Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1898-03-31
STRANGE ScAvENGERS.
How the Markets OF Charleston, S. c., Are
Kept Cle4.

kep! Cieaf.
Charleston, s. c., has the most prim-
tive and peculiar scavengers in the
World. Hundreds-it seems thousands
of carrion crows or buzzards, in the
Very early morning, swoop down upon
the historical old city from the tall
palm orr palmetto forests which skirt
the western suburbs.
4 In the waking hours lany passenger
sentering Charleston ONT the Columbis
sexpress can see huge black Jumps fall
from the trees about. They never hit
the ground. Out in the, open these
black Jumps gather in al struggling
flock and flop their way over toward
the custom house. They are buzzands.
While the twilight is yeti gray these
vulgar birds go to the city market and
infest 1t for an hour or two. The pas
senger who was startled by Their dull
flop from their palmetto lerches, and
saw great black crowds Of them move
across the low rice flats, can, If he goes
to the market place, see the same
birds, disgustingly tame, running
about the stall flows of the meat mart
fighting with the hunger of the dogs
Of the city for the bones ind waste
which fall from the butchers meat
block.
A stranger who did not appreciate
the health value Of these bqzzards is
liable to kill one of them. Then he is
liable to be fined so, for the kitty does
not allow its peculiar scavenEer birds
no ,l.A
The Charleston market @la noted
place in the South. 1t runs from Mar
ket Street to the waters edge, and il
the main thoroughfare for the crowd
of pedestrians who come and go FROM
the harbor boats. 1t is novel sight
TO see the hurrying feet of workmen
treading their way carefully among
the big birds gathered there by che
hundreds. Like domestic chickens,
they stand about. and, like domestic
dogs, they watch for every piece of
waste as it is dropped from a meat
block. One would hardly think as he
pushes the big birds out of the way,
that these same feathered thin. roost
in the forest, and are tame nowhere
else. In the markets they never at
tempt 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 buZzards walking about as
nonchalantly as though it was their
own poultry yard. They will not get
out of your way. They fight every
dog or cat that attempts to run in op-
position. and will scramble with a man
or child who disputes with them for
fallen scrap of meat. But they keep
the Charleston markets clean, perfect
ly clean. AS result of their thorough
scavenger work this is the cleanest
and healthiest meat market in the
world.
In consideration of their assistance
in keeping the city clean the munich
pal council has made it an offence to
iniure or kill one of them. An Offend
er not only has to pay so fine, but
usually gets free lecture on the laws
of health and the value of the buzz
yards as assistant members of the To-
cal board of health BY an hour after
sunrise the birds have all left the city.
1t is for this reason that the visitor to
the city, who usually gets up after that
hour, and strolls out later, never sees
this extraordinary sight of wild birds
acting as market scavengers.-Wash-
ington Star.