Slate Porcelain for the White House

A Unique and Beautiful Dinner Set

The new and beautiful porcelain service for the White House was received there last evening. It is from the potteries of Haviland & Co., Americans, who are located at Limoges, France. In the spring of 1879 an order was given to this firm to furnish the Executive Mansion with a dinner service, which, as it was to be used only for state occasions, Mrs. Hayes desired should combine appropriate American decoration. Mr. Theodere Haviland called to his aid Theodore R. Davis, the artist for Harper's, who undertook the invention of designs for shapes and color to be reproduced in chinaware. The varied experience of Mr. Davis as an artist and as a student of nature and animal life peculiarly fitted him for the work. The designs for the service where made in water color, and although in nearly every instance bold and striking they were difficult to reproduce perfectly upon porcelain with hard mineral color. To successfully accomplish this it was necessary to invent new methods and to have recourse to peculiar mechanical appliances. A high degree of finish was attained in every piece. Some of the pieces when singly examined lose a part of their attractiveness, but when placed upon the table the effect is very pleasant and striking. The artists who assisted Mr. Davis were all foreigners. They were Bracquemond and Tocham, from Auteuil; Valentine and Gormault, Paris; Lambert, Sevres; Lissac, Chadal, Valette, Charles Ricroch, Barbarin, Laforest, Hayon, Duclalr, Dominique and Mile. Anna, of Limoges.

Other pieces show some of the fine bird imagery depicted. The book depicting the collection is not available online, however.

The sets are composed as follows: A special oyster plate; soup plates designed with twelve subjects: Mountain laurel, the blue crab, Indian cook of the XV. century, palmetto cabbage, harvest moon, tomato, green turtle, southward flight of ducks, clam bake, frog. 1776, and okra. The fish series is composed of twelve subjects, which decorate plates shaped expressly for this course, and a platter which exhibits a careful study of the shad. The subjects are these: Red snapper, Spanish mackerel, terrapin, speckled trout, black bass, smelt, striped bass, fresh-water lobster, pompano, brook pike, blue fish, and sheeps-head. The dinner series embraces twelve illustrations besides the platter. The latter has the wild turkey for its subject. The others are: The may-flower (trailing arbutus), bear in a bee tree, male deer, buffalo, coon in a persimmon tree, chickens in a garden, peccaries, Rocky mountain sheep, antelope floating for deer, crane's walk 'round, and on the plains at night. An independent butter plate is a part of the service. The game course is supplied with a novel platter, with "On Chesapeake Bay" as its subject. Twelve other subjects are also in the course: The canvas back duck, rail, ptarmigan's bath, ruffed grouse, bob white, California quail, wild pigeon, teal duck, yellow-legged snipe, rice or reed bird, the woodcock and pinnated grouse. For the desert or fruit plate there is a special design. The different pieces bear twelve subjects: — Chincapin nut, pecan nut, papaw, locust, mocking bird, maple sugar, Concord grape, huckleberry, persimmon, Ohio golden rod, Baltimore oriole, Virginia creeper and studio. The after dinner coffee cup and the tea cup complete the set. The form of the coffee cup is derived from a joint of the bamboo stalk; a sprout springing from the eye of the joint serves for the handle, The decoration is simple but very rich. The cup and saucer are of bamboo color. The tea cup is shaped like an inverted mandarin's hat; the handle is formed by the stem of a tea plant, the eaves of which are used as a decoration for the exterior of the cup. The interior of the cup is a delicate green. The saucer is enriched with dead gold.

The oyster plate is something decidedly new. The colors are laid upon the China clay under the glaze. Fine blue point oyster shells cover the principal service of the plate; beyond these is a cluster of raccoon oysters. Sprays of seaweed cluster about these and serve for decoration. In the background is a glimpse of the ocean. The soup plate is modeled from the Kalmia flower, and is in shape more a ten-sided angular bowl than a plate. The outside surface is a delicate pink. Each plate has a separate design for the interior. The platter which accompanies the first series is novel in form, being rectangular, with the corners rolled and enriched with gold. A magnificent shad is struggling to free himself from the webs of a net. The cords of the net are gold. The form of the service plate for fish is derived from the scallop shell, two of which are combined to form the plate, the large shell being designed for the dish and the smaller receiving the decoration. The wild turkey is the design or the platter for the dinner series. Upon the surface of the dish is painted a magnificent wild turkey, strutting through a light snow, upon which are delicate reflections from his rich plumage. A sunset sky, against which are defined the forms of distant trees composes the back ground. The form of the dinner plates is coupe, surrounded by a narrow rim. The shape is unusual. The twelve illustrations are vigorous in subject, drawing and color. The independent butter plate is a close copy of the leaf of the water lily. The surface of the leaf is a tender green color. Drops of water are on the leaf. The game plate is in form of a coupe or plaque, less in size than the dinner plate. The different subjects are exquisitely wrought. The fruit plate is modeled from the leaf of the American wild apple. It is very beautiful. There are over 500 pieces in the set.

