The evening times., 1895-12-19
wALLAcE's BLAcKBlnD STORY.
Respected His Roman Candles, but
Knew Where His Line Fence Was.

Respected HIS Roman Candles, Hut
Knew Where His Line Fence Was.
Ind lana polls Sentinel.
Gen. Lew Wallace yesterday related an
Incident which shows TO a remarkable ex-
tent the wonderful sasacity and memory Of
b!ackbirds.
'At my home over In Crawfordsville,"
said the general, 1--WE have large number
OF tall trees on the lawn, and In the course
of time these trees became the roostinS place
at certain times OF the year for hundreds of
thousands of biackbirds. They came in great
black clouds. and In spite Of all l could do
they refused TO leave. or course they were
great nuisance, and / was in despair as to
some means of getting clear OF them /
stood for days with my gun firing into
them of an evening and killing hundreds of
them, but the rest did not seem to be suffi-
ciently struck by fear or grief to want to
part company with me and my hospitality.
then devised a new scheme.
procuring number OF Roman candles
one evening, lighted them one by one after
dark, when tue boughs Of the trees were
bent low with the weight of the croakiDg
birds, and poured the candles into the tops
OF the trees at a great rate The sudden
innovation startled the birds as nothing had
ever done before, and they became panic
stricken. That night was free OF them.
The next evening, however, the habit Of
returning there to roOst was stronger than
fear, and they began coming in by thou
sands as the evening approached. After
dark began with another voiley OF candles,
and the birds began to realize that there
wasa determined bombardment in progress.
They fled precipitately, aud the third even
ing only few returned. A few last shots
putthem to light and was troubled no more.
But what do you think those birds did?
Ny dividing fence runs between the trees on
my property and the trees on tie property
of my neighbor, which are equally high
and equally suitable for home for tie black
birds. When the birds were driven from my
lot they flew over across the dividing fence
to the trees of my neighbor and settled.
There was no bombardment over there,
and they have stayed there ever since.
This was a long time ago, but never
since the last Roman candle was fired into
them has one OF those birds settled IN one
of my trees. They are tabooed' as effect
ually as though they were on fire. The
great clouds OF birds each morning and
evening fly directly over my trees going
and coming, but not bird settles upon q
tree that is on my side Of the dividing
fence
Another strange thing is that If any
one OF an evening stands In my lawn and
makes slight noise, as slapping his hands,
there will be the widest commOtion among
the birds in the neighboriRg trees. They
become restless and almost panic stricken.
II, however, the same person crosses the
fenct. and stands directly under them, and
makes twicr as much noise, they pay no
attention whatever to him. He can even
shoot up into them without driving them
from their perches.
II have wondered several times just
what impression those birds have of me
and my property that they have SO decidedly
given lie the Goldfish oulder. They know every
tree that is On my lawn, and will settle by
thousands on the other side Of the fence
within few feet of the dividing line. OF
course, have not bothered them over there,
as they were not my guests"