The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1908-04-09
A Wild Pigeon Story.

Believing that the COLUMBIAN
readers will enjoy the novelty Of
this story, which was for local
newspaper some years ago, which
was then highly appreciated. When
q boy it was no unusual sight to
see hundreds of flocks of pigeons
in a day. in the spring of the year,
containing many dozens of birds
each. On one occasion we remem-
Der seeing the sky covered with
birds like a cloud. The North
Mountain was their rendezvous,
where beech nuts were usually an
exhaustible supply of feed for the
birds and also a very secure place
for Matching their young.
Whenever a snow fell in the
spring of the year aud covered up
the nuts the birds were driven into
the valley and other places for
food, and pigeon catchers always
made successful catches when the
birds were flying over the country.
We will mention a few expert
pigeon catchers whose names are
familiar to almost everybody.
Among them were Joseph Blair,
Michael Yaple, Jacob Yaple, Sam
uel Creveling, Andrew Creveling,
of Fishingcreek township, Peter
Kase, Andrew Runyan and John
Ikeler of Benton township. The
question of championship agitated
tie minds of these experts for some
years. Joe Blair, we select as our
hero of the following fictitious
story. In the meantime of these
seasons, Joe and his boys were
making net, with inch and half
mesh, 80 by 20 rods, covering an
area of three and three-fourth
acres. "Dod" said Joe, "I'll show
em how to ketch pigeons. Joe's
net had IS to 100 feet slack sack,
or bay, as it was called.
Beech nuts, on which the birds
fed was an usually heavy crop that
year, and attracted the pigeons
from all parts of the country. On
one April night quite deep snow
fell on the mountain and also COW
cred the valley about an inch in
depth. While it was yet showing,
Joe sent for more than a dozen
men, who were near neighbors, to
help sweep and carry the snow
rom his net bed. By daylight
they had the whole of the net bed
barred, whose area was 3A acres.
He sowed five bushels of buckwheat
on his net bed to bait the coveted
birds, and put his net in position,
weighing the anchored side down
with a ton of stones which were
tied at short intervals to the net
rope between the anchor stakes.
bod" said Joe, there will be
pigeons today" After all was ready
Joe took good ''horn of tangle-
loot, and of which all partook, be-
cause they liked it, and it was chilly
TOO, before beginning operations.
About 9 O'Clock several small focks
made their appearance but Joe paid
no attention to them. About 10
o'clock there came in sight such a
dight as was never before witness
ed by the oldest residents of the
community. The whole sky was
literally covered with pigeons like a
cloud of birds. The sound of their
wings roared like distant thunder.
AS this mass of pigeons approach
ed, Joe called out, throw the fly
err" and all crouched down in the
bush house while Joe lowered the
stool pigeon. The pigeons began
to circle and form a funnel shape
and dive into the net bed eating
Duckwheat, and the stream of birds
continued coming, and after the
net bed was covered with birds,
the men in the bush house became
so excited that they whispered,
pull Joe, pull Joe. why don't you
pull" But Joe let them come TN
ill the net bed was covered ten OF
twelve feet in depth with birds,
and then he sprung the net over
hem, and yelled, run all of yor
and jump on the front rope to KEEP