The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-10-13
RICE BIRDS HUNTED M TORCH.
Thousands of Them Nov BrinE siaugh-
tered In tho south 10y Marhetmrn

CHARLESTON, = c, Oct Thousands
81 rice birds are being slaughtered daily
In the n.ld- around Georgetown TO supply
the markets 81 tho East. The season.
which opened Auspiciously for the bird
dealers, has been profitable. and ono firm
In Georgetown has made tho largest
shipments ever recorded In this section.
Some time ago a dealer In Philadelphia
offered 10 buy tho entire output Of The
Georgetown dealer. regardless of price
and the numler 81 birds shipped The
Philadelphian said he could easily handle
49, - dozen NJ once. which gives an idea
Of the enormous demand During the past
week the Charleston buyers have had
great difficulty IN getting birds, as The
price has jumpHd from 5O cents 20 IS cents
a dozen Blu, this increase has not stopped
the sale herr and the city IL ~feasting
Daniel CrpVley. n well-known hunter
at Georgrtowu, has n novel wny ~ hand
ling ric' birds and he has amaSsed q small
fortune from has labOrs None NJ the
little fyrrs sent uut from the Grow cy
establishment are hlled with shot and
on this account Crowley gets "a larger price
for his product This week be- had twenty
Ave negro+- picking feathers from the
birds which were captured near his home
4 have found that the shot birds are
not easily sold said Mr. Crowley in
spaaking Of his business. and for that
REASON | never ALLOW n piece ~ lead, how
ever small To tear the flesh. W.. have
a good idea Of the places where the birds
ron-i and az night ! send out a crowd Of
negroes with hamtng torches The birds
ar, blinded by the light and there IL ~"
trouble IN raking In barrels 81 IN" living
onc> They are easily caught and ar"
killed by crushing m" skul between the
forefingrr and thumb - a mans hand =
After the Thousands 81 r1cc feeders ar"
sent Ia the picking room and killed, negroes
ara EMPLOYED 70 clean them 81 feathers
and from the pic king room they are IsaS-"d
to IN. coolers. Boxes containing twclv"
birds. all ~ which have the" heads intact,
are put under pressure sufficiently power
full "a fr-eze them. and IN hat condition
they are shipped by the fast trains To IN"
markets Of the country. Within the past
year Crowley has practically CREATED a rtce-
bird monopoly. although the prices are
fixed hy the popular demand and not by
this Georgetown bird king Thor" arr
many other shippers from the re" Held
section, hut their methods OF killing ana
packing differ from Cruwleys and they
ara less successful for that reason. The
novel sight Of the night -cener, when. with
flaming torches III" fields are invaded
10y IN" bird Catchens, H. only surpassed
10y the other picture In me picking room
where hundreds Of little negroes are clean
ing the feathers from the meat.
In n few weeks. whou the rice bird sup
ply around Georgetown h weak. the Eastern
markets will L. flooded with an imitation
noe bird, which differ but slightly from
the real article These fakes arr coots
The feathers are black. whore the feathers
~ the rice bird are 81 a canary color. and
the hll IL longer But after IA" feathers
and the heads nave teen removed there
j. no way by which IA" difference can N"
detected and the direrauc" In flavor can
only IT, nuti,.d by the expert The coots
are caught without difficulty and can 10
bought from negroes for a tnae. Coming
a. they do az the flag end 81 the rico bird
season, they command n roadv sale. and
INSCRIPTIONS dca lers have found that
none can he coined by selling them