Jasper County Democrat, Volume 15, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 May 1912 — Useful Birds Should Not Be Killed [ARTICLE]

Useful Birds Should Not Be Killed

By D. Webster Groh

Our pretty, sweet-singing, useful native birds are being rapidly exterminated by improved, long-range, rapid-fire, breech-load-ing, cartridge-charged, repeating guns, used by thoughtless, reckless boys, ex-con-victs and penitentiary candidates, who, uninvited and forbidden, now daily swarm, trespassing over the farmers’ fields in numerous gangs, shooting also the farmers’ tame pigeons, guineas and other poultry, and sometimes his horses, cattle, hogs and other stock, and occasionally even him, his family or themselves.

Game laws should prohibit minors, exconvicts and irresponsible people generally from carrying guns anywhere except on their own premises, unless they first obtain the property-owner’s written consent to hunt there. The murderous butchery of innocent, useful birds and animals through so-called “sport,” tends to brutalize the “sportsman,” until he disregards the rights of his fellow-men and invades their premises as ruthlessly as he slaughters the game. Increasing intelligence, civilization and progress must, eliminate barbarous hunting.