A TRIBUTE TO MAJOR LACEY FROM A FELLOW 

 BIRD LOVER 



BY COL. G. 0. SHIELDS 



I have never known so busy a man as Major Lacey, who 

 yet gave so much and such careful thought to the proper 

 entertaining of his friends. A man of entire leisure and 

 with ample means could not be more studiously attentive 

 to his friends than was this great man. No matter how 

 deeply he might have been buried in work, or how many 

 people might have been calling on him, yet he treated 

 each one as if he were the only caller, and as if he had 

 hours of leisure on his hands. 



In greeting an old friend he would frequently extend 

 both hands, and when they started to walk away to some 

 other room, or even on the street, I have frequently seen 

 the Major put his arm around his friend and treat him 

 as if he were his own son or his own brother. No matter 

 how much work the venerable statesman might have on 

 hand he would invariably devote to his caller all the time 

 necessary to go over the matter in hand, and would send 

 him away feeling that he had been communing with a big- 

 hearted, broad-minded, whole-souled friend. 



No American ever did a greater service for his country 

 than did Major Lacey during his eighteen years in Con- 

 gress. He drafted and secured the passage of many 

 bills for the preservation of forests and other natural re- 

 sources. His greatest work, however, was in preparing, 

 introducing, and finally securing the passage of a bill to 

 prevent interstate commerce in birds and animals killed 

 or taken in violation of state laws. 



