Urbana Union

STOOL PIGEONS.
This phrase is often used, and not always understood. It is good—a good word, as Polonius says.
At the season when the wild pigeons fly in great flocks, men went forth a netting but formerly more than now. They selected a level piece of ground in an open field on which to spread the net, which is a large square net, fastened to the ground on one side, along its whole length, and kept distended by a stick at each end, so that it may turn like the leaf of a book. And this turning is caused by the pulling of a long rope fastened to a brace in the net. Over the space in front of the net is strewed a quantity of grain. In the centre of this space is driven a short stake, on the top of which is hinged a long treadle, on one end of which a pigeon is fastened by its feet, its wings clear and its eyes sewed up. This treadle is worked by a long cord which is carried to a bush house of the netting party:— When a flock passes over, one netter pulls the treadle cord to make the stool pigeon flutter, and another netter throws up the other pigeons, with long twines fastened to their feet, and their eyes sewed up. By these arts, the passing flock alights about the stool pigeon and while the birds are picking up the grain scattered for them, a pull at the net rope which is also extended to the bush house, brings the net over them, when the managers gather round the gentle captives, squeeze their heads, taking care to spare the stool pigeon. The net is turned back and set for another flock.
The stool pigeon is quite an innocent bird used to take in others, and is made to flutter by men behind a bush pulling a long string or wire. The phrase might be applied even to a Legislature at Columbus, and the stool pigeons made to flutter by the pulling of a string at Washington.