St. Paul daily globe., 1893-06-11
FRIEND OF THE WILD PIGEON

A Boston Hackman for Whom the
Birds Have Taken q Great Lik-
ing.
Boston Daily Globe.
One of the prettiest sights in Boston
is to be seen every day about noon in
Bosworth street, when Cornelius Bres-
nahaD, hack driver, feeds his pet
pigeons. "Con," as his friends call him,
is a fine, tall fellow, with pleas
ing manner and pleasant face.
He is not by any means talka-
tive about himself, and does not
appear to regard his feeding of the
doves as anything very extraordinary.
But it is pretty sight to see him-a
great big, burly Misunderstanding in the
roadway. surrounded by fifty or sixty
fine, healthy, well-fed doves, some fly
ing around him, others at his feet pick
ing up the corn in the snow, while five
or six of the more familiar birds perch
on his shoulders or on his hand, eating
their food with the utmost abandon
ment,
Every day the birds. come on time,
whether Con is there or not. THESE
pigeons roost in the caves Of the temple
or in the belfry Of the old church on
Birthstone corner, but exactly at noon
they leave their roosts and fly down to
Bosworth street and await Cons COM
ing. Sometimes he is late. but the birds
wait for him and often, when he gets to
the feeding place, he will find two or
three score of doves cooling and flutter
Ing in readiness to receive their corn at
his hands.
Con drives hack 269, and has been
driving for nearly twenty years. He is
well known all over the city. He began
this feeding of the doves about three
months ago. He had no idea OF going
on with it when he began. But he saw
that the birds soou got used to him, and
that they would come at his whistle,
and after while he found he could call
them by name. The birds are simply
wild pigeofis, without an owner, and no
one to feed them but Con. When Con
is late long line of birds will be found
waiting OH the ledges Of the hOrticult-
ural building. on Bosworth street, but
they will see Con as he turns into Bos-
worth street with his hack, and down
they fly, settling in the road, anxious
for their supply of corn.
The major general, as Con calls
crooked-bill bird, is quite pet. Con
says the major general can lick any Of
the other birds. and he shows his fight
ing qualities when any of them occupy
too much room on Cons hand. The
major seems to think that he has a first
right to Cons hand, and he will perch
on his thumb and eat heartily, while
the others are compelled to look on.
Then there are the two Judges"
solemn-lookipg fellows, and Kit and
Dan McGuinniS, all of whom are special
pets with Con. But they all know his
Whistle and come to him. Con has a
peculiar whistle which he uses to call
the birds, but he also talks to them
much as mother would to her pet dar-
lfngs.
"Come here. little one." says Con, as
a beautiful bird flies around his head.
"Come and have some corn," and the
bird f1utters to his hand and eats in per-
feet contentment.
Now kiss me-" he says to another.
and the bird puts up his bill and takes
the kiss. flying merrily away as if salts
fed. Then Con smooths them and pats
them, as they look upinto his face, half
hidden by his fur cap.
And 80, day by day, as regularly as
clockwork, Con comes and feeds his
pets, and they fly off to roost as happy
well, as happy as well-fed birds.
1t is pretty sight, and crowds of
men and women stop and take i'll the
interesting scene. But the crowds do
not trouble the birds; they go on feed
ing and cooling as if only their kind
friend were present.
A number of saucy sparrows, too.
have just begun coming to partake of
Cons hospitality, and he is seriously
considering whether he shall take them
in hand also. They are, however, a
little scary at present, though one or
two are bold enough to approach close
to the swarm Of doves.