The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-10-09
THE COPPER WIRE assassin.
The Pike County Rack odsm an Saetting In
His supply foe n Purpose.


About this time OF year. up in Pike county"
said 4 resident OF that picturesque locality.
evidently in a confidential mood. the country
stores do quite business in fine copper wire.
A person not entirely familiar with the habits
and customs Of certain classes OF backwoods
people In Pike county might wonder. II he
should happen to be present In one OF those
stores just now. why fine copper wire should
be asked for by so many patrons OF the store.
II he should venture to make inquiry the
chances are that he would be told that the
wire was wanted for 'mendn' things But
person even slightly familiar with backwoods
ways would not need to he told that the true
service the fine copper wire was expected to
perform in the employment Of it's purchaser
WAS to be as an iniallible destroyer Of rufred
grouse, or pheasant. as that incompatible
game bird is cAlled In Pennsylvania.
THE wire is made into snares. which are
set In great numbers In and about tho haunts
OF the grouse. and which annually kill hun
dreds OF the birds In Pike county In spite OF
the act OF Assembly In such case made and
provided. Tho snares are placed on tho
ground In places whore tho grouse como to
feed and on old logs. which are great resorts OF
the bird the cock pheasant. especially. max
Ing them his favorite promenadng places.
The wire is made into a Slipping moose. which
spread out so that tho bird in walking cannot
avoid running Its head and neck through 1t.
and the pressure OF his body against 1t as no
walks on. unconscious OF tho deadly presence
tightens the moose: Then the bird discovers
to reIe"se i,sei from S no snare draws the
nooSse tighter and is soon strangled. ma,
pens are built by making miniature fence:
which Is done by sticking twigs in the ground
around three sides OF n space two or three feet
square. This leaves the pen with an open end.
In the other end n small space Is left In tho
suspended. The grouse feeding along, comes
to the opening in the zen and walks In.
any detour by the sides OF the enclosure it
comes to the opening wheret the snare Is hang
ing. 1t tries to pass out there. and ia caught
in the same way ms the bird is caught on the
log. Less than eighteen, inches OF wire will
make u snare. and some idea OF the mum her OF
them that nro annually scattered about In the
woods OF Pike county may be had when II is
known that hundreds OF yards OF the copper
wire are purchased oyery year by not hunters.
a season BY these snares is calculated by the
thousand. One well-known market ,provlder
has sold rs many as 500 OF these birds In a
Mt least nine-tenths OF them would show the
unmistakable marks OF the snare upon them.
o IKE rro s 0G ind
and destroy scores q these snares every year:
but the great majority Of them go, undetected
gal and wholesale destruction OF the finest
Of all American game birds has. heen
going on for time out OF mind. not 9nly In Pike
yania where tho rmffed grouse abounds. rival
ling. II not exceeding. the onsiauxhts Of the
SS the bs, the haw f the the
all anywhere in tho State; hut all reports from
the hunting grounds Of Pike county and ad-
this season promise to he more numerous than
they have Tor many seasons past.