The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1894-06-08
PIGEONS.

hhSiS d'S pSOplC llVlUR WHO Iemem-
Der seeing the sky blue with wild pig.
cons. Great hocks were seen without
seeing end. They were caught in nets
by skilled catchers by the hundred
dozens. They made delicious stew.
There are people living in this same
locality who never saw flock of wild
pigeons. For a number of years no
pigeons were seen flying where mill
ions used to sweep the sky with a
schwishing noise. What has become
Of the wild pigeons2 Nothing so
much excited the sportsmen and the
people in general as a good flight Of
pigeons. Now for the information Of
the young people who never saw pig
cons flying will try to describe the
method of catching pigeons. People
having pigeon nets, in Nighttime
would make "bough house" or
bush-house large enough to conceal
two or three persons in a field. A
stake was driven into the ground near
ly in the centre of the " bush. house,"
to which one end of the net-rope was
tied, and from ten to twelve rods
from the bush-house y stake was
another stake driven into the ground
to which the other end OF the net rope
was fastened. Midway between the
stakes one edge of the pigeon-net was
fastened to this main line of rope
while the other parallel edge of the
net was also fastened to rope the
same length of the net, and these two
edge corners were then fastened to the
ground, and the main line-rope and
net were sprung back to the fastened
edge and stayed with sticks and hooks,
leaving a space of six or eight inches
between the two edge lines of the net
into which the balance of the net was
snugly tucked to conceal it from the
pigeons. When all was in readiness,
with "fyer" and "stool pigeon" In
place, the anxious catchers, at the first
sight of flock would send away the
"t1yer which was fastened to long
thread of twine, after which they would
hover the pigeon on the stool and
draw the whole flock into the "net-
bed" when the net would be sprung
over many dozens of pigeons. This
was one of the most exciting sports
that men could engage in. 1t taxed
their vigilance to the utmost extremity
During the pigeon season, everybody
feasted upon pigeons. But where are
they now? Echo answers where. 1t
would do the people good to see sky
full of these birds as was once the case.
Should there be another such a flight
of pigeons, or seasons of them, the
old pigeon-catchers would get wild
with excitement. They would be in a
bad fix. There are scarcely any more
pigeon nets to be found, and, still
worse, there are no more wild stool
pigeons in the county. Everybody
would be as wild with excitement as
the pigeons are wild by nature, and
every gun would be brought into re-
QUESTION and thousands of pigeons
would be shot on the wing.
/ once heard an old pigeon, catcher
say that on one fine Sunday morning
he put his net in place and was watch
ing for pigeons within sight of a church
in which was worship held at the same
time, he felt really condemned; but to
his horror and amazement great
whirlwind was sweeping up the hollow
in direct line of his quarters and when
it struck the bush-house carried it
away with its force while he grabbed
and held fast to the stake, he was thus
saved flight through the air.
He said that cured him from Sun
day pigeon catching and ever after
that he went to church on Sunday as
was his duty. But right here we ven-
ture the prediction that good Sun
day flight of pigeons would be a hard
Ell temptation to resist Sabbath break
ing than any other temptation that we
C n conceive of. w.
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