Page 402 - Our Vanishing Wild Life

380 OUR VANISHING WILD LIFE
Everyone knows the value of sweet cherries, both to birds and to children.
Mr. Phillips decided that he wotdd give away several hundred bird boxes, and also several hundred sweet cherry and Russian mulberry trees. The first gift distribution was made in the early spring of 1909. Another followed in 1910, but the last one was the most notable.
On April 11, 1912, Carrick had a great and glorious Bird Day. Mr. Phillips was the author of it, and Governor Tener the finisher. On that day occurred the third annual gift distribution of raw materials designed to promote in the breasts of 2,000 children a love for birds and an active desiretoprotectandincreasethem. Mr.Phillipsgaveaway500bird boxes, 500 sweet cherry trees and 200 mulberry trees. The sun shone brightly, 500 flags waved in Carrick, the Governor made one of the best speeches of his life, and Erasmus Wilson, faithful friend of the birds,
wrote this good story of the occasion for the Gazette-Times, of Pittsburgh:
The Governor was there, and the children, the bird-boxes, and the young trees. Andwasthereeverabrighterormorefittingdayforachildrenandbirdjubilee! The scene was so inspiring that Gov. Tener made one of the best speeches of his life.
The distribution of several hundred cherry and mulberry trees was the occasion, and the beautiful grounds of the Roosevelt school, Carrick, was the scene.
Mr. John M. Phillips, sane sportsman and enthusiastic friend of the birds, has been looking forward to this as the culmination of a scheme he has been working on for years, andhewasmorethanpleasedwiththeoutcome. Theintensedelightitaffordedhim more than repaid him for all it has cost in all the years past.
But it was impossible to tell who were the more delighted,—he, or the Governor, or thechildren,orthevisitorswhoweresofortunateastobepresent. CountySuperin- tendentofSchoolsSamuelHamiltonwassimplyamassofdelight. Andhowcouldhe be otherwise, surrounded as he was by 2,000 and more children fairly quivering with delight?
Children will care for and defend things that are their very own, fight for them and standguardoverthem. RealizingthisMr.Phillipsundertooktoshowthemhowthey couldhavebirdsalltheirown. Beingcleverindevisingschemesforachievingthings most to be desired, he began giving out bird-boxes to those who would agree to put them up, and to watch and defend the birds when they came to make their homes with them. And he found that no more faithful sentinel ever stood on guard than the boy who had a bird-house all his own.
Herewasthesolutiontothevexedproblem. Provideboxesforthosewhowould agreetoputthemup,careforthebirds,andstudytheirhabitsandneeds. Thechildren agreed at once, and the birds did not object, so Mr. Phillips had some hundreds, four orfive,blue-birdandwrenboxc-sconstructedduringthepastwinter. Thesewerepassed out some weeks ago to any boys or girls who would present an order signed by their parents, and countersigned by the principal of the school.
He knows enough about a boy to know that he does not prize the things that come without effort, nor will he become deeply interested in anything for which he is not held moreorlessresponsible. Hencetheadvantageinhavinghimwriteanorder,haveit indorsed by his parents, and vouched for by his school principal.
That he had struck the right scheme was proven by the avidity with which the girls andboysrushedfortheboxes. Thefactthataheavyrainwasfallingdidnotdampen their ardor for a moment, nor did the fact that they were tramping Mr. Phillips' beauti- ful lawn into a field of mud.
Mr. Phillips, seeing the necessity of providing food for the prospective hosts of birds, and wishing to place the responsibility on the boys and girls, offered to provide a cherry tree or mulberry tree for every box erected, provided they should be properly planted and diligently cared for.