The weekly Butte record., 1861-06-15
Something about Eagles.

race of savages, while the Mexican ancestors
of those who were conquered by Cortez resided
in the North-and, perhaps were the mound
builders of the Mississippi Valley. They were
commanded by their god, vitziputzl to move
to the South, and conquer the then inhabitants
of Mexico. Led by their captain, Mexi, they
went forward, carrying the image Of their god
10 tabernacle, made of reeds, which was
placed in the center Of their camp whenever
! they halted, and who governed all their move
ments, Having reached the country now cal
led Mexico, the god, Vitziputzli, appears to
Mexi in dream, and told him to settle where
he should see an eagle sitting on a fg-tree
growing out of rock in lake. This spot was
found, and they laid the foundation Of the city
OF Mexico. The tabernacle of the deity was
placed in their midst until temple could be
built for him. Is it probable that the resem-
blanee of this tradition to the account of the
mission OF Moses is merely an accidental coin
cidence.
When Gordias, peasant Of Phrygia, was
tilling his ground, an eagle came and alighted
on the yoke of his plow. This was an omen
of sovereignty. The Phrygians, barassed by
civil commotions, applied to an oracle, which
declared that cart should bring them king.
Gordias and his son Midas soon after came to
the assembly riding in q cart, and Midas was
chosen king. The cart, which had carried the
destinies of the State, was tied up in the cita-
del with the famous Gordon Knot, afterward
cut in his peremptory fashion, by the sword of
Alexander the Great.
The Roman scepter was surmounted with
the head of an eagle. This was adopted by
the Tarquin, on whose entrance into Rome an
eagle took of his cap, circled twice around
his chariot, and then put it on again. 1t has
been suspected, however, that this eagle had
been trained to perform the feat. But if so,
the seeming prodigy had its value in the popu-
lar belief.
The selection of Constantinople, the ancient
Byzantium, as the seat of the Eastern Empire,
is said to have been directed by the eagle.
Constantine had fixed upon the site of ancient
Tyre, and the engineers were laying out the
city, when an eagle came, seized the measuring
line, flew off with it and dropped it at Byzan-
tium. Such, at least, was the story told to
the soldiers and mariners to reconcile them to
the change of plan, which they might other
wise have thought bad omen.
Plutarch tells pretty good story about an
eagle, and he is considered pretty good autho-
rity in ancient lore. The Athenians were in
structed by oracle to procure, and honorably
inter, in Athens, the remains of Theseus. At
length, while prosecuting the search, they saw
an eagle on hillock, which it was trying to
open with beak and claws. The place was
explored and there was found the skeleton of a
very large man, with sword and spear-he
These relics were received in Athens with
great joy, and inferred in the midst of the
city, where the famous temple of Theseus was
afterwards built, the ruins of which are still
extant.
The Romans used the eagle Oh the banners
of their legions. The French, under the EN-
pire, adopted them from the Romans. The
eagle of Austria is the union Of the Eastern
and Western Empire and the Emperors of
Austria consider themselves the head of the
Holy Roman Empire. Indeed, a large plate of
the portraits of the Roman Emperors contains
the whole line from the first Caesars down to
the reigning Emperors.
Russia has her black eagle, Poland had her
white eagle. Prussia, also, has her eagle
England choose beast instead Of bird for
her emblem but America, her daughter, went
back to the imperial and triumphant eagle
Students in natural history have not deemed
the bald eagle as an altogether appropriate
and satisfactory emblem of our beloved coun-
try. He lives, it is said, life of rapine and
unwilling to hunt his own prey, he robs those
who are more Industrious If hawk strikes
down quarry, the bald eagle appropriates it.
If sea eagle, after an hours watching,
pounces on a fish, the bald eagle waits till he
has raised it to good height in the air, then,
dashes at him, makes him drop it, and hurry
off screaming while he, with swoop catches
and devours it.
This is not very good character for our
national bird, but we must try to mend his
manners-N. Y. Mercury.
VANITY FAIR on THE CRIsIs.-A new Call
X is of opinion that call should be made
for regiment of cooks, to perform culinary
service for our gallant volunteers for, he says,
it is we'll known that when the soldiers under
take such matters they invariably make Mess
of it.
Signal Bravery-The Artists Of the Studio
Building in Tenth street are forming military
organization. In case of a brush with the
enemy. we may be sure that they will stick to
their colors.
The Sticking Point-The point of the Bay
onet.
Appropriate Con-Why should everybody
take to segars at the present? Because the
Piping times Of peace are past.
Massachusetts, Statuary-The Marblehead-
ers.