The Ravalli Republican. [volume] (Stevensville, Mont.) 1894-1899, 1898-06-01
STRANGE SCAVENGERS,

saov the Markets of Charleston Are Kept
Clean.
Charleston has the most primitive
and peculiar scavengers in the
world. HuudrcCs-it seems thou
sands--of carrlun crows or brzzards
in tho very carly morning swoop
down upon the historical old city
from the tall palm, or palmetto. for
ests which skirt the western sub
RIBS.
In the waking hours any passen-
ger entering Charleston on the Co.
.lumbla express can see huge black
dumps tail from the trees about
They never hit the ground Out in
the open these black Jumps gather
in a strugg Cling flock and flop their
way over toward the custom house
They are buzzards. While the twi-
light is yet gray these vulgar birds
go to the city market and infest it
for an hour OF TWO The passenger
who was startled by their dull flop
from theil palmetto perches and
saw great black clouds Of them move
across the low rice flats can, if he
goes to the market place, see the
same birds, disgustingly tame, run
ming about the stall flows Of the
meat mart, fighting with the hunger
of dogs of the city for the bones
and waste which fall from the
butchers meat block.
A stranger who did not appreciate
the health value OF these buzzards
is liable to kill one of them. Then
he is liable to be fined $40, for the
city does not allow it's curious scav-
enger birds to be destroyed with i'm
punity.
The Charleston market is noted
place in The south. 1t runs from
Market street to the waters edge
and is the main thoroughfare for the
crowd of pedestrians who come and
go from the harbor boats. It is a
novel sightto. seetho hurrying feet Of
workmen threading their way care
fully among these wild birds gath
cred there by the hundreds. Like
domestic chickens, they stand. about
and, like domestic dogs, they watch
fo1 every piece Of waste as tits drop
ped from / meat block. One would
hardly think, as he pushes the big
birds out Of the way, that these
same feathered things roost in the
forest and are tame nowhere else
In the markets they never attempt
ITO stead meat :rom the counter.
Gong Though the three Or four
blocks Of the blg market one morn
ing, the writer counted over 800 of
these buzzalds walking about as
nonch;llunlly as though it WAS their
'own poultry yard. They will not
:get out Of your way. They fight ey.
'ery dog or cat that attempts to run
in opposition and will scramble with
a man on Il child who completes with
them Tor 4 fallen scrap Of li1eac. But
they keep the Charleston markets
clean-pcrftc1lv clean As Il result
OF their thorough scavenger work
this is the cleanest and heulthiest
meat market in the world.
In consideration Of their assistance
in keeping the city clean the nuni-
'cipal council has made it an oftense
to injure or kill one ct them. An
offender not only has to pay $40
fine, but usually gets a free lecture
on the laws of health and the value
of the buzzards as assistant mem
bers of the local board Of health
By an hour after sunrise the birds
have all left the city. It 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.- -
Washington Star