to take a walk , Mr.
President , " said General Funston.
"The walk will corao later , general , " an
swered Mr. Roosevelt.
They drove to the spot on Rock crcelc
wheio begins the "rough path of riotous na
ture " They left the carriage and began to
walk. The president set the pace. He went
over rocks and windfalls , through thicket and
through brush , at the gait ho took when ho
led the eecrot service followers a rape through
the broad streets of Washington , and the pace
was rapid and rough for miles.
If General Funston had been a sailor In-
etead of a soldier , ho would have described his
condition ou coming to Washington for that
visit as "Hying light. " Ho bad brought only
ono pair of trousers with him , After the walk
with the president wag ended the carriage
was again pressed Into service and General
Funston was dropped near his hotel.
The next day be was asked if ho had enJoyed -
Joyed his walk with the president.
"Yes , I enjoyed It , " he said , "after a fashIon -
Ion ; but the next time 1 go walking with The
odore Roosevelt I'll ride all the way. I had
to go into my hotel by the back door and get
to my room by means of a freight elevator. 1
bent a boll boy out to buy mo another pair of
trousera and there wasn't enough lea of the
ualr I had on to give the ready-made clothing
old mill with Its neighboring dam and water
fall stands not far away. The place Is as
beautiful to-day as it was 40 years ago , when
John Burroughs haunted It and transmitted
Its beauties to the written page. Here it was
that ho had his Inspiration for "Spring Notes
at the Capital , " an Inspiration that dwelt In
him and showed force and effect when ho
wrote of other and faraway fields. Burroughs
has written of this spot , and It Is a daring
pen which would seek the ink for further
words.
The change from woodland path to paved
street Is abrupt A tufted titmouse with a
voice as full-throated as In springtlmo called
from an oak , but the note was lost In the
rattle of a street car. Two woodland travel
ers had reached civilization , a fact that waa
still more Impressed upon them when they
boarded the street car and found that it was
unheatcd.
Richard Kcnrton , an English ornithologist
and photographer , although lamed badly aa
a result ot an accident when cliff climbing , is
engaged to-day in the work of making pic
tures of blrda that make their nests in places
Inaccessible to any &ave the most daring men.
Mr. Kearton came to Washington before Presi
dent Roosevelt went out of office and ho was
entertained at the White House and was led
through the woods , the ravines and fields near
the capital city by the president of the United
States in order that ho might get knowledge
of American bird life. Since his return to
England the English pcoplo have paid marked
attention to their follow countryman. They
had recognized him as a scientist woithy of
consideration prior to the time of his visit to
this country , but tlio attention that the strenu
ous president of the United States paid to the
English bird lover brought to him additional
attention and the marked consideration of
Bomo peoplu who had been given to Ignoring
him on the ground that ho was a photogra
pher rather than scientist. Mr. Kearton is
both a photographer and a scientist and his
contribution of his knowledge o ( English bird
life Is of immense value to i > ri students.
In Washington mem
bers of the Geographic
society , the biological
survey , the Audubon
society and some thou
sands of others of
Washington residents
viewed the English
man's pictures with an
interest that had in it
a large percentage of
a m a z o m cut This
Briton has succeeded
in going farther with
his bird friends than
have any other field
photographers of whom
one mau it least
knows anything.
President Roosevelt
took Mr. Kearton
through Rock Creek
park and gave him
practically his first
glimpse of American
wild bird life. The
migrants hud not yet como
in full force to the northern woodlands when
the president and his guest made through the
valley and up and down the cliffs of the valley.
They found the kingfisher looking for chubs
or whatever the fish is that likes the Rock
creek waters , and they found the cardinals
and the Carolina chickadees , some whitethroats -
throats , some slate-colored snowbirds and a
few tuneful song sparrows.
Mr. Kearton's first introduction to the Po
tomac country birds gave him an appetite for
further knowledge of their personalities. A
few days after his Rock creek trip Mr. Kear
ton went up the Potomac valley with Dr. A. K.
