The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1876-04-27
From tie Nclg Iork .yua.
MILLIONS OF PIGEONS.
A ROOst Many Miles in Length-A
TOrchlight Shooting Expedition.


Moscow, Pa. April 14th.-.A wildner-
ness known as the Beech Woods covers a
large portion Of western Pike county and
northwestern Monroe county, this State.
Ike Bennett and Clint Waters. bark peel
crs, were in the depths Of the woods on Fri
DAY last, when they were startled by 4 sud
den darkening Of the sky and 4 noise like
heavy gale Of wind. At the same time
The trees about them began to fill with wild
pigeons. They came from the northward.
and as tar as the men could see in that di-
rectlon the air was black with the birds.
;I"ey settled down in the trees as thick as
'e2s and III an incredibly short space Of
',n. the woods seemed to be a living mass
" pigeons. They lighted in the trees in
$l.a numbers that large branches were
,."hen by their weight They seemed to
laAe no heed Of the men, and crowded the
,'e's under which they stood, occupying
ranches almost within reach Of them.
r'11',y half an hour elapsed before they all
,.-p1 resting places in the woods. The
u, y-'A IceLers killed hundreds Of them with
..-',' and walked five miles through the
wv To'-a without reaching the end Of the roost.
~ Inc alen men say that with one swoop of LONG
0uo they could knock dozens to the ground.
G:sa'la5 r:,5 only temporary panic among the
5aYJ"s, 5,,sy and that only among those directly
lr I9y p Iumoermen and others, when told
bennett and Waters Of the wonderful
or' 6,r "ey had seen, organized a night hunt.
s,-.l5 ,-,"S o. o. men armed with poles and guns
=, i.u ,Jll, 'or the woods and reached there af-
kn.. ua'A; They carried torches of pine
dIo Ine pigeons, alarmed by the noise
ro.o DS e guns and the glaring of the torches,
abor, nun u Their perches and few blindly
n,do ..j ror two hours the poles and guns
Tho roau oau nayoc among the roosting birds.
mo ~ IVar OF thousands of wings, the crack
rd.. =" branches, flashing torches. swashing
rJ a1q I reports of guns found scene
We're eI %''u terrible. Thousands of pigeons
u.bIoe' e"ushtered before the lawless and
one brs oSesIroyers were glutted Each
carry sIO ~: away as many as he could
With tbo r'-''h a was small portion compared
the loyo. ,s number m left on the ground to feed
oa ,OASs e and wolves.
to5 ~ ca. saturday morning another expedi-
the r;goa o,al'ed out for further slaughter of
tie Fseons' Ta8! The birds had evidently sought
eoojs s,o' s lor the purpose of nesting. The
The 20 n,oSa warmed with hunters on Saturday. (.
il s5elI S,oal fock finally rose en- masse, and
Tae ;ort J;.a.i time every bird had disappeared.
torarJ JJeS'i2n ECU of the fight was westward
dat Go 'He nuSquehanna. 1t is estimated
aud fan, ' 1T mock was fully twelve miles long
A5oa. pur or five in width
q Wild nid aour weeks ago an enormous flock
\ 7 5n p'Seons passed over Sullivan county.
lolEae olEae,n r''u settled in the wilderness in the
s'ters p part IT of that county, near the head
ia, tbio u the Reaverkill. It is believed
'5s,e' 'DS 7, Was the same flock mentioned
eppty :, ~ extended from Gilmen 5, sullivan
astsar5 |" a point thirteen miles to the
@e, fvin aaa was several minutes in passing
"'lps very high. '''@S - '''9''