Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1872-10-26

Several gentlemen of this city have re-
Gently been TO pigeon slaughter, near |
Oakland, IN this county, and their state
menis of what they saw are truly mar
Veluus, hut the truth Of their 4 cries Is |
verified 10 the thousands of dead pigeons |
brought ho "e 10y them ard distributed |
among their friends, If, indeed, such proof
Ia necessary. In conversation yesterday
with highly esteemed resident of the
Aleehany Gladee, a gentleman horn and
rear,d in that portion Of our county, we
were related some wonderful things
about Il wild pigeon roost on Mr. VIM.
Schley's land, about five miles northwest
Of Oakland. Our Informant says that
about ten days ago, countless lUcks of
wild pigeons were seen collecting upon
portion of Mr.. Schley's land, embracing
about six acres of ground, which Ia
deneely crowded with alder-hushes Ga
kind Of tree, which, owing to It's small
size-about twelve or fifteen feet in hight
aud from three to four inches In diane
ter at the ground is Oftener styled a
bush" 1t Is Of very common growth In
the glade regions.
The Unlocking pigeons gradually settled
, down upon these bushes, until they were
bent TO the ground by the weight of the
birds. Still more pigeons came flying In
| from dfiercnt points, and continued to
settle down upon the already living mass
until the whole ave or six acres were com.
pletely covered. So great was the mum
| Der Of birds that they were piled upon
each other In places from one to two feet
In depth The scene is described as won
derfu aud almost b You'd beief-the ilut-
( tering Of the countless number Of wings;
: ns the birds were fockmg in aud sttug-
| Cling with each ether for m alghting
| place, was like the roar ola waterfall, and
could he heard at distance of two miles
while the swapping Of broken limbs of the
trees added to the roar and confusion, us
the startled birds would rise to settle
down again, perhaps IN the same spot
where their great weight had but an iu-
slant before broken their perches and pre-
cipitated them to the ground. When a
tree would suap and break, the birds that
were upon il would start up and then sci
tie down upon their nearest ncighhols
hut to experience HE same mi fortune thai
had just befallen them until night closed
in. II cannot be estimated how many
thousand birds were thus cOngregattd
but IN all probability not less than tel
hundred thousand. Our informant say
millions but ii is wonderful enough t,
estimate them at the above figure. Thu
pigeons continued flOcking in and settlnl
upon and among each other from ahou
four O'Clock In the afternoon until night
fall, when at last they became still uui
prepared for their nights rest.
With the early dam Of the morning
il0ck after flock arose and How away il
all directions, which departures were con
tInued until about nine O'Clock, when tn
, place was deserted and not living bir
! To hs seen during the remainder Of tn
day, until toward evening, when the.
again began locking hack to the sam
, roosts, aud The scenes OF the evening be
fore were again to he witnessed and a
! this has occurred daily for the past t.
, days. 1t ia estimated that all the flock {
"A pigeons Tor perhaps tity or sixty mile
, around, thus gather at thus one spot. eac
i, eYcning during their annual migratOr
4 visit TO the immense forest regions Of Ill
4 Allegheny Mountains inquest Of the htay
Il mast of acurns Astounding there. This
: the onlS rOost known this season in tn
n or any Of the bordering countes, aud
perhaps the only one within a circle
#, several hundred miles. fl is a wen estal
~ li~hcd fact that these birds have but 81
q roostiug place within very large terri
q, tory, and in their transit 10 warmer lat
tudcs, and during their -toppaSe Ivy Il
:, way. use one place only as a roOst
ii night.
At this wonderful roost on Schley
a place, thousands and thousands of pigcol
4 have been nightly captured by men ~
r boys with guns, clubs aud bags. Aft
y niehtinll a person can 60 among the hin
~ and scoop them into the mouth of a ha
+, It is needless to add thai thousands
= them have been wantonly shot and q
m lowed 10 remnn upon the ground whc
IL they died. Although ohcr pigeon roo.
,s have been known in the glade districte
ne other years past, this one i- consider
= the largest ever seen by the oldest inha
- liant.