Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-06-29
THE WORK OF PIGEON CA TCH
ING DESCRIBED.

THE WORK OFPIGEON CA TCH
ING DESCRIBED.
An Associated Press dispatch brings
the intelligence that I 900 wild pigeons
from the Indian Territory are now in
coops in New York, and 5000 more
will soon arrive, for use in the coming
tournament of the New York State
Sportsmen's Association. Wing shots,
the country over, will be interested in
knowing how these wild pigeons are
secured. Pigeon catching has grown
to quite a business IN the Indian Ter.
ritory, and an idea of how il is con.
Quoted is given by on exchange: Ear
ly in February Messrs. Hagerty and
Judy, of st. Louis, put in an appear.
ance at Atoka, Indian Territory, and
at once commenced the work Of put.
ting up pens there and at the roost,
which is about 100 miles distant. The
pens are sixteen feet fquare and about
ten feet high. Birds, as rapidly as
captured, are housed in the woods un.
til the wagons arrive to convey them
to Atoka, when they are transferred
to the pens at that place. AT Atoka
they are well kept and are fresh for
shipment when ordered. There are
twenty pens there and forty-fve at
the roost As each will hold about
1000 birds it will be seen there are
accommodations for a vast numDer Of
the feathered delicaces. Messri. Hag-
erty and Judy have in addition thou
sand coops that will hold six dozen
pigeons each, These are used br con.
veying the birds from the roost to tho
railway station for shipment. Sixteen
teams are in constant use, transferring
the birds during the gathering season.
Seventeen expert netters from New
York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana,
Missouri and other States are in the
employ of the firm, and are kpt busy
as bees during their engagement They |
fill the pens faster than the t,ams can
haul the birds away. Four Or five of |
the men coop and load the pigeons,
while a foreman keeps tally and sees
that things run smoothly. Three men |
attend to nothing but feeding and wa
tering the little captives. IN addition
to the regular employees thGo are five
hundred Indians encamp,d at the
roosts, who gather squads at a Ger.
tain price per hundred. These young
pigeons are taken Just before they can
fly. The smaller ones are killed, put
in ice and sent to the MARKETS of the
country, while the larger ones are
carefully raised for the trap
AN EXPENSIVE BUSINESS.
Not less than 100000 feet of lumber
was used in the construction of these
pens, the hauling of which cost about
five times the cost of the hmber. 1t
will thus be seen that the business is
an expensive one, and maIksmen who
are charged what they consider stiff
prices for their birds will now know
the reason why. The business is q
revelation to the residents of the Ter
ritory, who have hithero contented
themselves with sufficient pigeons for
their own use, never killing more than
were needed for necessary purposes.
Now all hands are "squabbing," and
many make from So to-sl2, per day.
miles find steady employment. The
business has proved perfect bonanza
for the people of the Choctaw and
Chickasaw nations Even the boys
and the girls of the different tribes
make big wages. SQUADS" are gath
cred in novel manner. The leader
of a collecting party takes an AK and
strikes q tree in which there are nests
so vigorously that the little things be.
come frightened, jump out and fall an
easy prey TO those who are in quest Of
them. They are picked up as fast as
they reach the ground. Wagons are
ready, the squads" are counted and
taken to the pens. Each night the
are paid for that days work.
The pigeons have already raised three
and are now nesting for the
fourth time. The roost covers an area
Of thirty square miles, and is heavily
tlmbered with post oaks, every branch
Of which contains one or more nests.
Mr.. William Thomas, of New York,
alter surmounting many difficulties,
succeeded in securing enough birds to
satisfy the desires of Eastern sports
men. After considerable rivalry be.
tween the New Yorker and the st.
Louis parties, matters were compro-
missed,