Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1884-03-26
A North Carolina Robin Roost.

| vi ScNcIui WSchS past lat &c oouCucs
of robins have been seen in the market,
and inquiry revealed the fact that they
all came from the robin roost, near Mr.
! Mack Stafford's house at Harrisburg
where, for over three weeks past, large
parties have been making war on the
birds with stick and torch. We had
heard a great deal of talk about this
roost and the sport the people were
| having in killing the birds and as the
8 o'clock train slowed up at Harris.
burg the other night an Observer re-
porter stepped off and struck out fol
the roost. Getting down into long
stretch of bottom land, something over
mile from the depot, the dull flaming
lights ahead piloted US to the roost
| AS we neared the scene of action we
found that the roost was an immense
canebrake. A party of perhaps forty
darkeys, besides lot of white people,
were just emerging with their sticks
and torches and birds, the sport being
about over for the night The repor-
ter finding this to be the case decided
to stay until the next night, but un-
willing to remain without killing at
least one bird, entered the brake with a
short, stout stick, accompanied by lit.
tie darkey, whose heart danced with
delight over the reception of a cigar
and ten cents as pilotage fee. After
moving among the canes for q few
minutes we detected red breast, and
giving our stick full sweep, let it fly
for all it was worth, and it was worth
a doctors bill for $3.50, for it missed
the bird and made clearing on top OF
the little darkey's head big enough for
turnip patch. The reporter stood
dumb founded at the extent of the
Youngsters lung power as he wabbled
about among the canes yelling 40
Lawdy !" and before we could get our
hands on him and chuck his mouth full
of mud half dozen men came tearing
up through the canes to find out what
had happened. A fragment of the
youngsters cap and several tufts of
hair were found hanging to the canes
around, but on seeing that the boy s
skull was not hurt the party retreated
and hunted up doctor, while the re-
porter retired to Mr.. Stafford's house
for the night
The next afternoon about O'Clock
Mr.. Stafford called US to come out into
the yard and see what was going on;
and it was a sight to astonish. From
all directions great 6ocks ofrobins were
flying across the heavens, all winging
their way to the roost, which was al
most in plain view of the house. For
fully an hour one flock after another
went by until, until the whole cane
brake was fairly alive with the feather
ed tribe, and before it was good dark a
large party set out to make war upon
them. There were sixty-eight men
and boys in the crowd, each carving
stick and torch or a lantern. The
roost having been reached and action
commenced, the reporter witnessed a
scene that he will never forget. The
canebrake is abcnt mile long, and ex-
tends q considerable distance on either
side of the creek. 1t seemed that each
individual cane was bent down with its
load of birds. The reporter, getting
just inside the edge of the brake, struck
at cluster of birds, and the hutter OF
wings that ensued was deafening.
From all sides hundreds of blinded and
bewildered birds few about striking
against each other and against the
canes, making a noise that resembled
mighty wind All through the brake
torches cleaned, men shouted and the
deadly stick was going right and left
The birds never left the brake, but flew
about in dire confusion, unable to es,
cape the weapons in the hands Of the
men, who piled them for about an hour
with terrible effect In the excitement
of the battle hardly anybody stopped
long enough to pick up all the dead
birds, but went over their routes when
the sport was ended to gather their
game Our party went into the brake
at ! O'Clock, and at all were counting
over their birds that lays in piles at
each ones feet. A young man named
Query was the most successful, having
killed l56. The lowest number killed
by any one person was Al. The total
number of robins killed by the party in
one hour footed up 2,ll0.-Charlotte
On. c. Observer