The Wild Pigeon of North America 49 



giving to the tail when spread an almost conical appear- 

 ance. Its back and upper part of the wings and head 

 are a darkish blue, with a silken velvety appearance. Its 

 neck is resplendent in gold and green with royal purple 

 intermixed. Its breast is reddish-brown, fading toward 

 the belly into white. Its tail is tipped with white, inter- 

 mixed with bluish-black. The female is one inch shorter 

 that the male, and her color less vivid. 



It was proverbial with our fathers that if the Great 

 Spirit in His wisdom could have created a more elegant 

 bird in plumage, form, and movement. He never did. 

 When a young man I have stood for hours admiring 

 the movements of these birds. I have seen them fly in 

 unbroken lines from the horizon, one line succeeding 

 another from morning until night, moving their un- 

 broken columns like an army of trained soldiers push- 

 ing to the front, while detached bodies of these birds 

 appeared in different parts of the heavens, pressing for- 

 ward in haste like raw recruits preparing for battle. At 

 other times 1 have seen them move in one unbroken col- 

 umn for hours across the sky, like some great river, 



payment for Chicago land.'' Soon after $39,000 was paid. In 1874 he 

 visited President Grant. He said of him: "I expected he would put on 

 military importance, but he treated me kindly, give me a cigar, and we 

 smoked the pipe of peace together." In 1893 he procured judgment 

 against the United States for over $100,000 still due on the sale of the 

 Chicago land by his father. He was honored on Chicago Day at the 

 World's Fair by first ringing the new Bell of Liberty and speaking in be- 

 half of his race to the greatest crowd ever assembled on earth. After his 

 speech "Glory Hallelujah" was sung before the bell for the first time on 

 the Fair grounds. 