Fisher and 13. W. Nelson of the biological sur
vey , and I was allowed to bear them field
company.
Dr. Fisher , of hawk and owl and much
other bird fame , came Into the tramping when
the noon hour was near. Prior to that time
Mr. Nelson acted as bird leader , if the bird
can take the place of the bear In the term
ordinarily used.
We had in Kearton an Englishman who
knew American birds only from the books. Al
most Instantly the thought came of John Bur
roughs tramping all over southern England
trying to find a nightingale , and to find him
when ho was In a tuneful mood. Richard
Kearton was willing to tramp all over the Co
lumbia district to see a mocking bird. He
wanted also to hear him sing , but that at best
was a matter of chance , for the singing sea
son was yet young.
The mocker , to the European , unquestion
ably is our best-known bird. Ho fills In the
interest place on the other side that Is filled
in on this side by the nightingale , or perhaps
equally with the nightingale , the skylark ,
"whose tryst Is in the clouds. "
Wo crossed Cabin John bridge over the
beautiful gorge , wavy with the greening treetops -
tops of early spring. Out of the depth of the
valley came the song sparrow's music , almost
If not quite the purest bird music that the
American fields can call their own.
The Englishman went into a melting mood
at the song sparrow's note. Ho kept It with
him in cadence all day long , whistling it occa
sionally to iiialco sure ho was retaining it , and
stopping every time that ono of the blids sang
from tlio roadside , to listen and to make sure
that memory was holding the melody Intact.
At the end of the Long bridge eight or ten
birds were seen feeding in a tree-top. The
foliage was not yet far enough advanced to ob
scure the vision. The birds were pinefinches ,
akin to our goldfinches. They did not know
that they had a distinguished visitor from
abroad , interested not only in their plumage ,
in their notes , in their habit of life , but in the
humbler thing of what they wore having for
breakfast.
The pinellnches held us only a Httlo while ,
and on wo went along the early morning road ,
hoping for a mocking bird , and yet more than
half content with chirping sparrows , blue
birds , robins , purple grackles and the rest of
the early spring comers.
Down at the left of the road was a scrub
growth of trees and beyond that were the ca
nal and the broad rlvor. Wo went into the
trees , leaving the highway with Its sparrows
and bluebirds and other commoner folk , hopIng -
Ing that there some rarity would show Itself
to give our guest full payment for a 3,000-mile
trip across the water to got acquainted with
American bird life at its best , and American
bird life is always at Its best , and this we
loyally told the British subject.
In the thicket wo did not find tbo mocking
bird , but wo found something that in beautj
at least more than compensated for the absence
senco of the sober-clad southern songster. A
male cardinal , fire red , crested and proud and
tuneful , was there.
We caught a glimpse of the disappearing
tail feathers of a bird that flashed into ar
evergreen tree , heavy-houghed and thick
leaved. I went over to the tree and knockei
gently on the trunk. The bird came out ant
perched on a dead branch not 10 feet abovt
our heads. It was a mocking bird. The fac
was whispered to Mr. Kearton who had fount
what ho wanted.
The mocker paid absolutely no attontloi
to us , save to turn ills head once and to lool
down , probably curiously wondering wha
three hulking fellows found in him to nro'jsi
in them such an abundance of Importiuun
curiosity , lie simply would not sing , but w <
stayed there , hoping against hope , until finallj
tiring of our company long before wo tired o
his , ho loft hla perch and made for the V'j '
there.
BAKING ECONOMY
By the use of perfect baking powder th
housewife can derive ns much economy as
from any other article used in baking nnd
cooking. In selecting a baking powder ,
therefore , care should be exercised to pur
chase ono tint retains its original strength
and always rpmains the same , thus making
the food sweet and wholesome and produc
ing sufficient leavening gaa to make the
baking light.
