Fox Squirrels Versus Birds

FOX SQUIRRELS VERSUS BIRDS

A DISCUSSION DOWN AT MONROE OVER IT

Because the Monroe Council Wanted Squirrel Pets Such as Ann Arbor Has

Monroe has ordered some squirrel to stock its public square, and this has kicked up a ruction down there from some mossbacks who go by theory rather than practice, who claim that it will destroy the song birds. That has not been the experience in Ann Arbor, and Mr. T. R. Navarre, the secretary of the River Raisin Game and Fish Protective association, gets back at a Mr. Graham by citing Ann Arbor's example as follows:

"As to his first complaint I will say this. At the request of some of our foremost citizens and business men, I took some little pains to investigate the keeping of squirrels in public parks, and I have yet to find any one - save Mr. Graham - whose views are against it. Our neighboring citizens of Ann Arbor are very enthusiastic about them. They have had squirrels for 20 or 25 years and now have on the college campus and throughout the city some six or seven hundred of these little pets. Just a few days ago a man killed one in a school yard and within two hours he was brought up before a justice of the peace and fined $5.00 and costs. The people of Arm Arbor know a good thing when they see it, as was shown when they passed a special ordinance to protect their squirrels; and even the students, who at times are so boisterous and rough, have never been known to harm a squirrel. I have a personal letter from a gentleman at Ann Arbor, who states that the people even carry hickory nuts in their pockets to feed them when near at hand.

"It would be a pity if the few remaining song birds were driven away from Monroe, and I think Mr. Graham mistook the chirp of the sparrow for the warble of those thousands of robins, thrushes, orioles, canaries, larks and bobolinks, and, he says, other species too numerous to mention. Probably he saw among them green winged parrots and American eagles, and I respectfully ask the people of Monroe to refrain from any violence towards any of these birds. In conclusion I will say that the ruin of song birds can be laid to the small boy with the air gun, and a person traveling around the city all day can scarcely see a dozen song birds - only sparrows and domestic pigeons, and both can be killed at any time of the year. Now if the squirrel is warranted to exterminate the sparrow he would be a good investment on that account alone. With these pests gone it would not be a difficult matter to dispose of the squirrel if he were found to be injurious. Perhaps a good commentary is the fact that although Ann Arbor has several hundred they refuse to sell any and I was compelled to look elsewhere. Yes, we are going to have fox squirrels if the party can furnish them as our contract calls for; if he cannot, I have another man that will.'