The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-09-03

49,
The /" Osprey Affair." 6. q H. c." ala
Rtrht-A Full, Free, and Frank APos-
ogy-Easls Nests, Flying squirrels
9 Anecdotes, dc. #,:} &=l...s =.
SO WILLIAMSBURG, VA, August 81, 1874.
Your espopdent crises to explain"
He never meant to say anything against G.
& f. C. in his late rerlarss about the bald
eagle: he only meant to correct mistake
la natural history even it it originated in
The "general remarks of Eastern Shore peo-
ple,u and he is glad to find that he and q. IL
f, C, agree so well in the main. Your cor
respondent recently assisted in robbing the
nest of the bald or American eagle Of Its
Young. He hired negro to. cut!doWn fine
live pine, in which for years these feathered
fishermen had built their nsBs AID reared
their Young. The negro was very anxious
TO get the stone which his superstition led
him to believe each eaple's nest contained,
said stone being able, according to his belief.
to cure any one affected by the bite OF j mad
dog. The old eagles for a time fought well
for their young, but being almonished to
stand off bya few loads of.snal shot, passed
the rest of the time occupied in cutting down
the tree by sitting on tall trees some distance
oil, bewailiug the misfortune which had
fallen upon them. The tree fell, and, with
rush, | ran out with. 4 friend to secure our
prizes-two fulIy,fedged eaglets, almost
ready to fy. Strange to say they were
neither OF them hurt, despite tue Seary>tail
of the tree. The negro did not ind his stone,
but one of our party, kno wing his belief, had
furnished himself with q stone, which be
palmed off on Cuffey as the original, much
TO the satisfaction of the latter, who is now
a real ssmad-dog DOCTOR" The strangest part
isJet to be told: the whole OF the under
part of the eagles nest (Which altogether
would fill two or three carts; was tunncled
out aud filled with young and Ole flying
SQUIRRELS; they came 1ying and skipping ont,
and seemed much disturbed at the sudden
collapse of their home. Here truly WaYan
instance of one animal owing its safety tOits
own insignifcance, in the very house OF
what, We would consider its worst enemy:
These young eagles grew up, and are now at
the Eastern Lunatic Asylum the particular
pets of DR.. John Clopton, the assistant pay
sician-and to see them go for rat, a fish,
or even dog is truly refreshing. They do
not become bald until three years old.
,, Aprop6s of eagles, and bald eagles in par
ticuIar, the following anecdote may do to
tell even on the stump during the coming
tlenan near here rented bis fishing grounds
to q Connecticut Yankee for one year, his pay
to be as much fish as be mig require for bis
FAMILY For some weeks he received no fish
worth having. only few very small rock.
One day he asked me to go down to where this
fisherman was, and whilst there he asked the
fisherman (who pretended to be good and
loyal manl how it was he received no good
fish. when he had been going to Norfolk so
often with fish for sale. All this time several
~American eagles" were soaring over the
pens formed OF nets) in the water IN which the
captured fish were kept. The fisherman
sWore he hadn't caught fish the whole sea-
son large enough to "make pan smell"
Just then one Of the aforesaid emblems of
our country sWooped down into the pen and
brought ouL six or seven pound rock-6sh.
NV friend pointed to this as proof as strong
as holy Writ of the false statement of the
Connecticut gentleman, who, on seeing it.,
exclaimed HD--n the American eagle.
He is nothing but pirate, any Way-liyng
on other folks earnings!" a small boy
standing near began to scream and make a
loud noise just under the eagle, and made
him drop his prey, for which The youngster
received quite good price.
Franklin, to quote him in full, says: For
my part, / wish the bald eagle had not beer
chosen az the representative Of our country
He is bird of bad moral character. He does
| not get bis living honestly. You MAJ, have
seen him perched on some dead tree, where,
too lazy to fish for himself, be watches the
iabors Of the fishing hawk; and when that
dhigent bird has at length taken fish, and
IS bearing it to bis nest Tor the support of his
mate and young ones, the bald eagle pursues
| him and takes it from him. With all this in.
Justice he is never in good case, but, like
those among men who live by sharping and
lrobbing, be is generally poor, and often
lousy besides, he isa rank coward; The
little king bird, not bigger than sparrow,
attacks him boldly and drives him out of the
district. He is, therefore, by no means a
proper emblem for the brave and honest
Cincinnati OF America, who have driven all
the king birds from our country, though ex.
actly lit for that order of knights which the
French call cheuaiiers d. industrae p 2 II III
+ This was Writtenabeut one hundred Years
ago. There is much more resemblance be,
tween the. "enbiem y and the country z
now than formerly. Our eagle has lost What.
ever was good in him, and 1t would De well
| il our king bird would take his place; OF
| that of the horde OF cheraliers d'iadustrae-
the miserable negro poisoning adventures
who live by fraud in the country, and -four.
ish by tdespoiling our honest fishing hawks
of all the hard. earned fruits of their labor
WILLIAMSBURG.
MILEAGE OF UsITEp STATES MkRsHALs.-
The Attorney General has decided that the
proyiso in the army approp riation bill OF thi
lost seesinn nf (r9rass 10 the effect that only