Wichita eagle., 1889-12-05
EAGLES IN INDIANA.
A VERMilION COUNTY MAN SAYS IT
is THEIR GARDEN SPOT.

Rare Bir.ls That VIII Not Cross the I'LL
nois State Understanding About tho
Golden Eagle, Which Is Very Scarce.
Eleven Feet from Tip to Tip.
Suppose some one should ask you to tell
him the best place to go and get eagles" said
man who claimed to be from Indiana,
would you instantly refer him to my be-
loved state as the place above all others for
him to goi II l was betting man l wouldn't
be afraid to bet dollars to cents that you
would no more associate Indiana 10 your
mind with eagles than | would connect the
coast of Labrador with parrots. But bear in
mind after this that If any one should ever
come to you and beg you to point him the
way to eagles point him to Indiana, and you
will make no mistake. Point him, especially,
to Fernlilion county There are eagles all
over my state, but Vermilion county seems
to be their favorite retreat i live in Yer
million county.
TIE BALD AND GOLDEN EAGLES.
81 don't know that outside of Vermilion
county there is an Indiana man who knows
much about eagles, and maybe Vermilion
county folks wouldn't be so familiar with
them if it wasn't that Professor John Collett,
the naturalist, lives there, aud he talks right
out what he knows. We have in Indiana not
only the bald but the golden eagle, and the
golden eagle doesn't hang around in many
other places nowadays, either They are
rare birds even in Indiana, but there is
family of them on a farm in Vermilion
county, and that farm is not more than
three quarters of mile from the Illinois
border. I've seen these big eagles take flight
from their isolated headquarters on that
farm and Fly north il 4 straight line as far
as you could see them. have seen them sail
away until they were lost in the eastern
mists. l have seen them Wing their way
toward the baimy south straight az an ar
row. But | never saw ono of them scar 20
the westward. They seemed 10 know the Il
iinois state line. Lots OF people even in IN
diana, think they have seen golden eagles
when they haven't What they thought was
golden eagles was the females or the coming
2-year-old male of the bald eagle family
The reason bald eagle is called bald eagle
IS because Of a white crest with which
the male is ornamented. But he don't get
that crest until he Is past2 years old. The
golden eagle looks very much like the bald
eagle without the crest. Consequently folks
who amt up IN eagles, as Vermilion county
people are, think they have had the pleasure
OF seeing specimens of the rare golden eagle,
when all they've seen was either some old
bald eagles wife or his young son.
There's a farm in Vermllion county
where there is a regular bald eagle assembly,
and il has been there as long as any one can
remember anything about that part of tae
state. The eagles hold a convention there
every night, and Professor Coilett says that
the eagles that meet tnsrs come from differ
ent parts OF the state for fifty or hundred
miles around They come in the dusk Of tho
evening, and seem TO meet for some consalta-
ton Of Importance, rather than 10 have q
social time The big birds come soaring In
one at time. and every new conner Is re-
ceived with shouts OF welcome by the eagles
that have preceded hun to the rendezvous. IL
you've ever heard An eagle or two in a cags
give voice to thsir national song, you can
probably get some idea Of the grand and
msiodious chorus that swells oft upon tse
ambient Vermilion county air about ths.
bald eagle azsernblaze Of an evening. TE.s
rendezvous Is in very solitary place, where
there are numerous high and bare Ii1nbsi
sycamore trees Tn. eagles occupy those
limbs Professor CoIiett was an interested
but unseen witness 70 gathering Of these
eagles one evening, and he counted fifty
three.
POETIC HUgBC6.
We have learned out In Verraiiion courtf
tina. there hss been q great deal 0. poetic hum
bug written shout tbs eagie- There isn't
anything noble or inspiring abont hin he
Is Tot only the biggest CT ali featssssi Thieves.
but he !. the cru@sess. His especial deiige. "a
70 attack aud torture tie mos: innocent Ct
BIRDS and animals he VIII capture !ar.5
and tear ont the eyes II tbs blea.2az Ettls
thing, and then rsIease /. acd watch and
yioa. over the agorizsi movements of ..s vfc-
tim When tie poor An5 gross weak and
can-ct exhibit is agony iongsr tee e4gls VII
catch snotaer .. tie focE and suites. IL -
tie same torture. Ozs sazie has b>cn knovn
70 ragtzA.e ten lAzabe Ia cocx in tsss vay.
tee ewes sid xssp.ng thea a. q
distance ty bas harss cri>s AMI loud EapT.Eg
u hi. great ~inEx Fro=n az tsxs have s,sa
II eagles IN In2i2la don't be45sTs tat isc
bs-gest sage TIA. fses VIII sssacx snv sstEss4
-aTAtss ot showing any RESISTANCE. TEA ~
al b9@h aboss tse cage d4sasi1snS 70 esHs -
knytEiEz re hxs res ~szsgssSs5 as1 sl4AsA
aire4 Tss tad cage SIS sets.s down Oh
ND EaAks ne.l % as vie earTAoc as WI
~ Esxz.-d fkAt ever scensed eSIa EoT.s (
IN u. plains
Eagles grow bs= in v.rril.oa oo1-tr !
. $50