206 THE PASSENGER PIGEON IN PENNSYLVANIA 



ground and watched this seemingly endless stream for 

 a long time. Finally the end came abruptly, and I 

 watched the birds way into the distance until they 

 were lost to view. They were traveling northwest. 

 Looking again in the southern direction, I saw the 

 grandest sight that I ever witnessed in the flight of 

 birds. A flock in cloud formation and apparently of 

 countless number, swept along in majestic flight. They 

 were clearly outlined against a gray sky, and as they 

 passed over me flying low, I could distinctly hear the 

 surf-like swish of their wings. 



In 1868 I came to this city and have always been 

 greatly interested in the passenger pigeon, and have 

 endeavored through the successive years to obtain all 

 information I could concerning their life habits and 

 their final disappearance. The mountains north of our 

 city for many miles were favorite nesting places of the 

 wild pigeon, where they were trapped in great quanti- 

 ties, most of which were sold on our curb-stone mar- 

 kets, they being brought in frequently by wagon loads. 

 A family living on the headwaters of Rock Run. 

 which empties into Lycoming Creek at Ralston, Pa., 

 made a barrel of soap fat from squabs, so plentiful 

 were they in that section. From the nesting grounds 

 at Kane, Pa., from three to twelve tons of pigeons 

 were sent daily to Baltimore, Philadelphia and New- 

 York markets. Men in lumber camps and families 

 living in the mountains, whose principal diet during 

 the winter was salted, smoked or pickled meats, re- 



