The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-07-08
O'CONNEL's vORAoIoUs CRANE.
But Not Averse TO Most Other
Things.

Things.
From the New York Sun.
Northwood, N. Y-One of the most Gu
rious of the Adirondack pets was stolen
from Mike O'Connel one day last week
1t was a crane, so tame that the members
of the family could feed II from their
hands and gave it the freedom of the
yard and the creek back of the house
Strangers could approach it and even
touch it.
The crane was found almost starved to
death at the foot of a big birch near
Little Black creek last year. The tree
had been struck by lightning and the
mother bird and a young one had been
killed, but the other young one was unin-
jured.
At his house O'Connel built a chicken
coop by the creek, where the water wash
ed into a little pool. This pool was a fav-
orite resort of the sinners. In its prison
the bird would stand all day long it's bill
just sticking out between two Stats. A
sinner would come along looking for
grub. With motion SO quick that the
neck looked like a mist in the air the
bird would shoot out it's head and the
sinner would disappear. The next instant
one could not tell that the bird had moved
except for certain alert expression about
the eyes. The crane never missed a fish.
pool. A garter snake was thrown into the
water one day and the crane gulped 1t
down. The family of OConnePs cat, five
kittens in all, followed a mornings catch
of sinners, one by one, down the cranes
throat. The boys used to go down the
creek and catch a lot of sinners, dace,
clubs, and occasionally a trout. These
they would keep alive in a pail Of water
and, putting the pail before the crane,
would watch it strike them one by one
until all were gone. 1t would eat all they
brought, and fished between times but it
never got fat. 1t was worn down digest
ing so much, the woodsmen said. One
day a mink came along and plunged into
the cranes pool.
The crane at once showed signs of re-
sentiment. Cranes and minks are plum
derers of the same tastes, and are al
ways rivals The crane did not move, but
it eyed the mink in a way that meant
trouble So intent was the crane that
it allowed the terror-stricken sinners to
pass and repass it. At last an opportu-
nifty came, and the mink, as 1t lifted its
head above the water with six-inch dace
in it's mouth, was struck between the ears
repeatedly by the bird, and was soon
killed.
About the middle of the summer the
bird was let loose, but with clipped wings.
1t soon became a source of terror and
be irritated by their attentions, and one
day, when JEFF Worden's frisky shepherd
jumped at it, it Topped its stunted wings
and, curving its toes into the ground,
made for the dog. The shepherd fed.
The crane went after him. The bird
drew blood and pulled hair from the dog
at every thrust of its bill, and the dog
never went to Mike O'Conners again. The
crane stalked back up the road a changed
bird 1t seemed to have regretted its
past docility and good humor with other
creatures. After one visit any dog sneak
ed by the house with its tail between
it's legs Those that had shown fight
were so sore and lame next day that they
could hardly be made to move. A kitten
or a young chicken was eaten by the
crane at a mouthful. A big hen hawk
Owed into the yard at the chickens one
day. The crane was but a rod away and
the hawk wanted to fight.
In just minutes 10 seconds by Frank
Worden's watch the hawk was a dead
bird. There was one bird with which the
crane did not care to have trouble IL
was O'Connels brown bantam rooster.
This little fellow is all fight and it made
the big crane look out for itself at every
opportunity. The crane tried several
times to whip the little fellow, but each
time was badly whipped
O'Connel would like to know who stole
the bird. He would not have taken SO for
it. He is now on the lookout for an
other cranes nest from which to get
substitute for his lost pet.