The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1871-02-09
WHOLE No. 12S.
THE WILD GEESE.
J frronl enc Hartfori Tines.l

These journeying water fowls whose
semi annual Inigrations proclaim the
beginning and the end of winter
seems not to have been seen or heard
since their northward flight about the
beginning of last April. Observers of
weather say the flight of the wild
geese, going north i'll March or April,
is always the sign of rapidly following
wrrmer weather /; the approach of the
season of Spring. 1t may have been
Spring by the almanac for month or
more, but until the welcome approach
OF the wedge shaped flocks of wild
geese swiftly winging their, lofty
flight to the north, the sages whom
Emerson calls the prophets of the
natural year." do not look for the ap-
proach of spring of reality. March,
in this climate, is apt to belle its
reputation for .'goipg out like lamb
Raw winds from the northeast, k Q
western gales, abundant clouds, and
occasional dashes of snow, are very
often Its parting salutations. Wearied
with the long winter, and with the
lingering sleet, mud and ''sposh,'
which spoil the walking in city or
country, and make the dead brown
fields donb1y desolate in the shrill
March wind, 3one looks eagerly for
natures signs that these lengthening
days, these broken CLEANS of March
sunshine, and these first welcome
notes of the blue bird, are in reality
the heralds of spring. That assurance
is given in the appearance of the wild
geese. In some still night of early
april, in the pauses OF the ,sobbIng
south wind and softly ia ling rain, one
hears perhaps, for the first time the
wild, half-goblin cry of northward
passing flock of these great migratory
birds. Not more, welcome is the N.Y.
riad voiced evening concert of the
newly awakened frogs, than the half
metallic honk! honk ofiithe wild
geese. Both sounds proclaim tine end
of winter--the arrival OF spring. They
tell of warmer, brighter, longer days
of brooks and ponds ''broken ups" of
the robins song, the blackbir cali
of deepening tint of green upon the
grass; of freshly opening beds of ear
ly blooming flowers they proclaim
the arrival of the time for clearing off
and raking up the rubbish and ruins
of the long, hard winter, and for the
spring cleaning and preparation nof
grounds and garden. 99Ai9 40
So of the returning flight of these
migratory fowls in the fall Com
monty they come sweeping down,
like cloud of autumnal leaves lost in
the tempest and the sky, about tho
close OF October; their long, converg-
ing columns concentrated into a point
consisting of one old patriarch leader
of the flock their windy cries ming
ling with the northern blast, in an un-
certain, elfin tone and the whole COM
pany, with long, outstretched neeks,
making the best possible time for the
warmer latitudes. They herald the
approach of winter. They come now
from the far CULTS and bays of Labra7
dor, and from the yet more "boreal
climes of the Pole" For these strange
birds in countless millions, make their
summer haunts and breeding places
far TO the north. Some go well up in
to the Arctic Circle, as far north as
open water can be found. Possibly
they penetrate the central fastness of
the Polar zone, and find feeding and
nesting place on the shores of that
mysterious .'open sea" which marks
the location itself on the earth's north
ern- pole. 1t may be; for the New.
London sailor in DIR. Kane's party,
who obtained view of that myster-
ious and lonely water, found it peo-
pied with waterfowl, albeit the time
was winter. However that may be,
the southwark flight of the geese,
which occurs in the fall, is believed to
indicate the approach of cold weather.
What has become of them this year?
IL, 4 III <@E4 =
December is upon us, and if the win
er springs, and without the annual n o.
vember migration of the wild geece,
there will be weather-prophets ready
to predict all sorts of q queer winter.
Can it be that the mysterious g in
stinct" of the geese led them to count
upon this exceptionally fine fall, and
to delay their southwark flight
month later than usual rE
That mysterious perception, or prin-
ciple, called instinct-it is another
name for reason ?-is as strong in the
wild goose as it is in the beaver, or
the Arctic fox. Like the quail and
the partridge, the wild goose preserves
his wild tendencies and instincts
any amount of civilized train
ing. Flocks of these great birds used |
to alight to their spring or.
fall migrations, upon Snipsic Lake,
before the now fiourishing manufac-
turing village of Rockville arose, with |
its huge and gathering woollen mills, |
rs result of that splendid water pow |
er. Forty years ago there was only |
III old grist mill at the outlet of the !
axe !; and there the owner lived with |
his family. A flock of southwark fly |
ng geese came down upon the lake,
md some of them were shot; one of |
hem, a gigantic gray gander, being
;aptured alive and but little hurt
His wings were clipped and he be-
anne one of the home flock of domes-
ic geese about the place-growing so
anne, the next summer, that he was
accustomed to enter the miller's kitch-
N, while the family were at dinner,
each up his long neck and seize a
,iece of bread or meat from the table,
md make off with it. He became the
lead of the barnyard flock, and had
apparently forgotten the wild free
lom of his old rowing life and its
ourneys from Greenland to Texas.-1
)ne November day, however, his ear
aught to the old familiar houk houk X
If a migrating flock of his old COM
flying over at a vast height
rom the earth. The old, wild feeling
possessed him, and stretch I
ng out his now fully grown wings, n
le suddenly scared up from the midst
# his tame cousins, and with loud
cries winged his swift way
o the vanishing triangle in the sky, F
nd Joined the wild geese in their far
light to the south. aga II
A LITTLE boy who went to church
vas cautioned to remember the text
which was: "Why stand We all the day
die, go into my vineyard and what
oever is RICH. will pay thee" Johnny /.
anne home and was asked to report
he text, he thought over it awhile and |
hen cried out: "What dye stand
ound here doing muffin for ? go into =
nv balmyard and work I'll lnake IL all