Troyπs Twit Twats

By Don Rittner

I like to spend time once in a while perusing the shelves of the Book Outlet on Fourth Street across from Proctors. This small used bookstore always seems to have something that appeals to my thirst for local and historical works. This past month certainly didnπt disappoint me.

Behind the counter was a large format 19th century hardcover, published in 1881, called, ≥The Twit-Twats, ≥ by the Rev. Augustus J. Thebaud, a priest from St. Josephπs Church in South Troy from 1852-60, and 1863-68. The title by itself was a grabber, but the subtitle ≥A Christmas Allegorical Story of Birds, Connected with the Introduction of Sparrows into the New World,≤ was irresistible. Thebaud, author of other writings such as ≥A Sure Thread in the Labyrinth of History≤ (1867), and ≥The Irish Race in the Past and the Present≤ (1879), writes in this book about his daily observations of little ≥Twit Twats,≤ from one Christmas to another during the 1870πs.

Everyone knows the åTwit Twats,π the little English or House Sparrow (Passer domesticus). They are everywhere it seems, but before 1850, not one existed in North America. This darling little bird was purposely introduced into North America; in fact eight pairs were released in the spring of 1851, in Brooklyn, New York, followed by other locations. The birds were released by homesick immigrants from Europe who wanted a reminder of their homelands. Some would say the introduction was way too successful. These year round residents like to live around human habitation and while they prefer to nest in tree branches or limbs, it doesnπt matter if they are in rural, suburban or urban areas. Noisy and gregarious, these cheerful little exploiters of humanityπs garbage have managed to colonize most of the world. Ironically, they are endangered in Great Britain, the original source of the first American imports.

The sparrow was introduced into New York City during the middle 19th century for the purpose of saving New York Cityπs trees and parks. Caterpillars were devouring everything green. Little painted houses were set up all over the city on long poles or nailed to trees. But this book was not about New York City, but rather about the first introduction of the birds to Troy. You can blame it on an Irishman and his son! Seems like Murrogh OπMurphy and his son William are the ≥parents≤ of all those sparrows you see in this city.

The OπMurphyπs originally came from the county of Wexford in Ireland. OπMurphyπs little birds came from a family that lived under a stone cross of the old Augustinian priory, twittering their lives away. When Murrogh decided to immigrate to America, his son William learned that sparrows had been introduced recently and that if they brought a few dozen with them, they could easily sell them and pay their fare and then some. William had his eye on a particular pair that he wanted to keep. The OπMurphys and birds landed in New York harbor and soon after took the steamer Vanderbilt to Troy.

Trojans had already been bitten by sparrow fever and some folks had acquired birds from New York, Albany, or Lansingburgh, but it was Williamπs brood that was soon sold throughout the city. He sold a pair to a wanting home in Washington Park. William and his dad then took work at a nearby foundry.

The birds multiplied while the human interest in them waned, especially since those uppercrusts at Washington Park didnπt appreciate being awakened at 4 AM by singing sparrows. Once the secret got out that these were ≥Irish≤ English Sparrows, well, war broke out against those little twit twats.

Thebaud goes on to talk about their settling in South Troy and Williamπs search for the original pair of sparrows he unleashed. A lively description of their taking over St. Josephπs convent and church on Fourth Street, living in Lombardy poplars (try to find one today), and their survival over the winters, makes great reading. Of course much of the book has religious overtones to it, comparing the sparrow immigration to foreigners, especially the Irish, into the New World, and the problems with the ≥No Nothings.≤ If you saw the recent movie ≥Gangs of New York, you will see the connection here when he describes the conflicts between the Twit Twats and ≥other≤ birds fighting for the same turf. After all, this entire story is an allegory.

This is a fascinating book, a small window into 19th century Troy, and observations of nature working its divine ways through the eyes of a 19th century Catholic Priest in South Troy. Certainly every time I see a little sparrow in Troy now I will tip my hat to the ≥Irish,≤ and recall this great little story of a century ago.