The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1906-02-22
Mr.. Montgomery Tells us
of Birds and Animals.

'o'u huuhoeTs was tue wiIu pigeon.
When l moved on my farm in Har.
rison township they had their roost-
ing place east of Kirkersville in
what then was known as Bloody
Run, an almost impenetrabls place
grown up with low brushy timber.
Another roosting place was in a
dense forest on Richard Conine's $
farm, which was north of Columbia
and northwest of Pataskala.
In the morning they would come
north in quest of food. coming in
such immense fiocks that the sun
would be darkened us though cloud
was passing over. These flocks
extended as far as the eye could see
When one flock had passed over an
other would follow in like manner.
They would keep this procession up
until about nine O'Clock. About
four they would return.
In April they made their nests in
these dense thiclets and matched
their young. | have heard persons
tell of wadlng into the swamps kill
ing loads Of the young squads.
The old birds were not palatable,
their meat being dark and tough.
In their flight north they would light
where had cattle feeding. 1 have
seen the ground covered with them
and have shot them but we did not
relish the meat. They were as nu.
merous as the offspring of Abraham.
The Angel of the Lord told Abraham
that Sarah should bear him a son,
and his seed should be as the sand
of the sea. After Il time the ten
tribes of Israel became scattered and
we're not known, so with the
pigeons, they have gone no one
knows where.
The first appearance Of wild pi
geons as near as | can recollect was
in April, 1858. They were so an
noyed by people who would come
for miles to get their young about
the time they were ready 10 leave
the nests, and fly, that they only re-
NAMED few years.
Another of the wild animals which
we see no more is the wolf. The
last wolf seen in this end of the ooun-
ty. 1 myself saw while riding to look
after some cattle fed for me BY James
Moore on the George Nichols farm,
two and a half miles northeast of
Pataskala. 1t was some time in
April, 1855, 1 was riding on horse
back (my way of getting over the
country south Of my farm along a
strip of land owned by Elanason
Root, when l saw an animal coming
through the open field with wonder
full speed. l whipped up my horse
to gallop to head it off, but there
was no stopping; it jumped the
fence some ten rods ahead of me
and went east. l saw it was a grey
wolf and learned afterwards it had
been driven by George Forsyshe
from a flock Of sheep. 1t had Jared
we'll and was big fellow weighing
perhaps $50 pounds. l heard of a
wolf being killed in the Flint Ridge
near Grasiot, 1 suppose it was the
same one l saw for it was not long
after.
Foxes which are almost extinct
used to burrow and have their
young in an ash mound on q farm
Of E. p. Hayes, and Mr.. Angevine,
had an ashery for the making of pot
ash. They gathered ashes from
all parts of the county aud abandon
ed the work about 1850. As the
foxes killed lambs, there was good
excuse for destroying them. My
granddaughter, the Misses Hayes
say they have seen as many as a
half dozen playing on the mounds. at
a time. In 1902 one was killed BY
a neighbor 10y which my oldest
rand'daughter stuffed. One Of my
neighbors, Will Stark, killed fox
on my farm some fifteen years ago.