Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1890-01-31
USEFUL CROWS.
Utilized in Omaha as Scavengers
and Weather Prophets.
Recognition of Their Services
by the Authorities.

OF the press regarding the great scav-
engcrs of ;Omaha-tho crows, The ar.
ticlc is correct, but it does not tell one
half of tho peculiaritics of the situa-
ton. The homo of the crows, or to
put it moro correctly, their roost, is on
"thc island, sandbat of some thirty
OF forty acres located about one mile
north OF the city. Il is cut off from
the river by a change in the channel,
I, and although on; the west side of the
river, it lies within tho Iowa boundary
This Island is covered with thick un-
dergrowth and b. willow and water
birch trees of several years growth.
Here the crows have been con grcgating
Tor number of years past. During the
daytime there arc but few to be seen
about the island. except scattering con.
tingcnt seemingly LEFT behind to act as
sentincls. But from shutdown to sunri,c
there alc thousands upon Thousands of
them on the island, and until tho shades
.of. night finally clos, the commotion
about the place is exceedingly great.
AS soon as daylight appears the noise
begins again, each particular crow sccm-
ing to clamor his very loudcst as if with
the object OF reducing his ncighbor to
q. silence. Then rs the sun uprcars his
head over the Iowa bluffs the roos,
breaks up into small parties of about
score which start of in all directions
to forage. Some of the crows spenl
the day IN the back yards and alleys of
the city and even. in tho streets of tho
qmetcr parts and make away with all
kinds of edible refuse. In fact they
are the most careful scavcngcrs the CITY
has, and thclocal authorities have rec.
osnzcd their services in this particular
by placing on the stat utc-books law
making sacrcd tho life of the crows and
upholdns their 'caws" in lcttc ms well
as iii spirit.
Others Of the crows visit South
omaha with tho same intent. The
packing house there, however, turn out
little refuse, MS pretty nearly everything
excepting the horns of the steer and the
sqTcal OF the pig Is utilized on the spot
o:hcr parties Of birds invade the sur
rounding country for mile, around. to
conc 'f e j puck again at night to their favor
-s Il Hsostihg- place.
Hill, an old character who lives
IN = snail house on the northern part of
y The he Island, has found NEW use for the
ScFo@st "A long and persistent study of
their habits and instincts ha, convinccd
him that the crow is the most CONNIE.
tent and reliable weather prophet in OK.
lsicnce., Hill told tho writer shor;
time ago that lie could tell what the
weather was going to he twcnty-four or
forty-cight hours ahead as easily rs
though he had the full Signal, Service
reports. In fact, he says he has surcr
information than the Signal Service
men, for they frequently err, while
his crows never fail to tell the
truth. Why" SAID he. '.cvcry time
We have 4 cold cast storm YOU will
see these crows rise up i'll body and
take themselves over the hill yonder
into the sheltered Papio valley, and
tEeeJ VIII remain there until the back.
bone of the storm is broken and then
come back, telling INC that clearing
weather is at hand. If there is n cold
slect or snow storm coming from the
west or northwest, they will move across
The river and take up quar- tiers on the
east side OF the Iowa bluffs. The other
day. before we had the frost, 1 noticed
the crows. Tutoring around in peculiar
manner, and just before sunset thew
moved over to tho swamp along Gut of
lake. at once knew that there WIS
going TO be colder weather, and that
the crows were seeking warmer place
near the water They have plenty of
other ways of telling me what to expect
in tho way OF weather, and really
have got so used to them that I would
be lost if they wero to move their quar-.
ters.
The old man is likely, however, to
lose his pets, as the island, which In,
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. y. Tr. 1une.