The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-10-21

were astonished at the millions Of
pigeons which darkened the sky one
afternoon and continued all through
the night The noise of wings and
the low murmer of bird voices were
a study and chapter in nature which
caused great comment all over the
land. The extent Of the pigeon army
reached hundreds of miles north and
south and extended across all north
east Missouri And how strange is
the pathetic truth that within ones
lifetime the wild pigeons of the North
American world have declined from
the line Of the billions on down to
the line of total extinction. Not a
single specimen of the pigeon is in
existence today. It's fate is one OF
the saddest in the annals of all the
western world.
In all the years of settlement of
northeast Missouri, the periods Of
1851 and 1862 and the year following
were the most trying to the farming
classes and the rural population.
Life with them was of the degree of
reduced confidence in any affair, for
the social alienation ruled earth and
sea and sky. Life was suspended by
the most delicate thread. The eclipse
was so gloomy and it's shadow pro-
duced a strange impression on all
classes.
Colonel VIM. Bishop was post
master in Alexandria, and his official
Office was situated in two story
wooden house on the north line of
Main street, in 1863. This house was
the west limit of the destructive fire
which destroyed SO many important
business places in May, 1862. Colonel
Bishop was the chief OF military
power in the town and the county,
and he was radically for the welfare
of the union established by our fore
fathers.
A deputy, James Williams, presided
in the postofFce, and there is where
we received our Missouri Democrat
and the Weekly Gate City. The
steamer Little Eagle would bring
from Keokuk the daily papers, at
eleven o'clock in the morning, and
there were anxious Inultitudes await
ing the arrival at our post of the
little messenger which conveyed the
newspapers and the records Of the
tragic deeds of the civil war. The
current papers of these years were the
the Republican, the Gate City, the
Constitution and the Chicago Tribune.
The Chicago Times was pro-south and
had a small circulation. The daily
papers from the south were usually
brought UP on the steamers of the
ST. Louis and Keokuk Packet com
pany. the Jennie Dean Die Vernon,
City of Warsaw, Hannibal City. Lucy
r ri
which arrived about four o'clock in
the evening. There was quite a
crowd lined up, along the wharf ready
to seize the papers which the news
man offered. And the papers then
did not use big headlines, and the
chief war news was classed in the
few columns headed "By Telegraph"
There were lacking the element of
the comic or sensational displays of
type and picture. The times were
SO severely serious to admit of levity.
Along with the shadows and alien
atoms of the summer of 1853, there
is recalled one peculiar affair which
alarmed the public in some degrees.
Rabies among dogs and other domes-
tic animals spread, and even the sol
diers stationed in Alexandria were
ordered to watch for dogs which
showed symptoms of the malady.
One June evening the boy recorder
was visiting his neighbor com
panion, Jesse Pickering, whose home
family lived a half mile west of the
r E. Hill home. It was growing
dark that Sunday evening. as Jesse
and the writer were playing in the
home yard Quietly strange dog
came in from the north and proceed
ed TO pass south near US. In a play
FIJI shirt Jesse thought to become
familiar with the visitor, but sullenly