The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-04-17
A GREAT & o BOOST.
A Million Corn Stealers Capture the Woods
and Astound the Natives.

BUsHKILL, Pa, April l6 IA Simon Trauel,
a farmer, living near High Knob, in the south
western part of this county, was chopping in
the woods, about half way up the mountain, on
Thursday last, he was attracted by a flock Of
crows which appeared suddenly from a south
ern direction, and alighted in a high tree a hum
dred yards away. After a great deal of loud
caw:ng, the flock arose, and few away in the
direction from which they had come. Trauel
then went on with his work.
About the middle of the afternoon, an hour
after the crows had taken their departure, he
happened to look southwark, and saw that the
sky was black with some approaching object.
In a few minutes he discovered that it was an
immense flock of crows, which soon swept into
che Knob woods, and, with a thunder of wings
and deafening clamor of throats, settled down
into the trees, whose ~leafess branches became
blackened with the birds from top to bottom.
For three hours flock after flock of crows poured
into the woods, until the side of the hill for a
space of more than forty acres was covered so
thickly with them that big branches were split
from the trees beneath their weight. 1t was nearly
dark when the last flock found a resting place in
~ ~ 0A0 S6k40 QakC0 Ve0
restored In the vast congregation. {.
The crows remained in the woods until last
Monday. Early every morning focks would
start out from the colony, taking different direc-
would one after another return. Their arrival
was greeted with the widest commotion all
through the woods, vociferous cawing and flap
ping of wings being kept up for some minutes.
the same hubbub on their return. The news of
the great crow roost spread around the thinly-
settled region, and people came from far and
near to see and hear the crows.
On Saturday a number of the natives agreed
that 1t would be a good thing, now that they had
apparently all the crows there were in the coun.
try within reach, to make nightly raids on them,
and thus save a great deal of future loss to corn
heids. Accordingly, a party of seven, armed with
guns and long poles, and some of them CARRYING
torches, began the work Of destruction. They
re }ched the woods where the crows were sleeping
albut 9 o'clock. The torches were lit and the
raiders entered the woods. They had not pro-
ceeded far when they were greeted with a yell of
lowed by hundreds of the birds boldly attacking
the invading party. using both beak and claw
with such effect that the surprised backwoods-
men were forced to flee to save themselves.
They were followed to the edge of the woods by
locks of Infatuated crows, and not q shot was
fired nor a crow killed.
On Monday morning, for the first time, not a
flock left the woods, but all was hustle. commo-
uon ana noise among the crows. The entire
colony seemed to be in motion. among the trees.
Crows were darling in all directions, uttering
peculiar cries, and evidently anxious to be every
where at once. just before noon matters be-
came comparatively quiet, and then small focks
began to emerge from the woods, going in all di-
rections. This exodus continued until late in
the afternoon, when every crow had disappeared,
and none came back. The scene in the piece Of
woods they had occupied is described as remark
able. Every tree had one or more branches torn
from it, and they lay piled about on the ground
as if the trees had been swept by a whirlwind.
Every foot of ground was torn up, plainly by the
crows searching for insects for food.
Every spring" says an old citizen Of this
village, 1.-The crows, like wild pigeons, gather
somewhere about the country to do their court
ing and mate. This spring they happened to BE-
lect the High Knob, because the scouts they sent
out to get a place for them liked it, and guided
the rest to the spot. AS the love making pro-
crosses, focks of crows 60 out to select good
nesting and foraging places. They come back to
the roost and report, and a grand discussion is
had on that. After these matters are all settled,
and every crow is mated, they form into focks
of twenty or so, and, after they bid each other
good bye, leave for the respective nesting places
selected for them. Last Monday afternoon,
when there was such a commotion among the
crows on the Knob, they were taking leave of
one another. There will probably never be an
other crow roost in this part of the country.
Next year it may be in Kentucky"