A HAVEN OF. REFUGE. 



CHAS. C. TOWNSEND. 



One mile North of the little village of 

 Mosca, Colorado, in San Luis valley, lives 

 the family of J. C. Gray. On the Gray 

 ranch there is an artesian well which emp- 

 ties into a small pond about ioo feet 

 square. This pond is never entirely frozen 

 over and the water emptying therein is 

 warm even during the coldest winter. 



Some 5 years ago Mr. Gray secured a 

 few wild duck eggs and hatched them 

 under a hen. The little ducks were reared 

 and fed on the little pond. The following 

 spring they left the place, to return in the 

 fall, bringing with them broods of young; 

 also bringing other ducks to the home 

 where protection was afforded them and 

 plenty of good feed was provided. Each 

 year since, the ducks have scattered in the 

 spring to mate and rear their families, re- 

 turning again with greatly increased num- 

 bers in the fall and again bringing stran- 

 gers to the haven of refuge. 



I drove out to the ranch November 24, 

 1902, and found the little pond almost 

 black with the birds, and was fortunate 

 enough to secure a picture of a part of 

 the pond while the ducks were thickly 

 gathered thereon. Ice had formed around 

 the edges, and this ice was covered with 

 ducks. The water was also alive 

 with others, which paid not the least at- 

 tention to the party of strangers on the 

 shore. 



From Mr. Gray I learned that there 

 were some 600 ducks of various kinds on 

 the pond at that time, though it was then 

 early for them to seek winter quarters. 

 Later in the year, he assured me, there 



would be between 2,000 and 3,000 teal, 

 mallards, canvasbacks, redheads and other 

 varieties, all perfectly at home and fear- 

 less of danger. The family have habitually 

 approached the pond from the house, 

 which stands on the South side, and should 

 any person appear on the North side of 

 the pond the ducks immediately take 

 fright and flight. Wheat was strewn on 

 the ground and in the water, and the ducks 

 waddled around us within a few inches of 

 our feet to feed, paying not the least at- 

 tention to us or to the old house dog 

 which walked near. 



Six miles East of the ranch is- San 

 Luis lake, to which these ducks travel al- 

 most daily while the lake is open. When 

 they are at the lake it is impossible to ap- 

 proach within gun shot of the then timid 

 birds. Some unsympathetic boys and men 

 have learned the habit of the birds and 

 place themselves in hiding along the course 

 of flight to and from the lake. Many 

 ducks are shot in this way, but woe to the 

 person caught firing a gun on or near the 

 home pond. When away from home, the 

 birds are as wild as other wild ducks and 

 fail to recognize any members of the Gray 

 family. While at home they follow the 

 boys around the barn yard, squawking for 

 feed like so many tame ducks. 



This is the greatest sight I have ever 

 witnessed and one that I could not believe 

 existed until I had seen it. Certainly it is 

 worth traveling many miles to see, and no 

 one, after seeing it, would care to shoot 

 birds that, when kindly treated, make such 

 charming pets. 



A DAY DREAM. 



L. C. ELERICK. 



To one grown tired of city streets, 



And dusty halls of trade, 

 A vision comes of cool retreats, 



A glimpse of forest shade. 



His dingy office walls are gone, 

 And sylvan nooks he sees ; 



He views again a country dawn, 

 And wanders 'neath the trees. 



On every side are fragrant flowers, 

 The air is fresh and cool ; 



Birds' carols come from leafy bowers 

 As he stands beside the pool 



Where years ago, a barefoot boy, 

 With comrades young and gay, 



He plunged with careless shouts of joy, 

 And frolicked in the spray. 



He feels upon his throbbing brow 

 The pleasant, cooling breeze ; 



All weariness has left him now, 

 For he lives among the trees. 



And then — ah ! swift the vision fades, 



Again he hears a din, 

 Gone are the pleasant woodland glades, 



His office shuts him in. 



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