July 03, 1880. Washington D.C. Evening Star 56(8501): 1. The set is recognized as one of the "most unusual" of the china services made for a president of the U.S.A. It cost $3,120. Refer also to Haviland and Company, "The White House Porcelain Service: Designs by an American Artist, Illustrating Exclusively American Fauna and Flora." 1879 (New York, 1880).

Nesting Bird Survey August 11 - Saddle Creek Project

Provided to Omaha Public Works; August 11, 2013. Presented here for archival and informational purposes.

Tree removal pending at the east Westlawn Cemetery site in association with the Saddle Creek CSO! project required that a survey be done in regards to any nesting birds, according to provisions of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

The following details are provided to the Public Works Department in accordance with an agreement to evaluate the indicated project site and determine if there were any bird nests present, or if there were other associated breeding bird concerns.

It should be noted that several previous bird surveys have been done around this area, which are helpful in understanding the conditions relative to the survey area features.

Survey Methods

A survey for bird nests and/or young was conducted early on the morning of August 11th at the area indicated by the provided plan sheet and as marked on an aerial photograph.

During the survey four methods were used to evaluate bird activity while the area was slowly traversed:

1) looking closely at both tree and understory vegetation within the immediate area;

2) watching and recording all birds present and evaluating their behavior;

3) listened for any bird vocalizations within the area and general vicinity; and

4) watched for bird activity that would indicate an active nest or adult birds feeding pre-flight young.

Survey Results

There were no nests or pre-flight young observed at the specified survey site.

General bird activity noted in the area did include:

• American Robin: a few roosting on the snags limbs of cottonwood trees
  
• Black-capped Chickadee: foraging through the tree space
  
• Eastern Wood-Pewee: foraging
  
• European Starling: a few roosting on the snags limbs of cottonwood trees
  
• Northern Cardinal: this was the only territorial bird, and a male was heard but there was no female in the immediate vicinity, nor were there any young present
  
• Red-bellied Woodpecker: foraging on a cottonwood tree
  
• White-breasted Nuthatch: foraging on a cottonwood tree
  

Other species observed in the general vicinity also did not convey any nesting activities.

Birdly Notes

A primary impact of the tree clearing will be the removal of a few massive, old cottonwood trees. These trees, already near the extent of their natural life-time, provided foraging habitat for woodpeckers and the nuthatches, for example, as well as being used as roost sites by several species. They also had cavity potential, which could have been used as nesting sites.

In observing these trees in particular, there was no use of cavity habitat observed.

Nesting Bird Survey July 27 - Saddle Creek Project

Provided to Omaha Public Works; July 27, 2013. Presented here for archival and informational purposes.

Tree removal pending at the east Westlawn Cemetery site in association with the Saddle Creek CSO! project required that a survey be done in regards to any nesting birds, according to provisions of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

The following details are provided to the Public Works Department in accordance with an agreement to evaluate the indicated project site and determine if there were any bird nests present, or if there were other associated breeding bird concerns.

It should be noted that several previous bird surveys have been done around this area, which are helpful in understanding the conditions relative to the survey area features.

Survey Methods

A survey for bird nests and/or young was conducted early on the morning of July 27th at the area indicated on plan sheets 12 and 13 for OPW 51777, as provided by Public Works during a site visit on the afternoon of July 26th.

During the morning survey, there was less traffic noise, providing better conditions for listening.

During the survey three methods were used to evaluate bird activity while the area was slowly walked from west to east, and then back again:

1) each tree limb or other foliage were closely scanned to determine if nests and/or young were present;

2) listened for any bird vocalizations within the area and general vicinity; and

3) watched for bird activity that would indicate an active nest or adult birds feeding pre-flight young.

