124 The Passenger Pigeon 



After we came to where we now live (Cambridge), 

 and when I was going to Adrian, I stopped at father's 

 on my road. He had been out catching pigeons that 

 morning and had secured 600 by 10 o'clock. He said 

 to me: 



"I wish you would take these pigeons to Adrian and 

 sell them if you can. Take them to the depot and sell 

 them for 10 cents per dozen. If you cannot sell them, 

 give them to the workingmen in the shops." 



I thought 10 cents was pretty cheap, so I went to sell- 

 ing at 20 cents per dozen. When the men came out of 

 the work-shops I sold them all at 25 cents per dozen. 

 After I left for town, father caught 500 more, and took 

 them to Adrian the same day and sold them for 10 

 cents per dozen. If the same lot of pigeons had been 

 shipped to New York, they would probably have 

 brought $2 or more per dozen. 



About a year from that time we caught 600 in one 

 day, and made up our minds we would ship them to 

 New York. We took them to Adrian to ship. When 

 we got to Adrian we saw father, who, after inquiring 

 about our intentions concerning their shipment, said: 



"It is foolish for you to send them, as they will never 

 be heard from." 



He advised us to dispose of them for 25 cents per 

 dozen; this was the highest price pigeons were worth 

 in Adrian. To please him we tried to sell them for that 

 price, but could not, so, taking them to the express 



