Evening star., 1898-06-04
BUZZARD STORIES.
Some Tales From the Eastern Shore,
Where They Flourish

"heTe ihey Flourish.
| From the Baltimore Sum- p &.
The Cambridge buzzard which frightened
team of horses. as reported in Saturdays
sun brings TO mind the fact that these
Vultures have been coming into the towns
every winter for the last fifteen years:
previous to that time they were never
known to visit the towns. Hunter H. BOYD
of Winchester, Va, who spent a couple of
months in Easton last winter, was greatly
surprised to see buzzards in town, an en-
tirely new thing within his observation al
though he had visited towns in nearly all
parts of the country. The number of buz-
yards does not seem to have increased, but
under the improved conditions of taking
care of live stock and poultry during the
winter but few die, and hence there is very
little buzzard food in the country In town
they actually come into back yards and
plunder garbage barrels and boxes for
food. In cold weather they perch on the
tallest chimneytops to get warm. The
courthouse chimneys are a favorite place
of resort. This caused the waggish remark
10 be made by democratic politician that
buzzards never sat on the court house until
the republicans got possession of the COM
mlsslonerS ONCE. The two events did
happen to be contemporaneous, but, of
course, II was not cause and effect. 1t
rather suggests dirty towns and need of
other scayengers than the birds of the air
John Mason, residing in Dover street,
found that the stove in a fireplace would
not draw. 1t was taken out, overhauled
and put back. but still it would not draw.
Concluding that there was some obstruc-
tlon IN the chimney, Mr.. Mason had it eX-
amined and dead buZzard was found in
1t. The bird had evidently been overcome
by the coal gas while sitting on the CHM
ney and tumbled in.
A buZZard with tnkling bell appended
to him comes around this section every year
or TWO This is the true story of the bell
ing OF that buzzard. sheep had dieA on
Alfred J. Wilson's farm, between Easton
and Dover Bridge. Three energetic and
mischievous boys set a steel trap by the
carcass, with spring strong enough to
mold, but not to main. a buzzard. One was
caught. The boys tied sleighbelI secure
ly to his leg, and let him loose. He tried to
fly away from the tinkling bell, and circled
high in the air until the sound of the ell
could not be heard The boys who pro
Jected with this buZZard are now men,
one is a young~man of affairs in Easton,
one Is at work in Venezuela and one In
Colorado. None of them are married. 1t is
bad luck to bell a buzzard.
William T. H. Lee and Charles A Caulk
We're sitting with loaded rifles on bench
In the yard of the Iatter's residence, on
Miles river. There was a bird circling
around high in the air With no thought
OF hitting 1t, Mr.. Lee sighted his rifle and
nred. 1T was a chance shot The ball hit
the bird in the head and killed it instantly.
1t came tumbling down with great velocity
struck a dormer window Oh Mr.. Caulk's
house and tore it to PIECES shingles, frame,
glass and all. 1t cost S25 to rebuild that
dormer window.
THE funniest buzzaFd story I know is
this says. a Talbot county tax collector
II was riding along the road and saw pig
lying down on the ground and a buzzard
walking about in the field. 4 did not know
whether the pig was dead ror asleep; nor
watch proceedings. = The buzzard got
closer and closer to the pig, walking slowly
and stopping often. Finally he got in po-
the pig in the eye with his beak The pig
awoke, frightened, and jumped up with
sundry porcine snorts. The buzzard was
scared as badly as thepig. He actually fell
and by the time he retrieYed himself the
r!, hog was hundred yards away and still