Survey Results

There were no nests or pre-flight young observed at the specific survey site.

General bird activity noted in the area did include:

• American Robin: adults and large juveniles foraging in the woods to the south
  
• Northern Cardinal: heard among the woods on adjacent hill-side, with activity also associated with shrubbery there
  
• Red-eyed Vireo: heard among the woods on adjacent hill-side, and associated with the tree-tops
  
• Blue Jay: heard to the south, though not seen
  
• House Sparrow: foraging on the gravel roadway at the east end of the survey site.
  

Also checked during the survey, was a partial tree trunk at the eastern extent with a possible nest cavity. This feature was just to the south of the pipeway alignment, as noted by the placement of the painted laths. There was no bird activity here and no birds left the cavity when it was knocked upon.

Birdly Notes

The short tree trunk cavity towards the east of the area is just outside the corridor, and so will apparently be retained for potential, future bird use.

Retention of the large, old cottonwood tree just adjacent to the southern boundary of the line excavation will also retain a tree feature that is unique in the wood. It will likely provide future opportunities for breeding birds.

Reed Bird Cuisine from the 1880s

Reed-bird Dumplings

Prepare very carefully one dozen or more reed-birds, wash them through several waters, and season with salt. black pepper, and dredge with flour; then make a light crust, as for apple dumplings, roil out a piece of moderate thickness about the size of a saucer, in which place two birds, and between them a small piece of butter and six large oysters; tie each dumpling in a cloth, drop them in boiling water, and let them cook for one hour; then take them from the cloths and send to table hot.

To Dress Reed Birds

Pick, open and wash carefully one dozen reed-birds, after which place them between the folds of a clean towel, and, with a rolling gin, mash the bones quite flat; then season with pepper and salt; put one or two tablespoons of butter into a small skillet, let the birds simmer slowly, basting them constantly, and holding the skillet so that they may brown. This is the richest way to serve the birds, or they may be prepared exactly as oysters for frying, or broiled on an oyster gridiron. In broiling place them over a clear fire, broiling the inside first, and when a light brown turn the gridiron. Serve on buttered toast, and baste them with butter, pepper and salt.

October 2, 1880. Washington D.C. Evening Star 56(8578): 7. From the Philadelphia Ledger.

---

Broiled Reed Birds

This way of cooking the reed bird, though it be simple, certainly ought to please the most fastidious palate: Pluck, draw and split the birds down the back, and place them on a folding wire broiler over a clear fire, turning them from side to side. When done send to the table immediately on a hot dish, pouring over them just before serving a little plain melted butter in which has been mixed a teaspoonful of Johnston's fluid beef.

September 27, 1884. Washington D.C. Evening Star 64(9805): 6. From the Caterer.

Reed Birds on Toast

Very Good for the Palate, but Bad for the Purse

"Reed birds on toast" is the first sign that one now observes on entering a first-class restaurant, and naturally the observer shoots his eyes along the eating bar, and there lay the jolly fat little rascals, brown and seasoned, curled upon a section of seal-brown toast, the whole not more than a single mouthful for a healthy feeder. Reed birds

Are in Their Prime

of fatness and juiciness now, and it makes a fellow's mouth water to think about them, but his mouth will have to water on unless he has a healthy pocketbook, for these delicious morsels rate high. Served to order they now demand $1.20 per dozen. A dozen is just about an ordinary meal. Add to that a bottle of claret, seventy-five cents, and we find the total cost of such luxuries to be $1.95. Rather

Steep for the Average Eater.

"They come high, but we must have 'em," said a Treasury clerk who sat munching the bones of a dozen reedbirds in an uptown cafe to-day, and he munched and smiled and put on as many airs as though he owned a railroad. In the meantime, the market is being well supplied. Just now, the neighboring marshes are alive with reedbirds and blackbirds, and

The Professional Gunner is On the Field

blazing away hourly creating sad havoc. Amateur gunners are blowing down their gun-barrels preparing to enter the warfare and the coroner and local newspaper reporter on the alert for casualties. Just what the innocent victims of these sanguinary invaders think of all this is better described in the following lines that floated in from the marshes to-day.

The Reed Bird's Song.

