Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-06-10
THIS CROW
Was just About as Misehievous as The,
Make Them

Was just About Mischievous They
Make Them,
Cav. cav. cawr' and Jim Crow
the favorite pet of all our pets on the
old farm was beside us. He was
brought to US when very young. and
as he made himself at home from the
very first it was not long until we
were deeply attached to him He
was the blacklist of crows and at all
times had an enormous appetite.
Young frogs and earth worms were to
him choice morsels and he seemed
happlest when the children would sit
on the ground and dig the worms for
him. He would seize and swallow
one. then scream for another before a
second one could be found.
Monday was one of his gala days;
he would wait until the washing was
done and partly on the line. then he
would light on it. deliberately take
one OF the pins letting the clothes fly
wherever the wind might happen to
take them.
This he seemed TO consider great
fun. and so at first did the spectators;
but after awhile it became rather ex-
haustlng to the patience and the de-
cree went forth that every Monday
Jim should be imprisoned ir the corn
crib where he passed the time eating
corn and screaming at intervals for his
liberty.
Although at no time very good, he
was particularly naughty on Sabbath.
One morning the family we're waiting
on the piazza for the carriage to take
them to church when they saw the
leaves OF bible floating down from
an upper window.
Jim was suspected at once and the
children ran upstairs to investigate.
There they found the culprit sitting
On bureau with the open bible be-
fore him busily tearing out the leaves
ana throwing them from the window.
A week from that day he attended
Sunday school. but like Mary's little
lamb Jim's presence was very demor-
alizing.
His thievish propensities developed
with his age until at last it was
deemed unsafe to leave room with
duu WluuOWS open.
Things that were bright and glitter
ing attracted him most though all
'stolen fruit was sweet to him He
took a silver thimble from the work
basket and carried it to the top of a
chimney where he pushed it with his
bill down between the bricks and NOR
tar, and a man had to be sent up q
ladder to get it.
Again he took the key from the lock
in the cellar door and carried it to the
roof
When visitors come to the house he
devoted himself to them at once SEEM
ing to know he could make them his
unsuspecting victims. One day a
friend who was staying at the house
took her knitting and sat down on the
porch She was seated but lew min
utes when Jim made his appearance.
He waddled up to her. stood most I'M
concernedly with head turned on one
side and eyes partly closed apparent
ly DOING and as innocent a looking
crow DIS ever was seen.
Before we could warn her he seized
the ball of worsted from her lap and
with an exultant scream flew with it
to a walnut tree in the field. We fol-
lowed to see what he would do and
found him perched on a limb beyond
our reach, unwlnding the ball Of yarn
and abbering triumphantly in his own
peculiar language.
His mischievous ways, though
sometimes rather annoying, would
doubtless have been tolerated had
they not been combined with the love
OF murder. A disturbance was heard
one day in the poultry yard, and it
was discovered that Jim was the
cause, The old mother hen was de-
Tending her little chickens as best she
could, but cruel Jim had killed three
and was in the act of dtspatching
another. He was forgiven that time,
but when, the following day, he was
caught amusing himself in the same
cruel fashion, his days were num-
bered. This all happened many years
ago but | never see the crows about
but think of Jim and his funny ways
and remember him with a feeling of
affection.