The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-03-03
STRANGE sCAvENGERs.
How the Markets of Charleston, $. C..
Are kept Clean.

Washington Star.
Charleston, s. c., has the most print
| tive and peculiar scayengers in the world.
Hundreds--it seems thousandsr-of carrion
crows, or buzzards, in the very early
morning swoop down upon the historical
old city from the tall palm or palmetto
forests which skirt the western suburbs,
In the waking hours any passenger en-
tering Charleston on the Columbiaexpress
can see huge black Jumps fall from the
trees about. They never hit the ground.
Out in the open these black humps gather
in struggling flock and flop their way
over toward the custom house. They are
buzzards. While the twilight is yet gray
these vulgar birds so TO the city market
and infest it for an hour or two. The pas
senger who was startled by their dull
flop from their palmetto perches, and saw
great black clouds Of them move across
the low rice liars, can, II he goes 10 The
market place, see the same birds. disgust
ingy tame, running about the stall flows
OF the meat mart, fighting with the hunger
OF dogs of the city for bones and waste
which fall from the butchers meat block
cot WV ihhy
stranger who did not appreciate the
heallh value of these buzzards is iuf,le
to Kill one of them. Then he is liable 10
be fined $40, for the city does not .llow
It's curious scayenger birds TO be DESTROYED
with mpunity.
The Charleston market is noted rlnce
In the South. 1t runs from Market street
to the waters edge. and is the main thcr
oughiare for the crowd of pedestrians " no
come ana go from the harbor boats. IL Is
novel sight to see the hurrying feet on
Molklneh Feading their way carefully
among these wild birds gathered there by
the hundreds Like domestic chickens ,he,
stand about, and, like domestic dogs thay
Watch Tor every piece of waste as n Ia
cropped from meat block One would
hardiy think, as he pushes the big bird.
out Of the way that these same feathered
thhgs roost in the forest and are tame
noWnere else. In the markets they never
attempt to steal meat from the counter
Going through the three or four blocks
OF the big market one morning the writer
counted over three hundred OF these buz
karus waking about as nonchnlantly as
though II was their own poultry yard.
Ihey Will not get out of your way. They
nshl every dog or cat that attempts to
run IN opposition. and will scramble with
man or child Who completes with them
ior a iallen scrap OF meat But they keep
lhe charleston markets clean. perfectly
oiean AS a result Of their thorough scay-
enser work this is the cleanest and health
iest meat market in the world.
IN consideration OF their assistance in
keeping the city clean the municipal coun-
Gil has made IL an offense 10 iniure or kin
one OF them. An offender mt only has IN
pay hne OF $40. but usually gets a free
Lecture ON the laws of health and tha
vaiie OF the buzzards as assistant mem.
oers OF the local board OF health. Rv an
-FOUR after sunrise the birds have ali left
me CITY, II Is for this reason thai he
visitor to the city VINO usually gets Nm ny
yer mat hour, and strolls out later. never
acting as market scayengers 'Nls