On a swaying reed in the marsh so green

Sits a reed bird and a reed bird lean,

Chatting and Chirping so merry and gay,

And watching the hills and the clouds far away,

"Tis here," they chirrup, "we'll make our home,"

"Till the murderous gunner and dogs all come

"To scatter shot and drive us out,

"With banging and barking and deafening shout.

"No harm to them could a reed bird bring."

These two little reed birds went on to sing,

"Till 'bang' went a gun from a tuft hard by,

And the two little chaps lay down to die.

No doubt they would rather have lived to see

The season out, to fly off in glee,

But fate and a gunner's steady aim,

Removed then from future praise or fame;

And so it will happen, through all this weather,

Has passed in his chips, and become a ghost,

Of his former self served up on toast.

September 2, 1882. Washington Evening Critic 15(4220): 1.

Trees Destroyed at Levi Carter Park Natural Area

Signs posted by City of Omaha officials only recently indicated public property adjacent to Levi Carter Park as a "natural wildlife area," and yet, within five weeks afterwards, the first action at the area was complete removal of many valuable trees.

Every tree, especially the willows, along the majority of the south side of the pond were cleared during the past week. Only one tree remained on a portion of the eastern side which was also cut-back.

The removal was done by a tree removal company which trims and obviously remove trees along powerlines, based upon a contract with the Omaha Public Power District.

The trees were cleared since some one had the opinion that they were too tall for the overhead powerline, though there had been no known issue or concern in this regard.

The area would have benefited from some selective trimming, but entire removal or more than a dozen trees is simply absurd and a travesty.

A natural area doesn't mean clear-cutting of the native vegetation, especially without any consideration of the property designation, and without any known notification or consultation with park management. The trees had provided nice habitat and also provided a natural visual barrier for traffic along adjacent Carter Boulevard.

On Saturday morning the 17th, there were limbs, portions of branches and other debris strewn about, with some within the pond water. To add insult to injury, some of the sawn limbs had been purposely shoved into two animal burrows.

About ten trips were required to move the debris elsewhere, and that was a pile to the south, within the park, and across the boulevard. This was necessary in an attempt to ensure eventual removal.

Obviously the men that cleared the area couldn't finish the job suitably with a proper, and thorough, cleanup! It was instead, a half-done effort by the company. Tree destruction gets lots of directed effort, but cleanup seems to be an arduous chore?

A couple of pieces of trash were also moved so they would get picked up, as was done by mid-afternoon. One of them was a window sash which had been along the train tracks, but was thrown from there, and into the adjacent grass. Were railroad men involved?

There is a known track record for trash removal from Union Pacific Railroad property here. It has been one of neglect, since the city had to remove trash from an adjacent parcel, because the railroad didn't make the effort. The only thing the railroad dealt with was the bill.

Disconcerting here during the past weeks has been the dead vegetation due to personnel from the Union Pacific Railroad spraying herbicide on the park property, adjacent to their limited right-of-way. There were also at least two saplings which had been destroyed through the use of some equipment to push at them until they broke over.

Illegal spraying was done several feet onto the city property, and adjacent to where the natural wildlife area sign is posted. It appears that the over-zealous railroad workers had an especial issue with the thistle growth here.

After the effort to get this bit of green-space recognized as city property, then to get illegal motor vehicles excluded, and then have it given recognition as a natural habitat in mid-July, to see the area cleared was more than disappointing.

This tree-cutting raises a greater issue... What might happen next? How will the area be managed in a manner which reflects its character and designation? Further degradation or encroachment needs to be prevented.

Tree debris left in the natural area pond by the Omaha Public Power District contractor.

The south side of the natural area pond showing where the most extensive tree destruction occurred.

Stump remnants, indicating the size of the destroyed trees.

Dead vegetation due to spraying done associated with the Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way.

Perspective showing where the tree clear-cutting occurred.

Pile of tree debris personally removed from the area.

Autumnal Sports - Artist's Experience Reed Bird Shooting

Wading in the Marshes

Four Hours' Wretched Experience and Four Birds as the Result

Reed bird and rail shooting is at its height now, and the Eastern Branch, from back of the jail to Bladensburg, presents an animated appearance. The old veteran of the war might derive genuine pleasure from a trip through these marshes in a skiff since the incessant bang! bang!! would recall some of his army experience without its necessary accompanying danger. True, he might find it necessary to stop and pick a load of bird shot out of his system occasionally, but this would, of course, only add zest to that which otherwise prove tame sport.

