Weber State University - Acorn Yearbook (Ogden, UT)

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Cfje Scorn of tfje {KEleber intake Scabnnp set the loop in a place close to the nest in such a manner that the birds would have to hop within the loop to reach the nest, and then ran the string down to my box seat. I sat down to wait for the sparrows to fly to the nest. I had to wait about fifteen minutes before the birds would again approach. Mrs. Sparrow was the first to fly to their fu- ture home. She hopped within the loop and I gave the string a jerk. She dropped the straw that she was carrying and flew away before the loop had time to tighten around her leg. I again set the trap and sat down to wait. This time neither Mr. nor Mrs. Sparrow would come near the nest while I was in sight. I ran the string through a crack in the shack, and went inside to watch and wait. As soon as they saw that I was out of sight, they began in a timid way to approach the unfinished nest. Their caution almost outdid my patience. They would fly to the roof of the bam, then in a tree, back again to the barn, then to the fence, until it seemed half of an hour to me before one of them got courage to fly to the nest. I thought that I would wait until both became careless before attempting to catch Mr. Sparrow. After they had been working for some time, Mrs. Sparrow took hold of several straws broken and twisted together, and tried to raise them to her nest. She tried twice without success. Each time she dropped the straws before getting to the roof of the barn. Mr. Sparrow then took upon himself the task of rais- ing the load, fie also tried twice without success, but being persistent, he tried again. He got a good hold of it, flew to the fence, and from there to the barn as he had done several times before with large and heavy loads. He had some trouble in adjusting it, however, and for a few moments hopped around within the loop of the string. This was the chance that I had been waiting for. Just as he went to pick up the straws, I gave the string a jerk and had the satisfaction of seeing it tighten around his leg. Mr. Sparrow was mine. 1 drew him to me and picked him up. No sooner had I touched him than the courageous little fellow took hold of my fore-finger [21

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Cl)t iScorn of tfje S Ieher italic £eabemp Brighter days are in store for the commercial departmen The increase in facilities and additional teaching force to 1 added next year will make it possible to introduce advance ideas and to strengthen, very materially, the present work. Next year the bookkeeping department will occupy the lar$ room on the second floor of the new building. This room w be newly and specially furnished. The students in first year bookkeeping have done better at more work than students of previous years. Most of them w complete the three budgets of the Sadler-Rowe system. The first year phonography students completed the manu about April first, and since that time have been reviewing ai practicing for speed. fEfje TSMay of a Ptrb One afternoon while I was sitting on a box at the south ei of an old shack, my attention was attracted by a male sparro looking for straws with which to build his nest. He was, as afterward found out by comparison, an unusually large ar beautiful specimen. He seemed to know that he possessed mo: than ordinary strength, as he seized a large straw from whic hung smaller ones and a bunch of matted string. I thoug that he had got hold of more than he could carry to his nes but I was mistaken. He dropped his load, hopped around several times before he could decide on the best way to tal hold of it, picked it up, and flew with it to a nearby fence. I- rested there for a moment and then flew to the roof of a bar From there he hopped with his load to a place under an eav where he was helping his mate to build a nest. I sat and watched the two work for some time. Then tl thought came to me, “catch Mr. Sparrow, and see what h mate will do.” I got a long piece of string, made a slip-kn loop in one end, and greased the loop so that it would si easily. I then got a ladder and climbed up to to the nest. 20]

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dje gcorn of tfje meber takc gcabemp with a grip of a body larger than his. I had to take hold of his neck with my other hand and pull until some of the flesh on my finger was torn off before he would let go. I took him indoors and put him in an old bird cage. For a while, he fluttered and beat himself upon the sides so violently that I thought he would do himself injury. He soon settled down but still flew wildly around inside the cage. Meanwhile his mate had set up a doleful chirping in a tree not far from the barn. This she continued the remainder of the day and all of the next. I really felt sorry for her and felt as though I should like to let Mr. Sparrow go free before ac- complishing my object. On the second day after I caught the sparrow I saw that another one had taken his place. Mrs. Sparrow had mated with another. I felt indignant at this for I thought that she might have waited at least a week. On the third day, and while the newly mated sparrows were busily putting the finishing touches to the nest in the barn, I took Mr. Sparrow out in the cage and hung it on a nail in the side of the house, where he could see the nest that he had helped to build. He immediately tried his best to free himself from the cage. He couldn’t bear to see the other bird taking his place. I tied a red string around his leg and let him out of the cage. He flew, as near as I could tell, to some trees about half a block away. He soon came back, and, with his mind on noth- ing but his mate and future home, flew straight to his nest. There he met his rival. With feathers that made him look nearly as large as a robin, and with all his strength, backed by the fury of hate, he pounced upon his enemy and drove him from the neighborhood. What would he now do to his unfaithful mate? I expected to see him drive her away also, but instead he forgave her and set about again to woo her. If a bird, a mere bird, can forgive such an offense, then ought not we, blessed with greater intelligence forgive little offenses and even the greater offenses of our fellow man? —Lawrence Green well. 22]