The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1891-02-21

A oarraious Specimen That Gossips vtsh
Railroad Passengers bold Thieves


The magpe Is bird Of peculiar In
terest wherever he may be found. says
the Virginia City Enterprise. and par
ticularly SO In tho state Of Nevada.
whcrc he ranks rs a speciality. like the
'.Washoe canary" His stout. sharp
beak--like miners pick--his un-
reasonable long stiil tail. aud his live
ly. squawky. chatterng voice would
make him a marked specially any
where. As rafting con,ersationalist
he rivals the parrot the raven. or the
crow. aud lac is easily domeslicatvd.
making a very eoniical aud amusing
pet.
Down Mt Mound House junction OF
the G.. & G.. with the v. a. 4. railroad
lis another lively young magpie. He
belongs To Dave Pitiman. conductor on
the G.. a. c.. and makes himself at home
In and around the depot. lie es-
pecially enjoys flying into the open
door or window of some temporarily
stopping passenger car and having .
garrulous chat with the passengers.
The other morning. for instance. when
the local passenger train stopped there,
ms usual. Barney" flew In through tho
rear door, perchcd himself on the back
of one of the seats. and astouished the
ladies aud gents present with the volu-
bility OF his linguistic powers. He vol
unteered more Information than any
body had heard or hc knew himself.
waiting for no introduction TO those
who didn't know him. Everybody
liked him and listened to him like IN
oracle. One familiar gentleman adj
dressed him:
II say. Barney"
''Whatpr
Are you there. Barneye"
"Ah. there-pretty good All. there
---ha la. ha! dammit. get Quit dry up
--ratsl"
Where are you going. BarncyP Are
you deadhcad ON this tralnp"
That's what. Hurrah ha. ha. you
betl rats. ratsl'
What's the news In politics Bar
neyP Who's getting imp"
Barney, Barney. ha. ha, WHO'D.
WHO'D! dammit. ratsf'
But who Is going to be the next
congressman"
John Mackay. John Mackayl ha.
ha. John Mackayw
"But which party Is going to win. re-
publicans or democratsp"
''Ratsl rats! rats! la. hal dammit
ratsr'
just here Jerry Bray. the con-
ductor, stepped In from the baggage
room.
Get out o. here. you long-tailed
rascal. whoosh." and with wild. de-
risivc squawk Barney fitted out Of the
back door. dying back toward Mound
House. ''Oh. what pity now" some
of tho ladies exclaimed; "he'll be lost
Never you fear for him. ladies'" re-
sponded Jerry; hes NIL right. Have to
run him out OF this every day. Never
allow him TO dcadhead any further
than the Eureka dump" The train
men. freight-hnndlers. aud everybody
about Mound House station knows
Barney and handle him Familiarity. yet
have to be on their guard lest he slDuld
take a sly notion 10 nip small chunk
out OF their finger or back Of their
hand with his sharp. stout beak
Three or four days ago at the board
ing-house near the station. he was hav-
ing little concert with a pet canary.
Wutus ouA VI pult lOitithfuN tuus 40
gave his musical little friend a jovisl
poke with his bill under the left car.
Directly after Barney stood over him
watching his death struggles. with his
head cooked contcmplatiyely over one
side. muttering Dammit. rats. rata
rats Barney was arrested aud Gagged.
but for the two days that he languIshsd
In the bastile he never spoke word or
even squawkcd.
Tho magpic Is mischicyously de-
structivc fowl. perhaps more so Ia some
localities than others. Harry Bah
cock. the well-known mercantile
traveller. tells the following which
would be hard 10 believe coming from
most ANYBODY else. Glugage's cid
station on the Tuscarora road. sight or
nine miles from Elko. has .bssn de-
serted for some time. aud the magpies
have taken possession Of IL. They tore
the shingles OF the roof to gct inside.
and picked the lock OF the door. Then
they carried OF bedding. blankets. and
whatever odds aud ends Of provisions
aud things they could find They even
got away with the cooking utensils and
stove-covers. aud one day the passing
stage-driver saw about forty Of them
doing their best 20 pack of the stove.
but II was too much for them. They
A. -. 81