148 



Bird - Lore 



FLORENCE A. HOWE: AN APPRECIATION 



When, seventeen years ago, the Indiana 

 Audubon Society was founded, it began 

 to promote the organization of local 

 societies in various towns in the state. 



A few of the friends of the birds in 

 Indianapolis organized such a society, 

 and made me its president. It was my 

 thought that, if we could extend our 

 work into the schools, we could educate 

 the children to know and value birds; and 

 also that it would be well to interest the 

 newspapers of the city, so that the atten- 

 tion of the public might be attracted to 

 whatever was accomplished. The scheme 

 worked well. The superintendent of 

 schools was much interested in local 

 ornithology, entered into the spirit of 

 what we sought to do, and facilitated our 

 efforts. Very soon, one or another of us 

 was constantly called upon to visit the 

 schools and talk to classes about birds. 

 The newspapers very heartily responded 

 to our request to give publicity to what 

 was being done, and these notices attracted 

 the attention of Miss Florence A. Howe, 

 a lady who had been a school-teacher, and 

 a lover of the birds. One day Miss Howe 

 introduced herself to me, and said that 

 she had read accounts of our work, and 

 would like to be one of us. Of course, I 

 welcomed her to our fold; and because 

 of her experience as a teacher, and intense 

 interest in the cause of bird-protection, 

 she became and continued a most effec- 

 tive worker in the schools of Indianapolis 

 and its vicinity. 



Miss Howe soon became a member of 

 the State Society, was elected its secre- 

 tary, and for several years was the lead- 

 ing spirit in the work of that organiza- 

 tion. Her work was so effective as to 

 attract the attention of the United States 

 Department of Agriculture, and soon to 

 make her well known throughout the 

 entire country. She was one of the most 

 energetic and industrious women that I 

 have ever known — energy and industry 

 that were not expended for a selfish pur- 

 pose, but rather for the comfort of her 

 family and friends, and for the advance- 



ment of the cause of bird-protection. One 

 would expect such a person to be of a 

 sunny and cheerful disposition, and she 

 exceptionally illustrated these qualities. 

 Her presence made happy everyone with 

 whom she came in contact. It was evi- 

 dent before the annual meeting of the 

 State Society, in 1912, that her health 

 was failing, and, at her request, she was 

 relieved from the duties of the office 

 which she had so well and conspicuously 

 filled. She was, however, continued as 

 a member of the executive committee, and 

 regularly attended its meetings until 

 within a few days of her death, which 

 occurred, very suddenly, on July g, 1913, 

 bringing to a close a life full of disinter- 

 estedness and Christian character. — 

 William Watson W^oollen. 



A Thank-offering to Gulls 



A monument absolutely unique in 

 character and purpose was unveiled in 

 Salt Lake City, Utah, on October i, 1913 — 

 a monument to the Gulls that saved the 

 first settlers from famine. No wonder 

 that it is inscribed as "Erected in Grateful 

 Remembrance of the Mercy of God to the 

 Mormon Pioneers." 



The incident so strikingly commem- 

 orated happened in the summer of 

 1848, when flocks of Gulls came to the 

 settlers' fields from the lake, and made 

 successful war on the hoards of "crickets" 

 (grasshoppers) that were destroying the 

 crops. Mrs. E. B. Wells, said at the 

 unveiling: 



"It is a poetic coincidence that our 

 idea of national freedom from oppression, 

 and our idea of state deliverance from 

 starvation, should be presented by birds. 

 The eagle, majestic monarch of the air, 

 is represented on shield, and coin, and 

 tablet of bronze, all over the broad land. 

 The gentle Gull, humble habitant of the 

 shores of our great salt sea, has found 

 shrine heretofore only in the grateful 

 memories of this valley's pioneers and de- 

 scendants. My heart swells with thanks- 



