The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1922-05-18

the tragic story-the tale of the birds
untimely end. 1t looked like suicide
it probably was one of those indus
trial accidents that overtake builders
occasionally.
Three years ago. on the yeranda at
Appiehur II. a similar accident hap
pened; only in this case it was swal-
low instead Of an oriole that figured
in the tragedy A pair of swallows
had built under the veranda--a nest
remarkable for its symmetry and
workman hip. One morning an unusu
al sound WAS heard and it was found
that the mother swallow had, in some
way, got entangled in a long thread
which was securely fastened in the
hard dry mud of the nest, this thread
Was around the birds neck and the
bird was struggling. Help was sum
moned from the next house and the
good woman who had heard the
alarm rushed across with a pair Of
Acissors. but. although she made all
possible haste, when she arrived, the
swallow was dead and dangling Bird
life is full of tragedies at Good Will
and everywhere.
PASSENGER PIGEON
No. am not going to claim that
passenger pigeons are seen in these
days at Good VIII. but We have one
of this specie on the premises. and.
like all other passenger pigeons, it
is dead. The last great flight of
passenger pigeons in New England
occurred within ny memory. was
not allowed to use gun myself. and
somehow | feel rather glad that
did not have any share in the slaGgh-
ter, though the number that | might
have secured or that any one man. or
group of men secured at that time
probably had nothing to do with the
passenger pigeons extinction.
There could not have been much
sport in shooting game birds under
conditions that prevailed fer day in
my native town; the pigeons were
everywhere, branches bent beneath
them to shoot them required as much
skill as would be needed to kill a ban
tam in the poultry yard with the same
iirearm, but many men We're caught
napping-they had guns. but no am
munition, or not powder ana shot
enough to make a wholesale killing.
But they would not get caught in that
way again. Next time they would be
ready for them, and so when the year
came around and the probable date
of the great flight approached they
were ready, but the pigeons did not
come that year. nor the next nor the
next; they never came again,
Several years ago | was II the home
of a friend in Hartford, Conn. and
| had occasion to go into the kitchen.
/ There was evidence, everywhere of
the very best of housekeeping. but
on shelf, back of the kitchen stove.
] spied a disreputable looking OBJ
pect. 1t was Il mounted passenger
pigeon. 1t was dusty; its neck had
been broken off. half way between the
head and the shoulders and was hang
ing by mere thread on one side: il
suggested man. who, wearing q
plug hat, had been on spree, and
was trying to get somewhere, with his
hat still in touch with his head. | said
to my friend, That bird looks as
though he was destined for the Junk
heap, but don't let it go there"
It's a passenger pigeon and no one
knows what its value may be few
years from now; TIE specie is prob
ably extinct"
My friend told re that he knew
what it was but had no interest in
it whatever. He would be glad to
send it to taxidermist the next day
to have it fixed up as far as possible
and he would ship it to me. The
/ specimen arrived and was placed in
the Good Will Museum. | used to
tell visitors that | was not sure whe-
Their it Was worth seven ami IA half
cents or seyenty-iye dollars; if the
/ passenger pigeon came back this spe-
cimen WAS worthless; if it was proved
10 be extinct, the specimen. though by
10 means perfect, was of great value
And finally an Associated Press dis
atch announced that the last live pas
senger pigeon had died in captivity
in the Zoo in Cincinnati. Ohio, the
night before. and the value of Good