Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1890-06-10
THE GREAT GRAY OWL.

In . most trifiin' say Il doss ZEN - Il
dssd bird ~as ~orfh more 10 him than its
weight In dollars. the Say be iaks on over
4 rm somstime-, an smoo,hs their feathers. an
grins. an csrris. ',m % bon. s.~hisilin'.
Uncls Esry oughisr put . stop to hi. irifin.-
Clay vas mlsandsr-tooi TIE -.nnooent
bir,is- Ger. not kill~i ~anioaiy nor In lille
amu-ment Clay ~As thoroughly . student
| % nature, hs loved the festhsf-i rongstsr,,
and Il "a. for this love that he sought to OBJ
tain ami 90 study them Clay ~n an en-
thusissilc orni,hologist.
In the rough ns,shbprbooi In -hich he
lived N. psopls dli not spprcciAis bis p~s-
sion. IIo~ ther. could 10 Joy and triumph
In the discovery % an unusually fright
br-astsi oriols or . Ts-ruliar oolor~i ~Arbier
ga. entirely t-yOni thsir snmswhat dan
cunprr.snsson
Clay -oaIi have esplsin~i th.ss maitsrs
hal any one smong hi. nsishbop cared 10
H. infornl.i. bot be dli not -.s ,o force In
formstlou uIoa thsm. and their ignorant 10
marx. dii not disturb him In the l.ast Only
ON. t.r-on "a. allie to annoy him by criti-
eisins hls pursuits. that ~ss saul Rbris-. .
10y sith whom Clay thOaght u dissraos 10
have words % any tini
A l.ok oa orniiholagy. ~hich In hi. sariy
toyho.si hal fallen into Gays Ts---<ion,
hal .lartei him In bis fssortts study and sas
Q a.ourcs % constant r,iersnc. AMI pleasurv
90 him iIs call~i u his ''held book. Tor be
frw,uently cafri~i u shout -ith him, and
every n.- liri h. SECURED ws by ns All
aientihsi AMI nam~l
Clay "a. an orphan hoy. about II years
oli, ani hi. homs ga. wiih "Uncls Erry" on
farm nsar ths tank. % the Missouri river
Ils hal never ten able to ct the 'bpok
lsarnlng- be- ds~ir.l and abogi tho only
thinss be couLi call IA. o-n ~erv the clo,he-
oa IA. tack. hi. beloved nsli book and bis
,J.cimsas Even ths oil shotgun he a-.i bs
hal foani ,io.ei sssy In tho farmhou-s
garrett, shsry Uncls EIry hal pat u -hsn
Lis Squirrel hunting days we're over
TIE oi man hai |. littls sympathy for
GAYS study q. his nsightors hsd. AMI bs
-a q -sters tAsk master, ~ho male the 10y
-fs q. hard AMI a. long AZ the "hir"i nan
but when there ~as no rork ~hich ~as par
ti.-ularly pr,-.ing. h. vas Mt - III naigrsi
a. to rcfu-. him the gun AMI = httls time to
himself. for ell that u va, 10 carry on fool.
shns---
Clay hai dll~i hi. littis sls-pang room In
tho Oli farm hou-s wtih many sIscimsus of
th. b.rs % the cuantry lie had studied
tAtiIsrny. anil hsd moaht~i many % biz
...-cimsn. In . careful and prai-s~orihy
manner There -srs -oms rsrs biri. In his
coll-rtion. AMI ths-s h. ---rc,ly boIsi ons
iay a. Ill. AMI thsrsby gain spu's monsy 10
enable him o. ~ "a -cbonl
lie had al-p oorrv.Ion.lsi sith tho author
- his "hsli brok. -bo had given him the
name ~ every rars avis shich sss likely to
D. founi in hls Vlcinity. tosrthsr siih the
cash price . professional bard fancisr woai
tay for sash ~ h. wss sl-sys on the look.
out for uuusnAl lard. to all io bis collection
90 o. -rll At bsrgain
one cili April evening Uncle Erry ssni
Clay b. the ferry on an srrani. ani u oour-s
tho boy oarri~i the gun along The dIsianos
80 al.oui thru. nils, AMI la q -slk % this
Lun.th u ga. n0t at all lnlprOtahls that he
-OaLi -. IN. ds-irabIs .I.cimsn. either an
.uIly spring aiyentur-r or Q -inisr aggsrd
The rial lAy Zoe ths mo-t part slong the
bank ~ the river. AMI a. the sill g~-s sers
no~ aying north. be thought hs might *,
.l,ot at .1ms ~ thu. binis. ~hich -erv 70.
