Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-12-28
Interesting Account of An Intelligent
Crow.

street, discovered in her yard young
crow. Approaching it in a gentle man
ner, she found it quite friendly, and per-
fectly willing to make itself at home. It
appeared to be about seven or eight
months old, its bill being still yellow, in
dicating that it was not full grown. She
took it into the house and kept it all day,
and at night put it to roost Where it
came from could never be guessed, as it
was not known that any person in the
city had lost a pet bird of this description.
At all events, the crow was invited to stay
where he had accidentally lighted, and
from that time he became a part of the
Galbaugh family. He was christened
Jim Crow" and ever after bore that
name. From the first, he BETRAYED a re-
markabie understanding of everything
that occurred within his purview. With
out being taught he took to tricks of the
most ingenious and often startling char
dcter. One day, shortly after he had
been permanently domiciled in his new
home, he saw rat run into a hole near
the garden fence. Jin went to the hole
and appeared as if endeavoring to measure
its width and depth.
Proceeding to a distant part of the
yard, he obtained tin yeast.can, which
he brought in his bill near the rat hole
He then slowly filled it with pieces of
stones, coal, chips, ETC., and, dragging it
to the edge of the hole, deliberately
dumped it in. This operation he repeated
a number OF times, until he had the ori-
fee completely stopped, an accomplish
ment which he seemed TO survey with
much pleasure. The next day jim dem
onstrated his good memory by going to
the hole to see that it was properly
closed, and, not liking the looks of things,
crammed in few more can loads of rub
blsh, thus sealing the fate of dozens of
rodents who might be burrowing beneath
the surface of the ground. On one occa-
sion his mistress bought number of
| chickens and turned them loose in the
back yard. AT dark she had them driven
into the hen-house for the night The
next day, about the same hour, j i'm picked
up stick in his bill and proceeded, with
show of absolute authority, to drive the
chickens into their roosting- place, feat
which he successfully accomplished, using
his stick with vigor, and cawing noisily
after they were all in, as if proud of his
work. Thereafter it became Jim's twi-
light pleasure to drive the chickens in,
and, in fact, it was his pleasure to
drive them all the time, and
boss things generally. And here it
may be stated the crow is one of the
most aggressive animals, and yet the most
cowardly. jim would boldly walk be-
hind chicken and give it a terrible peck
on the back, but if the attacked fowl
turned to fight, Jim Crow would disap-
pear like streak, and the aforesaid at
tackled fowl could only enjoy the salts
faction of gazing on a rapidly retreating
enemy. Jim was a great blusterer, but
his sense of fear was prOdigious, and
though his hatred of the house cat was
constant and notorious, he never attacked
that formidable foe except when it was
absorbed in profound and oblivious
purr, and then he was content to make
one dig and run away before the aroused
feline could extend a1etributive claw. He
was jealous bird, and to see his mis-
| tess pet the cat narrowed his soul with
horror, and he would signify his dis
| pleasure by Tapping his wings and cav
ing in quarrelsome notes.
jim was perhaps the only bird who
ever could have competed with the ter
rIer or the rat eXterminator man He not
only annihilated his much hated ad-
versary by filling up the entrances to sub
terranean dens, but he became an actual
catcher of rodents. He would creep up
| W IiiC CNiSC vi a HUG, anu CROUCH 1Or
hours in wait for prey, nabbing the I'M
suspecting rat by the back of the neck
and Staying him before he had time to re-
sist. After such deeds of prowess Jim
would chuckle and flap his wings in
| boisterous exultGtion.
The fence which divided Jim's back
yard from the neighboring back yard had
the usual and inevitable knot hole. What
well-regulated American housewife is
there who would be willing to occupy any
premises that had no knot-hole, giving a
full view of clothes line, ash piles, kitch-
en-, ETC.? We answer, with pride, none.
Jlm's mistress and her neighbor, being on
| good terms, used to come and sit on
either side of this knot-hole and talk.
This exhibition of neighborly intercourse
always excited Jim to the highest degree,
and while his mistress looked through the
aperture he endeavored to look, too, and
II the conversation was the least animated
| he was crazy to look through at the neigh
Dor on the other side. Any unusual noise
In the other yard always brought him
hurriedly to the knot-hole, and sitting
upon the back of chair which stood
| there, he would peer through till he had
found out the cause or quiet had been re-
stored. On one occasion the neighbors
were engaged for two or three DAYS in
making apple butter, this labor being car
rled on in the back yard near the knot
hole. No event ever happened that elicit
ed so much attention from jim. For
hours he would perch on the back of a
| chair with his head through the aperture.
deeply absorbed in the scene TRANSPORTING
| on the other side of the fence, and eYinc-
ing his interest by occasional chattering,
evidently of pleasure. Jim was a great
lover of apple-butter, and his great inter
est IN the process of making it may have
been due to his appetite therefor
Jim had a great fondness for sports of
all kinds, but his favorite amusements
were broom-riding and ball-playing.
Little Dalsey Galbaugh, a girl of seven,
was his playmate, and it was Jim's de-
light to ride the broom while she pulled.
A string was attached to the handle end
or the broom to serve as line, and the
crow sat upon the straw end and held the
string in his bill, pulling away vigorous
~ when he wanted to stop. Occasionally
he would jump from the broom and run
alongside, holding the line in his bill and
guiding the little girl who furnished the
dragging power. He had as much love
Tor TINS pastlme as though he had been a
child himself, and frequently astonished
those who saw him by the rational and
hn.. ankle way in which he participated
in If h love for ball-playing was re-
markable. @, course he could take no
part in the actual a. rowing or catching of
the ball. his participation being limited
to running after it, clinching it in his bill,
and carrying it to the threwer. The
obi1Jro,, Who III svad with him, frenuapt1v