The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1868-04-24
A GREAT CROW ROOST.

COMMERCIAL, writing from Lexington
Kentucky, under date Of the 10Th ult.,
says: ae bfgs st5
One of the most remarkable sights in
Kentucky, is the crow roost, on the
Danville Pike. The roost is so old that
the mind of the oldest inhabitant of the
blue grass region runneth not to the
contrary. Many years ago the roost
was near Lexington, but as the trees
were cut away the crows moved south
ward, always seeking the next piece of
| timber. At the present time there are
no longer forests in the country near
the city, and many pieces Of timber
have been called into requisition to
lodge their black highness. Hundreds
sleep in the open fields for want of a
limb, and the wrangle over desirable
bed in tree top is something fearful.
By the amount of cawing and jawing
done every evening, we should think
the question ofreconsrtucting the roost,
or moving it altogether, was under
discussion. Whether the crows will
ever abandon their ancinet roost is a
mattor of some doubt, but judging by
the fact that hundreds, if not to say
thousands, have already given up the
trees and roost on the ground, we in
cline to the opinion that when there
are no more trees all will content
themselves with bed on mother earth.
A gentleman, who lives near the roost,
and who has fine locust grove in front
of his house, was surprised one evening
to see it black with crows. For time
all went on well, but the roost became
popular, and every evening there was a
wrangle to see who would get it. As
the desirable place would hold only a
few hundred, and there were some
thousands who nightly applied for lodg-
ing, the noise and confusion became in
tolerable. Sometimes IN the night an
overloaded limb would break, and then
battle would ensue, lasting not unfre-
i-quently till daylight. Tired out with
the din that banished the idea of sleep,
one night the old fellow and his son
sailed out with shOt-guns and slew
some hundreds of their annoying visit
ors. Next morning the crows were ali
gone, and returned no more to that
grove. 4fea
The other evening we drove out to
the roost, and witnessed sight we shall
not soon forget. 1t was four o'clock
when we arrived on the ground, and
already the crows had begun to arrive.
At shutdown they were coming from all
directions, and long lines continued en-
tering the woods from every quarter
until dark. Each flock had its flyer or
leader, who few over the tree tops I'M
til he found his roost. when the head of
the column lighted, the rest circling
themselves about their chief. Only a
few crows would light on the same tree
where the leader lighted, from which
we judged he is a sort of aristocratiC
parsonage, who does not associate with
the common herd, and that the persons
who slept on his tree were his roya
family and crows high in authority il
the flock. Whether we imagined it OF
not, certain it is that on one tree only
/. two or three crows sat, who kept up az
incessant cawing, and now and theI
! quit the tree, and after flying to an ap
preaching flock, would return and ap
parently report to an old fellow whS
sat on the topmost branch and neve
quilted his position, but kept Tapping
{ his wings and constantly grumblini
about something. He may have bee
D the king of all the crow nation, and W
, regretted exceedingly that we did no
. understand the crow language, SO W
! could not report him to the many read
:, ers of the Commercial. At times tn
venerable cuss spoke in highly ex
t cited and cultural tone, and if we ma
q be allowed to judge by his motions, b
: was considerable of tyrant in his gov
4 ernmental affairs. The crows did no
seem afraid of US, and were eYident1
4 used to human visitors. We drove u
quite close to trees bending beneat
!, their weight, but these birds, usually g
. shy, did not mind us much until m,
companion initiated the explosion of
. igun, when scene that begars descrip
II ton followed. Instantly cries aros
: from ali parts of the woods, and thous
ands of crows few into the air, circlin
y round us, cawing vociferousIy. A
q ttAI1CS tuS AO1SC WaS oO SISdt t4dt dlInS
: side by side in the buggy, we had {
6 speak loudly in order to be heard
O each other. Having raised great dii
! tress among our black friends, we Giros
of, but for miles saw Aocks IN the q
= coming to roost. The rustic of the wins
was one Of the most peculiar souni
we ever heard; large flock passin
, silently over our head, we paused
= listen, and could liken the noise TO mott
y ing but the hutter OF million Of fan
or the rumpling of vast pieces OF sill
Although the crows viii not abando
!. their roost, it is . most annoying an
:. unsafe one, the boys from the city A
adjoining farms frequently going OF
!. with dogs and guns and killing hui
2, dreds OF them. On dark night the
win not fy from torch, and if it
wet and drizzly you can hardly sta
them up. A double-barrel shotgun
- an old musket loaded with slugs, Wht
- shot Of under q tree, has been know
!; to bring down as many as forty bird
This inhuman murder is frequent
practised by the youngsters, who NAL
i bets on how many crows they can bril
n down at . single shot. If startled o
n lof their sleep, the crows will fly fro
al tree to tree, and seem quite helplel
r losing IN the night time all that cunnil
(which characteaizes them IN dayligl