The magazine of history with notes and queries, Vol. II, No. 4, October 1905 — John Shaqi
The magazine of history with notes and queries, Vol. II, No. 4, October 1905Various
History
The magazine of history with notes and queries, Vol. II, No. 4, October 1905
Various
History -- Periodicals; United States -- History -- Periodicals
Buckwheat was early introduced in Dallas, and was afterwards so
extensively raised there that the expression “Buckwheat-Dallas” was
frequently used by the way of marking this fact in connection with the
name. It is a summer grain and quick to mature. In ninety days from the
day when the crop is sowed it can be grown, matured, gathered, ground
and served on the table as food, or, as has been often remarked, just
in time to meet a three months’ note in bank. Another practical benefit
from raising this grain was that, in gathering it, a large quantity
of it shook off and was scattered over the fields. This afforded a
most attractive pigeon food, and during the fall and spring seasons,
and often during much of the winter, pigeons would flock in countless
numbers all over that country. They came in such quantities that it
would be difficult to exaggerate their numbers. When a boy I used
to see flocks that extended as far as the eye could reach, from end
to end, and these long strings or waves of birds would pass over so
closely following each other that sometimes two or three flocks could
be seen at once, and some days they were almost constantly flying
over, and the noise of their wings was not unlike the sound of a high
wind blowing through a pine wood. They cast a shadow as they passed
over almost like a heavy cloud. Often they flew so low as to be easily
reached with an ordinary shotgun. The skilled way of capturing them in
large numbers, however, was with a net. William or Daddy Emmons was a
famous pigeon trapper as well as fisherman. He used decoy pigeons. They
were blind pigeons tied to the ground at some desired spot, and when
they heard the noise of large flocks flying overhead, they would flap
their wings as if to fly away. Attracted by this the flock would come
down and settle near the decoys, where plenty of buckwheat was always
to be found. When a sufficient number had settled and collected on the
right spot, Mr. Emmons, who was concealed in a bush or bough house near
by, would spring his net over them quickly and fasten them within.
After properly securing the net, the work of killing them began. It
was done in an instant by crushing their heads between the thumb and
fingers. Hundreds were often caught and killed in this way at one
spring of the net. Pigeons were so plenty that some hunters cut off and
saved the breast only, and threw the rest away.
THE OLD LOG CHURCH
Of all the occasions in the church, none ever approached such intensity
of feeling and excitement as the “revival” or “protracted meeting”
season.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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