On Report of Killing a Grouse with Car – July 8, 1954

Righteous indignation properly boils out all over in a recent letter to the editor from a good citizen. On a peaceful Sunday afternoon he and his wife were driving home from a visit to one of the children. They overtook two cars proceeding at a leisurely rate of speed. The road was curvey, and so did not permit of much speed. On the left hand side of the road, a number of rods ahead, stood a ruffed grouse in the grass just off the berm. The front car passed the game bird and went on. The second car suddenly spurted forward, cut across to the left side of the road, ran off the berm and hit the pheasant. Feathers flew in the moving air; the big bird looked like it had literally been ground up. 

Without pausing the driver appeared suddenly to be in a big hurry to get on down the road by passing the other car. In this he was blocked for the time by a car coming in the opposite direction and a one-way bridge.

The writer remarked in his letter to this editor that the killing of this grouse was the most unwarranted, uncalled for act of cruelty he had witnessed in a mighty long time. And, so say we all. So, here let me quote the sentiment from the Poet Cowper:

“I would not enter on my list of friends.
(Though graced with polish’d manners and fine sense,
Yet wanting sensibility) the man
Who needlessly sets foot upon a worm.”