Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1889-09-26

one tree 10 anolneT, Dach duu loE u
J where ever there is room for pole
These trees and poles are called pigeol
stands. When the pigeons come fly
ing past they. see these trees and pole
and come and light on them; in tn
bed below small heaps of corn ant
wheat and rye, are laid around, allove
the bed. When the pigeons see tn,
i grain they fly down into the bed aut
eat the grain that has been PLACED
there for them. After the bed ant
stands are all finished we set the net
In the back side of the net is small
rope run in the meshes and made fas
at each corner, with loop to faster
the corners down to the ground al
the back line on hooks driven in The
ground to hold ,he back line fast AM
hari to the ground. after the back
line is all right the net is spread on,
over the bed, and large new rope
about one hundred feet or perhaps ONE
hundred and fifty feet long. is fastened
to the front edge Of the net. This rope
| is stretched as far as it will reach
on each side OF the net. AT each end
is tough springy sapling, driven In
the ground hard aud fasti these spring
posts are about five or six feet high.
At the tops Of the springs the ends of
the long front rope are made solid and
fast. Wien these ropes are all prop
erly fixed the net covers the whole bed
spread out smooth. At one end ofthe
long rope circle is made around the
spring, about six feet in diameter. All
around this circle small bushy pines
are set in holes made in the ground, as
to form bush hut. These bushes are
made so close as to hide the nets from
the sight of the birds. After every
thing is ready we Sc: the net, with a
short stick called a flyer, which is
piece of an old broom handle about
two feet long, with notch at one end
to put against the rope. We put the
notch Of the stick against the long
rope, carry it back to the back side Of
the bed, with the foot of this flyer set
against a hub or short piece of wood
driven in the ground the length Of the
flyer from the back line. which is
fastened with hook. We press the
rope down aud catch the flyer under
the hook. Then we go to the other
side and with another flyer carry tie
rope back to the back line the same
way as the first. When this front
rope is carried back at every side, the
springs at each end are bent towards
strain. The net is now carefully folded
back once next the ropes, and busted
to hide it from the eyes of the birds as
much as possible. When we want to
spring the net, we who are in the bush
hut, take hold of that spring and with
a quick pull jerk those two flyers out
of the ketches and then the springs at
each end spring up to their places
which throws the net over and spre ads
it completely over the whole bed, and
every bird that is in the bed Is caught
under the net. After we had made
everything ready and had tried the net
to see if everything worked well we
left the place and took the pet and our
tools home, to give the birds chance
to get acquainted with the surround
ings. The next morning father said,
II want you to watch again for
for l want to catch some this1
afternoon" At noon I told him had
seen about half dozen small f1ocks
flying. He said,"I viii go over with
you and set the net and show you how
to work it, and you can stay and if as
many as dozen come in the bed you
spring the net" After he had set the
net he had me spring the net for it takes
a pretty strong pull to unhook the fly
ers. When he found l co uld spring
it, he said, " will go back to work,
but don't spring the net unless you can
catch as many as a Dozen" After
father had set the net sat aud waited.
At last two came and lit on the stands,
oh, how my heart thumped! it bumped
SO, thought the pigeons could hear
it. Their lay crouched on the ground
in that little hut peeping out through
between the leaves and watched those
two birds. Pretty soon one OF these
few down in the bed and commenced
eating, all at once it flew up and lit on
the stands, and commenced halloing
"tweet-tweet," and here came about
twenty-five or thirty pigeons and of all
the f1uttering and twitering. Such a
noisy time! I looked way out Of the
door of the hut towards home. There |
I saw father leaning on his hoe The
was diging potatoes) watching. Soon |
one pigeon flew down, then another.
had got up off the ground aud had my |
hands on the spring. Oh, how my |
heart ached. Soon something scared |
those birds and away they went. l
saw father go to work. | felt SO dis
appointed, ! felt sick, l thought now
no more pigeons. Just then looked |
out and saw another flock come and |
soon they were on the stands tweeting. |
How watched them, and still held on |
TO the spring. Their is one; now an
other; and another; have gone down
INTO the bed. ] look home, their |
stands father looking. Soon they begin
% go down by twos and threes, until |
ali bat two are three are down. Now |