The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1878-05-30
RANDOM THOUGHTS.
BY THE EDITOR.

editorial corps has pretty well written
up the annual expedition down Salt |
Creek last week, yet there are few
things wish to say.
We found the old Chillicothe road bad
enough, but noticed some improvement.
Our party consisted of five men, one
boy, six women and eleven children,
ranging all the way from one year to
twelve in age The old omnibus was
we'll filled, and on siding places careened
as if it would surely tip over, and when
some of the women expressed fears, little
Harry, who is four years of age, became
quite nervous and wanted to get out and
walk. Harry had been Dragging good
deal before he started, how he was going
to drive one of the teams He said he
would ride with his papa coming home.
II did so, and was not a particle afraid,
and enjoyed the ride. When | saw the
sublime confidence this child reposed in
his father, thought if some of US older
folks could have such confidence in the
protecting care of our Heavenly Father,
we might be happier, if not better men
and women than we are.
When our party arrived at the mouth
of the hollow where we stopped, l started
with the women and children and bask-
cts of provisions up to the caves. This is
between quarter and half mile from
the road. Some trees had been blown
down, and it was difficult to get along,
but we soon arrived at the head of the
hollow. We had been in the habit of
having our dinner at the foot of the hill,
near little lake. under a waterfall but
this time we went up few rods under
the cliff, where is was dry, and there were
numerous rocks, forming nice seats
There are several rods Of level ground,
and here the women and children rested.
short distance below l built fire, and
when there was good bed of Goals the
women went down to the little lake on
the north, where the pure water came
down from the rocks, and filled their cof-
fee pots, put them on the Goals, and made
coffee. They spread cloths on the dry,
pebbly ground, and from the baskets
spread an abundance of eatables. Now
it was twelve o'clock, and what a happy
party
am nota poet, and will not attempt
to describe this glorious place. On two
sides of US we hear the gentle sound of
the water falls. In the tall trees are in
Vulnerable birds, singing their happy,
innocent songs. The bright and glorious
sunlight Furnishes the tops of the trees
| in the alcove
The children called my attention to
numerous large worms, known as thou
sand legged worms. They were about
two inches in length, and had beautiful,
bright golden colored rings around them.
1 noticed hundreds of the traps Of the
ant lion in the dry dust under the caves.
These are little hoppers in the dust, and
the inside is made of the finest dust
The ant lion is somewhat the shape of a
bed bug, only little larger, and is of a
| light slate color. 1t has sharp jaws or
pinchers, with which it seizes its prey
When thousand leg, or other insect is
crawling along and falls into the hopper
of the ant lion, its fate is sealed When
it attempts to climb up the side of the
hopper, the loose dust gives way, and
tumbles it to the bottom, when the ant
lion soon comes up and seizes it. When
little boy | often called up the ant lion.
We children would put onr mouths down
near the hopper and repeat in kind of
sing song tone the words "oodle, oodle,
oodle," and soon the dust at the very bot
tom point of the hopper would begin to
be agitated, and soon the nippers of the
insect would appear, reaching for its
prey. Any kind of continued noise, or
singing, will bring them up.
l have often been amused when read
ing articles written by persons who know
nothing about the matter in hand. For
instance a few months ago, writer in
Scribner's Mon thly, described the drum
ming of the grouse, or pheasant and said
that it got upon log and struck the log
with its wings. Perhaps the writer never
saw live pheasant in his life; certainly
he never saw one while drumming. 1t
does get upon log. and in thicket of
sides. 1t strikes three or four times,
about three strokes to the second, then
there is an interval of about two seconds,
when it commences again, about one
stroke to the second, and gets more rap
id, ending in a roar that sounds like dist
ant thunder. The whole lasts only about
half a minute, and is repeated every five
to ten minutes. l have distinctly heard
them a. mile distant l have seen them
drumming more than hundred times,
and killed scores of them when drum
ming.
The top of the hill above the cave is no
doubt good place for pheasants, but it
is too late in the spring for them to drum.
They drum early in the spring and in
Indian Summer in the fall.
After resting time, l aided the women
and children down the hollow towards
the road, where they halted and secured
the woods for wild flowers. 1t was a lit
tie too late in the apring MAY 22d) for
the earlier wild flowers.
We all got home without having met a
single incident to mar the happiness of
the day.
We have often wondered how Chris
ton ,,,a, oould act with tho Dom CORA tic