The Critic artist thought he'd like to try reed bird shooting. It must prove a diversion to one used to shooting the Elephantus Africanus and other large game. Therefore he laid in a plentiful supply of loaded cartridges (No. 6 shot) and depositing five cents with the driver of a Columbia line car soon found himself at Miller's at the eastern end of Bennings bridge.

Over the marsh in every direction the gunners banged away, every shot intensifying the artist's desire to join the skirmish. Several skiffs passed under the bridge as he crossed it. They were picturesque objects with the gunner standing erect in the bow of the skiff, while the "shover" standing in the stern with his long pole, pushed the skiff among the reeds with such skill that scarcely a ripple was raised upon the water. Over the tops of the thicket of reeds for miles could be seen the heads of gunners and shovers. The bang! bang!! of those nearest sounded decidedly warlike, while the tiny clouds of white smoke puffing out of the reeds in the distance told of the destruction going on among the birds in that quarter. Flocks of birds would string out above the marsh after each shot, then suddenly swoop down again upon the reeds only to meet with another fusilade from a dozen double-barreled shotguns.

At Miller's the artist obtained a skiff and the services of an expert "shover" at so much per shove. Then he stood up ready for business. Scarcely had the skiff gotten under way before there was a whirr overhead.

Bang bang!!

Now whether those cartridges were too heavily loaded, or whether the skiff gave a lurch, or whether it struck a rock, or whether —, but no matter, it happened! The artist, after rising from the marshy deep, pulled the mud from his mouth, shook the water from his ears, blew the debris from his nose and managed to regain the skiff. His ardor, small clothes and ammunition were considerably dampened, but he had killed a bird that repaid him for all the discomfort attending the bath. After tying his hat to the bird so he could find it again, (for reed birds are smaller than wild swans), he ordered his shover to shove. Bang! went a gun further over in the marsh. A stinging sensation about the artist's ears followed. Whether the artist was mistaken for an ortolan or reed bird, or whether it was an accident he didn't take time to consider, for there arose a great flock of birds. Both barrels of his gun went off at once and to his surprise, instead of fifty or a hundred bird falling, one solitary bird dropped into the water ahead. Then the artist stopped long enough to pull a load of shot from his ear and cheeks. After an exciting hunt of half an hour the bird was found among the spatter-dock leaves, where it had washed, and the hunt was resumed.

An hour was consumed in pushing among the reeds. Flocks of birds passed, but out of range. Then the shover suddenly remembered that the tide was going out and he'd have to return or get left in the mud. He turned with difficulty, for the water was already low. Then another flock of birds arose, and two more loads of shot went whistling after them. A half-hour's search and the artist was rewarded with two birds. He had now been out four hours and had four reed birds. Then the artist figured up and found that it requires precisely 5.333 1/3 shots to kill a reed bird. And after he is killed there isn't enough of him to find in the skillet unless you've got several dozens of him.

But "tide and time wait for no man," and in attempting to turn the shover found he was stuck in the mud and informed the artist he'd have to wade it for shore.

If the reader never waded leg deep through a marsh, then the situation of the artist cannot be fully appreciated. There's a sensation that is nowhere else to be found when you strike out and find yourself sinking in the mud. There's a peculiar slushy sound as you go down that is startling. Then you never know when you're going to stop sinking. And when you pull one foot out the other goes deeper into the mire. Then the water runs down your boots and sends a cold chill creeping up your vertebrae. It makes your boots slippery and slimy inside as though you were stepping on a nest of wriggling snakes. To keep you balance while pulling one leg out of the mud, too, requires the strictest attention to business. Meanwhile you have been so engrossed with the difficulties of the situation that you find you've been wading further into the marsh instead of toward shore. Another long hour's work and you are upon dry land.

This was the artist's experience in the so-called "sport" of reed bird shooting, and after getting home and having a couple of old fashioned Wabash chills, he sat him up in an arm chair and with a mustard plaster on his chest, his feet in a tub of scalding water, and a glass of onion juice and sugar near at hand, and figured up the day's profit and loss. It didn't take any time to settle on the exact amount of the former, but the latter he is still engaged upon with a fair prospect of running short of figures.

September 9, 1885. Washington Critic 18 (5329): 1.