The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1910-11-03
THE PASSING OF THE PIGEONS.

liz 1oOllVN vi LIE lNLOlNS.
Half a century and more ago wild
pigeons were yearly visitors to the
Maine coast and We're caught and killed
in large numbers for food and for export.
They were shot and netted. The birds fire.
quented the shores of bays and tidal riv-
ers, and before alighting would collect in
large numbers on an adjacent tree, pref
erably a dead tree, from which they
would drop one by one to the shore be-
low. This led to the construction of what
were called "rakers." A pole or trunk
of tree would be set in the ground at
on it's top would be fastened long stick
at an angle pointing into brush camp.
Cross pieces attached to this stick afford
ed resting place for the pigeons, and
when it was filled the gunner concealed
in the camp would discharge an old
smooth bore gun filed half way to the
muzzle with fine shot and dozens of birds
would be killed at one discharge. The
netting was done on high ground in
clearing. The ground where the net was
used was leveled off and on the side
where the net was set row of dead
trees would be set up for the pigeons to
alight upon. The net was set on rope
attached to spring poles, the rope leading
through brush camp which commanded
a view of the bed, as it was called. Corn
and oats were spread literally near the
net. The pigeons would alight on the
trees few at time until they were
filed. Then they would begin to venture
down to the bed, and when number had
begun eating the corn the whole flock
would follow, and at the right moment all
hands in the camp would pull on the rope
and spring the net and then rush out to
lay sticks or stones on the outer edges to
prevent the escape of the birds. If to be
kept alive they were taken out and put
into sacks to be transferred to coops.
When first taken the pigeons were devoid
of fat and rather dry eating, but given
all the corn they could eat they quickly
fattened. This is the writer's recollec-
ton Of the pigeons in Washington county,
and we have heard the late Daniel Lane
tell of the large shipments he made at
that time from Belfast to Boston.
After time the pigeons ceased to
come and no one knew what had become
of them. Every year since some one has
brought up this question, but to our
knowledge it has never been satisfac-
toriy answered until this year. The Sat
urday Evening Post of October 18th tells
the story in an article captioned 1.-THE
Past Participle in Pigeons" in which it
is said chat this bird was killed out by
man even more thoroughly and absolute
ly than the buffalo was killed out" The
birds were not prolific, as was supposed
in the days of their abundance, laying
but one egg year. Their habitat was
in the west, in Michigan and Wisconsin,
and one of their nesting places was esti-
mated to be forty miles in length by
three to ten in width, the trees contain
ing from five to fifty nests each. These
nesting places were attacked when the
young birds were in evidence; trees were
cut down or nests knocked down with
poles, and Indians, men and boys, were
employed in killing squads, for which
they received a cent apiece. Thousands
of young birds were left among the ferns
and leaves dead, having been knocked
out Of the nests by the rromiscuous tree
shaking, and dying for want of noursh-
ment and care, which the parent bird,
trapped off by the netter, could not give
The shotgun also got in its deadly work,
and the outcome was the determination
of the pigeon. The details of the slaugh-
ter as given in the Saturday Evening
Post are sickening.