Very little of this leavening pas is pro
duced by the cheap baking powders , mak
ing it necessary to use double the quantity
ordinarijy required to secure good results.
In using Calumet linking Powder you
rc bounu to have uniform bread , cake or
biscuits , ns Calumet does not contain , any
cheap , useless or adulterating ingredients
to commonly u cd to increase tno weight.
Further , it produces putc , wholesome food
and is n baking powder of rare merit ;
therefore , is recommended by teading phy-
licians and chemists. It complies with all
pure food laws , both Si'ATE nnd NA
TIONAL. The goods nre moderate m
iricc , nnd nny Jady purchasing Cajumet
trom her grocer , if not satisfied with it can
return it nnd have her money refunded.
AT'FIRST'SIGHT.
Ho Rosalie , I can't toll you how I
worship your almond eyes , your vel
vet cheeks , like peaches , and your
cherry lips !
Rosalie I suppose you are the new
eardener.
SKIN HUMOR 25 YEARS
"Cutlcura did wonders for me. For
twenty-five years I suffered agony
from n terrible humor , completely cov
ering my head , neck and shoulders , so
even to my wife , I became an object
of dread. At largo expense I consult
ed the most able doctors far and near.
Their treatment was of no avail , nor
was that of the Hospital , during
six months' efforts. I suffered OP
and concluded there was no help for
me this side of the grave. Then I
heard of some one who had been cured
by Cuticura Remedies and thought
that a trial could do no harm. In a
surprisingly short time I was com
pletely cured. S. P. Keyes , 147 Congress -
gross St. , Boston , Mass. , Oct. 12 , ' 09. "
Face Covered with Pimples
"I congratulate Cutlcura upon my
speedy recovery from pimples which
covered my face. I used Cutlcura Soap ,
Ointment and Resolvent for ten days
and my face cleared and I am perfect
ly well. I had tried doctors for sev
eral month but got no results. Win. J.
Sadller , 1G14 Susquehanua Avo. , Phila
delphia , May 1. 1909. "
Cupid's Cynicism.
"Is It so , that you used to call regu
larly on that girl ? "
"Yes ; she always sang a song to mo
that I loved. "
"Why didn't you marry her ? "
"I found 1 could buy the song for
60 cents. " The Circle.
Would Depend.
She You've seen Charley's wife.
Would you call her pretty ?
He I might if I were talking to
Charley.
PERRY DAVIS' PATNKITtEIt
ha ? an enviable reputation of ever tovcnty years ns *
reliable remedy for lumbago , sciatica , plcurlsr
tltcbci , ctti.,2.H ! , 85o and Me. At all dniBKif-ts.
Once in a while you encounter one
of those cheerful individuals whenever
never borrow trouble , In splto of the
fact that they borrow everything else
Tr. Tlcrco's plrnsant Pellets cnro connlpatlon.
Constipation Is tlio van MI at nmny discuses. Cure
tlio cauio anil you euro tliu dlseaso. Easy to take
One man's hobby may bo another
man's nightmare.
"Cascarets are certainly fine. I gave friend
one when the doctor was treating him for cancer
ot the stomach. The next morning he passed
four pieces of a tope worm , lie then got a box
and in three days he passed n tapo-worm 45 feet
lone. It was Mr. Matt hreck , of Millersburg ,
Uatip'-in Co. . Pa. I Bin quite a worker for Cnscn.
rets. I use them myself and find them beneficial
for most any disease caused by impure blood. "
Chas. E. Condon , l wiaton , Pa. , ( Mlffliu Co. )
CUT THIS OUT , mall It with your nd-
dress to Sterling Remedy Company , Chicago
cage , Illinois , nnd receive a handsome
louvenlr gold Bon Bon FREE.
For ihe baby often means resl for
both mother and child. Little ones
like it too it's so palatable to take.
Free from opiates.
All Drugsiitt. 25 cent * .
