The Democratic advocate., 1908-05-15
"CROW HILL"
WHERE The BIRDS SPEND The LONG
WINTER NIGHTS
Roasting Place for Thousands Upon
Thousands

About two miles from Westminster,
on the Warfieldsburg road, is a set
tlement called fCrow Hill 1t was
given this name many years ago be-
cause of the fact that all the crows
within radius of fifty miles assembl-
ed there every day at dusk to spend the
long, cold nights of the winter 1t is
barren spot, save for the scattered
trees which serve as d roosting place
for the birds. On a cold winter day
its appearance is the very extreme of
desolation and sdiscomfort and one
naturally wonders why our friends
of the sombre raiment did not select
a more sheltered spot. Here they have
been gathering, however, thousands
upon thousands, from time immem-
orial.
Just now the place is uninhabited,
because in the early spring the crows
pair off and takelto che woods, where
they build large bulky nests of sticks,
and lay greenish eggs heavily spotted
with dark colors, generally to the
number of 4, or 6.
Crows are eminently social birds,
and while they have never shown
teas, they like to be together, and the
larger the crowd the better pleased
are they. There is nothing exclusive
about the crow; no aristocracy, no
denominational distinctions, no politi-
cal prejudices, no rich, no poor. All
members of the crow family are freely
admitted to a perch at Crow Hill, and
no questions asked. That it is happy
H.
and the companionship of their COM
rades cannot be doubted, because, al
though they forage the surrounding
country to a distance of from twenty
to fifty miles during the earlier hours
of the day, they never fail to get back
home before dark, unless the farmers
steel strap or shot gun interferes with
their plans.
You have often heard the express
sion straight as the crow flies," but
did you ever stop to think how remark
able it is that they can lay their course
so accurately when forty or fifty miles
from their destination? When Mr.
Crow has had his fill of Farmer John
sons corn, he faps his wings and
says. well, Do.S its getting late;
we'd better cut the air for home" He
has no compass to guide him, nor
does he need one. BY some mode of
reckoning, unknown and unaccount-
able to the greater human intellect,
he points his bill in the direction of
Crow Hill, and never swerves to right
or left.
Arriving there, they chat for time
with those who preceded them and
again with those who follow, but as
soon as darkness settles down they
drop off to sleep. Rains beat upon
them, the snow covers them, tOrnadOes
roar and threaten to WreSt them from
their perches, but Mr.. Grow slumbers
on, unmindful of it all. He knows
himself secure in the automatic clutch
with which his feet are equipped, and
which clicks into place around his
perch Immediately upon his entrance
into dreamland. Blow as hard as he
may, old Boreas cannot then dislodge
him.
The crow is not careful as to his
diet He will eat almost anything
from carrion to fruits. Nor has he
any scruples as to how he gets it. Just
now he is engaged in tormenting the
little sparrows by robbing their nests
of the eggs therein. Every spring
witnesses a war between these tiny
birds and their big black prosecutors.
The cawing and tapping of wings
strikes terror to the hearts of the
mother sparrows, but they put up a
stiff fight and the crows are often COM
PEELED to fly from their attacks.
The crow has a strong bill, capable
of tearing loose any kind of food, and
his digestive powers would be worth
a fortune to John D. Rockefeller. Mr..
Crow never lies awake at night from
indigestion.
Although the crow has never taken
first prize in beauty contest, it is not
a bad looking bird, and it is said that
next winter the plumage from these
birds viii adorn the ladies' hats, TAX
ing the place of tho chicken feathers
of the past season. Here's tip that
ought to make the fortune of some
promoter. Organize the Grow Stock
Company, buy Crow Hill, then get
some good, strong bags to hold your
money.
With all his faults, there is one
thing about the crow we must admire,
and that is his stately gait when NOV
ing about upon the ground. Not
Westminster girl in all the glory OF
her new spring suit and merry widow
hat can surpass the crow in this re-
spect.
Crows live long-some say hum
dred years. If you don't believe this,
buy a young one and test it's truth.
Tennyson writes of "the many-wint-
cred crow that leads the changing
rookery home.'
Grow meat is not considered
dainty dish to set before king.
We sometimes speak OF person "eat-
ing crow" but that simply means that
he has been compelled to do some
thing which he had vehemently declar-
ed he would not do. 1t is usually ap-
piled to politicians, and if you want
to know what crow flesh tastes like,
inst ask some of the county leaders
on either side.
Jim Crow applied to apartments
for colored people, is an old express
sion. Years ago there was a song, the
chorus of which ran
"Old Jim Grow
What made you treat that possum
so?"
Another old expression is II have
a crow to pick with you," which nat
urally leads one to infer that the pick
ing of a crow is very difficult ana
disagreeable undertaking. In Bar
claws "Ship of Fools" we find he
that her weddeth hath crow to pull.
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