The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-02-01
FRIEND OF THE WILD PIGEONS.
A Boston Hickman for Whom the Birds
Have Taken "a Great Liking.


One Of the prettiest sights in Boston
Is TO be seen every day about noon in
Bosworth street. when Cornelius Bresna-
han, a hack driver. feeds his pet pigeons.
Con" as his friends call him. is fine,
tall fellow, with a pleasing manner and
pleasant face. He IS not by any means
laxative about himself and does not
appear to regard his feeding of the doves
as anything very extraordinary. But II
is n pretty sight TO see him-a great big
burly man, standing In the roadway, sur
rounded by fifty or sixty fine, healthy.
well-fed doves, some flying around him.
others at his feet picking 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 abandonment
Every day the birds come on time,
whether Con is there or not. These
pigeons roost in the caves of the Temple
or i'm the beIfry of the old church on
Birthstone corner, but exactly at noon
they leave their roosts and fly down TO
Bosworth street and await Cons coming.
Sometimes he is late, but the birds wait
for him. md often when he gets TO the
feeding place he will find two or three
score of doves cooling and hutterng in
readiness TO receive their corn at his
hands
Con drives hack 269 and has been driv-
ing 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
wnen he began. But he saw that the
birds soon got used to him, and that they
would come at his whistle, and after a
while he found he could call them by
name. The birds are simply wild pigeons,
without an owner, and no one TO feed
them but Con. When Con is late a long
line of birds will be found waiting on
the Lodges Of the Horticultural building
on BoSwOrth street, but they will see
Con as he turns into Bosworth street
with his hack and down they fly, set
Ting in the road, anxious for their supply
OF corn.
The major general. as Con calls a
crooked-bill bird. is quite a pet Con says
the major-general can lick any OF the
other birds, and he shows his fighting
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-looking fellows, and Kit and Dan
W ~NilAllllo, dli Vi NIDlil are special pets
with Con. But they all know his whistle
and come TO him. Con has a peculiar
whistle which he uses 10 call the birds,
but he also talks to them, much az a
mother would TO her pet darlings.
Come here. little one" says Con, as
a beautiful bird flies round his head
Come and have some jrn," and the
bird hutters 10 his hanu and eats in per-
feet contentment.
Now kiss me-" he says 10 another, and
the bird puts up his bill and takes the
kiss. flying merrily away as II satisfied
Then Con smoOths them and pats them,
as they look up into his face, half hidden |
by his fur cap.
And SO, day by day, as regularly as |
clock-work. Con comes and feeds his pets, |
and they fly off 10 roost as happy
well, "a happy, well-fed birds
1t is pretty sight, and crowds Of men |
ana women stop and take in the inter-
estlnS scene. But the crowds do not
trouble the birds; they go on feeding and
cooling as If only their kind friend We're
present.
a number of saucy sparrows too, have
Just begun coming to partake Of Cons
hospitality, and he is seriously consider
ing whether he shall take them in hand |
also They are, however, a little scary
ut present. though one OF two are bold
enough to approach close to the swarm
Of doves