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BY THE WAYSIDE. 
BY THE WAYSIDE 
Published ou the fifteenth of each month. 
The official organ of the Wisconsin and Illinois Audu¬ 
bon Societies. 
Twenty-five cents per year. Single copies, three cents. 
All communications should be sent to Mbs. G. W. 
Peckham, 646 Marshall St., Milwaukee, Wis. 
When Nebraska passed the model law for 
bird protection and organized an Audubon So¬ 
ciety, the meadow-lark was chosen to appear 
upon the button worn by the bird lovers of the 
state. Thus it happened that when the Rev. 
R. E. L. Craig, one of the prominent clergy¬ 
men of Omaha, went shooting, he was particu¬ 
larly unfortunate in choosing meadow-larks for 
his victims. Twenty-two of these lovely song¬ 
sters fell before his gun, but they were quickly 
avenged, for Mr. Craig was arrested and fined 
$110 for violating the law. This shooting in¬ 
cident, which but a few years ago would have 
aroused no comment, has brought a storm of 
indignation, reproach and ridicule upon Mr. 
Craig. That a minister of the gospel should 
find amusement and pleasure in killing song¬ 
birds is a state of things that shocks the pub¬ 
lic conscience, as is seen by the severe com¬ 
ments of the papers throughout the country, 
East and West. The sinner who has been so 
overwhelmingly condemned, is probably won¬ 
dering what all the fuss is about, for the seciet 
of the whole matter is that he is from the 
South, where shooting meadow-larks, or robins, 
or anything that lives, is a method of acquir- 
ino* merit in the eyes of one’s fellow citizens. 
One who did not know might suppose from 
this, that the people of the South were a lot 
of hard-hearted barbarians, but this is so far 
from being true that few Northerners can so¬ 
journ among them without learning lessons 
in gentle-hearted kindness. We are no better 
than they are, but we have awakened to a 
realization of what we owe to all beautiful and 
harmless life on the earth, while they are 
still sleeping. 
Dallas Lore Sharp, writing in the Atlantic 
about “Birds from a City Roof,” says: “We 
need some birds just to sit around, look pretty, 
and sing. We will pay them for it in cherries 
or in whatever they ask. But there is also 
great need for birds that kill insects. And 
first among these are the Nighthawks. They 
seem to have been designed for this sole pur¬ 
pose. Their end is to kill insects. They are 
11,01 e like machines than any other biids 1 
know. The enormous mouth feeds an enormous 
stomach, and this, like a firebox, makes the 
power that works the enormous wings. 
* But if he never caught an ant, never one 
of the fifth story mosquitoes that live and bite 
till Christmas, how greatly still my sky would 
need him! His flight is song enough. His 
cry and eerie thunder are the very voice of 
the summer twilight to me. And as I watch 
him coasting in the evening dusk that twilight 
often falls,—over the roofs, as it used to fall 
for me over the fields and the quiet hollow 
woods.” 
The Stranger Cat. 
A litle girl with golden hair 
Was rocking in her grand-ma’s chair, 
When in there walked a Stranger Cat— 
(I’m sure there’s nothing strange in that.) 
It was a Cat with kinky ears 
And very aged for its years. 
The little girl remarked, “0, scat!” 
(I think there’s nothing strange in that.) 
But presently with stealthy tread 
The cat, which at her word had fled, 
Returned with cane, and boots and hat 
(I fear there’s something strange in that.) 
“Excuse me,” and the cat bowed low, 
“I hate to trouble you, you know, 
But tell me, have you seen a rat?” 
(I know there’s something strange in that.) 
The little girl was very shy— 
“Well really, I can’t say that 1 
Have seen one lately, Mr. Cat.” 
(I’m sure there’s something strange in tlu.t.) 
“O haven’t you?” the Cat replied; 
“Thanks, I am deeply gratified. 
I really couldn’t eat a rat.” 
(We all know what to think of that.) 
And then the Cat with kinky ears 
And so much wisdom for its years 
Retired, with a soft pit-a-pat, 
(And that was all there was of that.) 
—From St. Nicholas. 
La Crosse has a teacher’s Audubon Society, 
the first of the kind in the state. It is led by 
Miss Rohan, -and the active members are the 
Misses Bradley, Brayton, Becker, Bosshard, 
Brigham, Caldwell, Gallagher, Heydon, Hig¬ 
gins, Sidensol, Shuman, Irerorrow, and Wood. 
