/ 



V 



98 The Passenger Pigeon 



fifteen cents a dozen at the net, or $300 for twenty days' 

 work for six men and two nets, while on the other 

 hand, during the same time, many better catchers who 

 had not been lucky in location hadn't made enough to 

 pay for board. Names, locations, etc., can be furnished 

 if Prof. Roney desires. 



The Professor then goes on to lament his failure 

 before our Emmett County jury. The reason why is 

 very simple, he never proved his case. This whole 

 pigeon trade was a perfect Godsend to a large portion 

 of Emmett County. The land outside of Petoskey is 

 taken up by homesteaders, who, between clearing their 

 land, scanty crops, poor soil, large families, and small 

 capital, are poorer than Job's turkey's prodigal son, 

 and in years past have had all they could do fighting^ 

 famine and cold, and but a year or so since all Michigan 

 was sending relief to keep them from starving, thou- 

 sands of dollars being contributed, and then most har- 

 rowing tales being told of need and destitution. 



The "pirates and bummers" left some $35,000 in 

 good greenbacks right among the most needy of these 

 people. Many were enabled to buy a team, others to 

 clear more land, more to increase their crops, and all 

 to lay in provisions and clothing to meet the bitter 

 winter we are now passing through, and this money did 

 more to open up Emmett County than years of ordinary 

 work. It put scorces of honest, hard-working home- 

 steaders on their feet; it increased trade, and, if sent 



