Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1872-10-19
A WILD PIGEON RoosT.

Several gentlemen of this city have
recently been to = pigeon slaughter,
. near Oakland, in this county, and their
statements of what they saw are truly
marvellous. but the truth of their sto-
ries is verified in the thousands Of dead
I pigeons brought home by them and dis
tributed among their friends, il, indeed,
such proof were necessary. In conver-
sation yesterday with highly esteem
| ed resident of the Allessny Glades, n
gentleman born and reared in that pVr-
! ton of our county. We were related
some wonderful things about wild pi-
geon roost. on Mr.. VIM. Schleys land.
| about five miles northwest of Oakland.
| Our informant says that one afternoon
about ten days ago, countless tlocks of
wild pigeons were seen collecting upon
a portion of Mr. Schleys land, embra-
! cling about six acres of ground. which is
densely crowded with alder bushes,
! kind of tree. which owing 10 It's small
size. about twelve or fifteen feet in
! height, and from 10 4 inche, in diam
eter at the ground, is oftener styled a
bush Ii is Of very common growth
! in the glade regions The intocking
pigeons gradually settle down upon
these bushes, until they were bent 10
the ground by the weight of the birds.
Still more pigeons came flying in from
| distOnl points AMI continued 10 settle
down upon the already living mass uD-
| Ill the whole five or six acres were com
pactly covered. SO great was the num-
/, Der OF birds that they were piled upon
each other in places from one TO two
feet in depth. The scene is described
as wonderful and almost beyond b.
lict,-the tluttering of the countless
! thousands of wings, rs the birds were
focking in and struggling with each
other for an alightng place, was like
the roar of waterfall, and could be
| heard at distance Of two miles, while
the swapping of broken limbs OF the
trees added To the uproar and confusion
"A the startled birds would arise to set
tie down again, perhaps in the same
spot where their great weight had but
! the instant before broken their perches
and prccipi,ated them to the ground.
When tree would snap and break. the
birds that were upon il would 8 art up
and then settle down upon their nearest
ncighbors, but to experience perhaps,
the same misfortune that had just bctal.
! len them until night closed in. II can
not be estimated how many thousand
! birds were thus congregated, but in all
probability not less than ten thousand.
Our informant says millions but il is
wonderful enough to estimate them at
the above figure The pigeons contin-
ued focking in and settling down upon
and among cash other from about four
o'clock in the afternoon, until night-tall.
when at last they became still, and pre-
pared for nights rest With the early
dawn of the morning flock after flock
arose and few away in all directions,
which departurcr were continued until
about nine o'clock, when the place was
deserted and not a living bird TO be
seen during the remainder of the day,
until toward evening, when they again
began flocking back 20 the same roos,S,
and the scenes OF the evening before
were again TO be witnessed; and all this
has occurred daily for the past ten days.
1t is estimated that all the tiocks of pi-
geons for perhaps fifty or sixty miles
around, thus gather at this one spot,
each evening during their annual mi
gratory visit to the immense forest re-
gions of the Alleghany Mountains in
quest of heavy mast Of acorns abound
ing there This is the only roost known
this season in this or any of the border
ing counties, and j, perhaps the only
one within circle Of several hundred
miles II isa well established fact, that
these birds have but one roosting place
within very large territory. and M
their transit TO warmer latitudes, and
during their stoppage by the way, u1e
one place only as roost at night.
At this wonderful roost on Colonel
Schley's place, thousands and Thousands
Of pigeons have been nightly captured
by men and boys with guns, clubs and
bags After night-fsll person can go
among the birds and scoop them into
the mouth Of bag. 1t is needless to
add that thousands Of them have been
wantonly shot and allowed to remain
upon tie ground where they died. Al
though other pigeon roosts have been
known in the glade districts in other
years past this one Is considered The
largest ever seen by the oldest inhabi,-
ant. Cumberland Nsips, OeL 0.