,ofit. f1.i a. hls gnclss table,
lie dlI slccss,i. very -on after hs siArt~i,
In bringing down tao ges-s, shich be left In
q covert u busbss until be should rv,urn.
ia, b. sa~ no other blris q any kini worth
.hootins on hi. say % the ferry
lee, he met Saul rhcis-. o,srgro-n. sloy.
,nly drcS.sl AMI looi mouth~i, sho iaforIDsi
Llm that be- was jus, r-ssiy to 10 home, and
.ouLI sals -itb him
"a laf. IN Ia
for BE- hal 10 interest In common With his
roush yoang Deighbor. -ho-s company ~as
,.ry dI.tas,sfal o. him, bat be could not sell
r,fu-s "a ~als ~lth him, -, having deliver.
III hi. ms--ase to the ferry master, Clay, In
oomTany -ith Saul, started on the rs,urn
bonn.
A. the young naturalist hsi sII-ri~i, 10
fore thsy hal sons bali . nils Sanl b-gan 10
sns.r at hi. habit u hunting biris "wastin'
- mach gosi To-dsr an shot, b. All
"whAid ye bring yer gun fsr io nishtr
bs vent on 10 AZ "Ys can't kill no rObins
.hsn iti. this coli. an at dusk, too"
II don't want any robins" Clay rsplici
Il sut tso sv.-. coming down, AMI I'm la.
bls b. gst ssns night bard, about this time.
"Si.hi blrls. hasi bAs~ hugh~i saul
What you ns.-i is . right cap an ~is"
saul bursi into . -~ooni coar,s roar %
laughter. which ~As cut shnSt by the sudden
.Ipl,-ion % Clay, gun. as the ever alsrt hoy
caught sight % large lard a 70 rss scru~s
the ruad jus, In front u them.
IL .. q snap .hot, AMI Clay fsar~i that hs
hai mis--si bgt q. tho smoke clear-i, be -ss
.urpsi-si ami slai.i io 80 the bard rutisring
In the mklsils u the roai
lie ran for~anSi. followed lsisurely by bis
oomtanlou, ami J-rc.iyvi that the lard -as
an lmm.n-s owl, and that his shot hal wing
el AMI partially stunned u
lie ~As too wi-. b. take holi q u With his
tar. Gngcr. until be hal oomplstsly disabled
u, - he plac~i foot ou Zach wing. ani thus
bell 10 hrnly to the ground
Thcn be- eIamin~i u c!o-sly. Tor be quickly
r~nogniIs.i that u Vas q new sIscls-. one that
b. had never -sn tsiora The Light ~a fsi
Ing. Ia, b. bsnt down ami. without difficulty.
male out u. distinguishing features
All at ono. the yoIng ornithologst gave an
srci,s,i sIclamAiioni ''Its great gray o-ll-
"Do tsllf' AID h. comp~nion, With mock
cooc.ru. - great gray OWL waAl, -sAl
~hod a thought itr'
Clay saii nothing. With eager eye be
srannsi the owl from tsak 30 fcs; ani up of
tail lie noted the great yellow eye and
tn, IN. dark brown % its hack, notified With
graysh ~hits. and tho broken t~rr~i -inss
AMI tail, ~ith grayish white mArbling The
untier part. we're dArk brown aud pale gray,
ami ths grsst facial di-c ~as markell ~ith
dark bro~n AMI light gray rings conosntrie
raggri white collar
Clay hal fully acquainted hln-slf -ith tbs
charar,erisiics q this rar. member of the
o-I family, and after bis scratiny he had no
hesitAtiou In p.-iiivsly declaring u 10 t- In
dss<i great gray o~i
tn. oaly thing ! - Gurus bout u, : sAid
saul. sarcAstically. Il. thst it amt . great
r.i, shits an blus o-l u would b- purifier.
don't ye think -. Cossr
Clay ~as - dslightssi sitA his priss that
sauls sarcasm fsll On biz ears unhs'sisl
.You 60. saul he ali. - he aru-r 10 his
fsst. "ths greAt gray o~i, - u is caiisi. s
oas u the rar.t biris In the United statsA
lts home is In the Arctic regions. and bslisvs
% or not. a. you pisAss. that bird under my
fsst is worth hundred dollars. st lsast'
nh last s,Aismsat called forth loud gus'
faw from saul
"a hundrri dollar, hawi Yer - crazy
a. . Juns bug. Clay Colsi 10 hAint worth
the powder ye wasted on IT
Clay did pot sttempt 10 argue 9Th the ie.
noramus. bat fslt In biz pocket for cord
With which 10 s~curs the fsst of bis pSiss and
thus s-caJs tho sharp chuA
"whai are 70 goln' 10 dor Baul inquired
q hs waich~d the movsmsnt
Clay informed him
/ sncl.ss. --rxv th~s old srrsach ovi homar