The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1890-03-01
THE CROWS OF OMAHA,
They Are Utilized as City Scavengers and
Weather Prophets.

They Are Utilized as City Scavengers and
Weather Prophets.
An article has been going the rounds
If the press regarding the great scaven-
gers of this city-the crows. The article
is correct, but it does not tell one-half Of
the peculiarities of the situation. The
home of the crows, or to put it more cor
rectly, their roost, is on ''the island" a
sandbar of some thirty or forty acres To-
Gated about one mile north of this city.
1t is cut Off from the river by change
in the channel, and although on the
west side of the ri YER it lies within the
Iowa boundary. This island is covered
with thick underground and by willow
and water birch trees of several years
growth. Here the crows have been con-
gregating for a number of years past.
During the daytime there are but few to
be seen about the island, except scat
tcring contingent seemingly left behind
to act as sentinels. But from shutdown
to sunrise there are thousands upon
thousands of them on the island, and
until the shades of night finally close
the connection about the place is ex-
ceedingly great. As soon as daylight
particular crow seeming to clamor his
very loudest, as if with the object of reduc-
ing his neighbor to silence. Then as the
sun uprears his head over the Iowa bluffs
the roost breaks up into small parties Of
about score, which start off in all d.
rections to forage. Some of the crows
spend the day in the back yards and al
legs of the city and even in the streets
of the quieter parts, and make away with
all kinds of edible refuse. In fact, they
are the most careful scavengers the city
has and the local authorities have rec
ognized their services in this particular
by placing on the statute books law
making sacred the life of the crows and
upholding their ''caws" in letter as well
as in spirit.
Others of the crows visit South Omaha
with the same intent. The packing
houses there, however, turn out little
refuse, as pretty nearly every thing ex-
cepting the horns of the steer and the
squeal of the pig is utilized on the spot.
Other parties of birds invade the sur
rounding country for miles around, to
come back again at night to their favor
tie roosting-place.
.Icre Hill, an old character who lives
in a small house on the northern part
of the island, has found a new use for
the crows. a long and persistent study
of their habits and instincts has con-
WINGED him tfat the crow is tbs most
competent and reliable weather prophet
in existence. Hill told writer short
time ago that he could tell what the
weather was going to be twcnty-four or
forty-eight hours ahead as easily as
though he had the full Signal-Seryice
reports In fact, he says he has surer
information than the Signal-Service
men, for they frequently err, while his
crows never fail to tell the truth.
''Why," said he. every time we have
cold east storm you will see these crows
rise up in a body and take themselves
over the hill yonder into the sheltered
Papio valley. and they will remain there
until the backbone of the storm is
broken and then come back, telling me
that clearing weather Is at hand. If
there is cold sleet or snow-storm COM
ing from the west or northwest they
will move across the riNer and take up
quarters on tho east side of the Iowa
bluffs. The other day, before we had
that frost, noticed the crows futtering
around in peculiar manner and just
before sunset they moved over to the
swamp along Cutoff lake. at once
knew that there was going to be colder
weather, and that-the crows were seek
ing warmer place near the water.
They have plenty of other ways of tell
ing me what to expect in the way of
weather and really | have got SO used
TO them that ! would be lost if they
We're to move their quarters.
The old man is likely however, to
lose his pets, as the island. which has
never been built up, because OF the fear
| that the Missouri river might some day
| take notion to return to its old chan
mel, is soon to be occupied by railroad
| yards.-Omaha tNcb. Cor. n. Y. Trib
unp.