The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-07-31
CATCHING CUNNING CROWS.
A SMALL NEW JERSEY BoYs's ART
Full NJ -THoDS.
A Now Work. DrHmn,cr Learns some
thing NcW-Makiug ono Crow
Catch Another.

keep happening right along" said John
Gilbert, the travelling groceryman.
Now on my last trip l was in Essex
county, New Jersey. There are some
clipper little villages in the northern
part of Essex county, and if ever the
small boy gets things down fine it is the
small boy of these villages. At one of
my rural stopping places l noticed that
there were good many crows in the
woods and feds, and casually re
marked that | supposed what
crow didn't know wouldn't lie of much
use in the knowledge box of any other
bird.
OIL have seen nearly all kinds of ma
tive birds trapped and fooled into being
caught said, but | never yet saw a
full grown, mature crow that could be
captured with its eyes open.
"Didn't, hayl' said chubby, bare
footed young rascal, with a rimlcss straw
hat from beneath which his yellow hair
protruded. 'Didn't We? We'll, I'll iist
bet you three shillin' that | kin ketch
one O them crows yender in less'n ten
minutes, an il yer afccrd that I'll play
it en- We ken come along an see me
do it. DO yc take mel Come, now
The assurance of the boy staggered
me, but told him that 1 would give
him four shillin' if he would catch me
live crow.
"'Moren that, said the youngster;
I'll make the crow ketch lay down an
ketch half dozen more crows fur We, if
ye want me to, if yer wil,in' to pay ten
cents a crow fur the fun
81 got interested in this little rascal
and asked him how he went to work to
catch the first crow.
81 clutch him, he replied. Come
along, an I'll show ye.
lie led me down through field to-
ward piece of woods. As we drew
near it, flock after flock of crows few
out of it, and when we reached the
woods there wasn't one of the suspicious
birds within half mile of it.
81 guess you'll lose your bet, l said.
"'Bet We mother three shillin' don't,
he said. quickly. Come now
81 doubled the bet We entered the
woods. The boy hunted around until he
found an old log, which was surrounded
by piles of dead leaves. He told me to
hide myself in thick bunch of cedar
bushes, aud told me to act fair and not
Move. The boy then carefully covered
himself up with leaves, his right hand
alone being outside. Over his face he
placed his old straw hat, hole in the
top giving him a place to see out Of
When he was ready he began to utter a
series Of loud, gurgling, cultural cries,
in exact imitation Of wounded crow,
for | recognized the sound from having
heard the same cries uttered by a crow
! shot when boy
Il said there wasn't a crow within
half mile OF those woods when we en-
tered them. Neither was there, but that
boy hadn't initiated the wounded crow
more than ten seconds before crows be
gan to shoot into the woods from every
side, and such cawing time l never
heard. The crows circlcd frantically
about until they located the spot where
their supposed brother was in trouble,
when scores of the agitated birds swoop-
ed ticrcely down on the srot. There was
sudden movement of the bunch of
leaves, and the crows swooped upward
again as quickly as they had come down.
All but one of them. That one was flop
ping and foundering IN the clutch of my
unique young friend, who held one hand
around its legs, while with other he pre-
vented it from making an outcry.
4 clutched him y said ne, as he shook
the leaves from his clothes. Il dassent
let him holler, cause the hull lot of 'em
ID pounce down on me an take him
away thrum me. lie see, they thought
my hollcrin' was crow in trouble, an
so they sloshcd down to see about it.
They'll do that every time. | could &c
back there now and clutch another one
right over aein, if | wanted to, cause,
smart as crows thinks they am, theiI
mem ries is mighty short bout such
things
"Thc crows were cawing in the wood,
behind US when we left, but they soon
quoted down, and apparently lost al
interest in the episode that had worked
them up to the highest pitch of excite
ment few minutes before.
"'I kin wake en- up agin in three
seconds, said the boy. I'll let this fel
Ter yell little
"The boy took his hand off the crows
gullet, and instantly it sent up just sucl
another series of cries as the little Jcr
seyman had initiated. Quick as fasl
the air behind us was blackened viii
frantic crows, ali shreking and halIoo
ing vehemently. They swooped around
us and made fierce darts at the boy, who
quickly closed on the captive crow
windpipe and stopped his voice. Thcr
the crows returned to the woods, cav
ing.
"'See what blame fools they be:' sait
the youngster. 'Theym cuhnin, bu
they hain't smart. We'll, mister, d y,
want to pay me that bet MOVE Sever
shillin We owe me. e"
81 paid the money checrfuIly, anC
then told the boy that | was willing t,
pay him ten cents apiece for all the crow
the captive crow might catch, MS tn
young scamp had suggested
"'All right, boss, said he. I'll SHOW
We how this Teller kin clutch his broth
ring. Hold him. Don't let him holer
less We want to fight that hull wood full
O. crows
"The boy put the crow in my hands
Then lie cut two stout crotched sticks
and, taking small piece of some kim
of springy wood, split it an inch or tw
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