Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-05-25
AUGUSTA MAN CAN
TALK OWL LANGUAGE
BUT CAN'T TRANSLATE
From His Cottage at Ham,
mond's Grove He Calls Two
Owls from Across the Lake
and Perching in Tree Over
head They Listen to Him in
Rapt Attention

1t is a well-known fact that the human
voice can be trained to initiate those of
the denizens of the fields and forests,
both bird and beast, and to a degree Of
perfection which will deceive the wild
creatures themselves and bring them to
the immediate vicinity of the one who Is
deceving them. Instances of this kind
are not many in thickly settled districts.
but il is said that an Augusta young
man who is keeping bachelors hall at
Hammond's Grove, Cobbosseecontee dur
ing the summer months, has mastered
the art of initiating to perfection and has
taken for his dupes n pair of owls.
Owls are not very sociable birds at best
but it is said that the two in question
come when the man calls in owl language
and pcrching in a fir tree over his head
listen to his 'hooting' in rapt attention.
Just as long as he "hoots." so tits said,
they will sit and look down at him
through the branches, turning their heads
ms way and that. listening the while
70 inc owl-like notes below. When the
Young man ceases to "hoot" the spell Is
apparently broken, for the owls return
On silent wings to the place whence they
came.
me exact abiding place of the owls Is
po' known but it is somewhere across the
"hF from Hammond's Grove and at the
same ume within earshot of the young
""i cottage, for the calls. both the real
anu 'he imitation, can be heard each way.
~ 'i'f' "hen the young man steps out of
we cottage soon after twilight and TAX
"s MS stand among the fir trees, lifts
W MS voice and calls "Who-who-
"ho VINO. Who straightway there comes
.s.oSs the water on the still night air the
.'- lle query This is repeated several
7S ana then when the young man gets
=, ~ reply to his call he knows that the
nus are coming. for an owl can't boot
while in flight
eseh'iN the birds alight in the tree
.,, .' MS head. their presence being her
~. IT. perhaps by falling twig or a few
- VI moss, and glancing up he is able
u''hS discern their shapes in the dark
ss' Then he boots again and the owls
aos 'fanlng their necks in their en-
III. 10 locate their supposed relative
s., ''fos are yet too shy to allow them
.., 10 come any nearer to their enter
y. ''ef out that he has got their goat"
~. profoundly confident, for in addi-
n W." 10 twisting their necks to the danger
ao'n' IN an endeavor to see the supposed
w. beneath them he says that one OF
,.s 'n VIII place a wing behind one ear in
"rer 10 better hear the call.
s,; a connection with the owls it is also
ys ,a mat the young man by way of inno-
uoi mas on several occasions added =
su,. .o'es TO the regular call, with the re-
ev,,. wat at such times he gets the owls
and =. almost to the point of frenzy
., II is his belief, from the commotion
SLOW, ","ss In the treetop and the occa-
tbro a. nuttering of few feathers down
no,su ush the branches that those few
ths tbs are the signal for trouble between
hl,s. owis' On such occasions also the
tb.,. 'eave the tree hastily and wing
in =. way home. probably trying to think
"os,. owrs way what the deuce the other
wi was talking about.