St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-10-05
A Wonderful Crow,

"A WONDERFUL Grow.
Rev. j. C. Fletcher, of Indiana, who
is engaged in a lecturing tour in Indiana
contributes to the Indianapolis Journal
the following account of a remarkable
crow which he lately saw at Kokomo,
in Howard county:
81 fter delivering my lecture during
which Dick, outside of the high school
could be heard delivering another lee
ture on his own hook l made more
particular inquiries concerning the his
tory and deeds of the learned crow of
KOkOmO. Col. Richmond informed me
that his father-in-law, Mr.. Kennedy,
some two years ago, when on visit to
his farm (only short distance from
KOkOmO,) perceived young crow who
had evidently prematurely issued from
the maternal nest, high in the trees
above. Mr.. X. took pity on the gawky
f1edgling and carried him home. He
proved such a vOraciOus bird, and,
withal, was so constantly crying, like
the hOrse-leeche's daughter, give. give,
that Mr.. Kennedy, to be rid of the
crow, gave him to his grandchildren,
the son and daughter of Col Richmond.
These three were soon intimate play
mates, but Dick becoming too familiar
with the hall, or entry, of the house, he
was frequently told in a very emphatic
manner by Mrs. Richmond to walk
right out of this This expression was
not lost upon the bird, for one day a
visitor coming to the house and finding
the door open entered the hall without
further ceremony, when he was saluted
by gruff voice in very decided Eng
lish walk right out of this Aud
ever since that day many a tramp, and
many a respectable citizen, has been
ordered by Dick from Col. Richmond's
doorway. No pains had been taken to
educate Dick. He is genius, and edu-
Gated himself in many phrases, some
much more emphatic than agreeable.
l took down from no less than four per-
Sons the phrases that Dick had been
heard repeatedly to utter
Each morning during term time he
goes to school as regularly as the chill
dren, and usually goes to the room
where Col. RichmOnd's son and daugh-
ter are. If in the summer time, he
enters by the window, and perches up
on the teachers desk 'only this and
something more, for he surveys the
assemblage with due gravity, as if on
inspection. Very often his exclama-
tiOn is bad boy and more rarely good
boy During the colder months of the
year Dick seats himself on the window
sill outside until satisfied that all is
right, and then, as in summer time, he
flies to pastures new Let me say that
he seems to understand the school bell
as well as the children. At recess he is
sure to come back, doubtless attracted
by the sound of merry voices. 1t is
particularly at this time that he dis
plays his love for mischief. He has
frequently been known to come swoop-
ing down upon the playground and
snatching off the cap or the straw hat
OF boy has gone sailing off with it
amid the shouts and clamOr of his un-
feathered playmates and when at such
times receiving the objurgations of the
boys he will retort by calling out to
them in a most ludicrous manner, svery
bad crows l am sorry to say that Dick
is not gallant, for the scamp will some
times fly off with the light hat or bon
net of little girl, and alighting upon
some fence he will deliberately dissect
this piece of millinery in order that he
may obtain the feathers of South Amer
lean or Asiatic birds, which adorn the
bonnet. 1t grieves me also to say that
Dick is thief, or to be more polite, is
addicted to kleptOmania, for he has
often been known to run along clothes
line and steal all the smaller clothes
pins, and the lighter articles like pocket
handkerchiefs and stockings. But Dick
does not cOnfine his mischief to chill
dren. He is great consumer of young
chickens, and Col. Richmond tells me
that he has seen Dick, with malice pre-
pense, watch cat with the greatest
patience until pussy's attention was
directed to something else, when sud
denly his corvine majesty would seize
the tip of tabby's tail in his beak, giving
the poor animal a severe nip, which
would cause terrific meow, upon which
Dick would fly to the branch of a tree
near by and laugh in the most side
splitting manner.
Dick, | am forced to confess, is some
what prOfane. Not, it is true, calling
down maledictiOns on people and con-
ferring d. d's-in small letters-but he
INDUCES in expressions such as, 'OI
Lord p in which it is evident that ven
Grafton and piety are not intended.
Some of his favOrite cries he has
learned from the little Richmonds, when
he has heard them calling for their
father and grandfather, Mr.. Kennedy
'Oh pa p or oh, grandpal' But tiey
never gave him any instruction.
Dicks patriotic qualities are unmis-
taxable. And what am about to re-
late seems almost incredible, but there
are hundreds of persons in Kokomo who
are ready to attest the truth of it. Dur
ing the late Presidential campaign Dick
took an active part, and was a sblack
Republican of the deepest dye. Every
time there was Republican demon
stration he was on hand, flying around
and shouting 'Hurrah for Hayes But
when the great Democratic rally took
place at KOkomo my informant told me
that Dick hid away in the woodshed-
would not come forth-but constantly
muttered bad boys On the day after
the election, when the returns were
coming in, and hundreds of people were
gathered at the telegraph Office, Dick
was there 'in full force and when he
saw his political friends joyous he would
shout at the top of his voice, 9hurrah
for Hayes ? He went early in the
morning to the telegraph Office, and was
soon surrounded by crowds, who were