The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1891-12-26
tycirlNs pAs1lnt.

ExCiriNs PASTlnE.
Lassoing the Condor on the Chill.
/ can Plains.
"Chasing the condor with, the
lasso was the leading sport on the
Chilean plains when | was in that
country years ago" said a New
Yorker who went to South America
with Harry Meiggs, the great rail
road contractor, "but I am told that
this great bird has become 80 wary
that the sport is now almost un-
known. twenty-five years ago the
condor had developed no evidence
of cunning that I ever heard of.
There was then, as there is now, !
believe, government bounty of S.
a head paid for the killing of the
condor, both in Chile and Peru. II
the birds are as plenty as they were
when went to that region, wide.
awake hunters ought to make plenty
of money. The condor, unlike many
other members of the vulture fam
lily, doesn't wait for something OF
somebody to die in order that he
may have his dinner, but if he
doesn't find a ready-made carcass
convenient on the plain when he is
hungry, he proceeds at once to pro-
vide that carcass himself. Atleast,
that used to be his habit, and I pre-
sumo he hasn't changed any in that
respect, providing the material for
carcasses is as plenty now as it was
then.
"The herds of cattle that pastured
on the undulating plains between
the impenetrable wall of the Andes
and the Pacific's white-crested line
of surf, offered the condor unrivaled
facilities in his line in those days,
and as he seemed to be in a state
of chronic hunger this king of the
feathered race levied constant trib-
ute on the grazing herds. Twenty
five and thirty years ago it was no
uncommon thing to see hundreds
of these winged freebootcrs hover
ing over the plains, each one raw
enous and determined dinner-robber
from the herds below, to which the
shadow of a condor's wings carried
as much terror as the appearance
of hawk does to brood of chick.
ems. The condor was the greatest
enemy the stock raisers in that part
of South America had to contend
with, and it was his persistent and
destructive raids on grazing cattle
that made him an outlaw, with a
price on his head, to be relentlessly
hunted even among the crags and
cloud.capped peaks where he made
his home.
"When a days old-time sport at
condor lassoing was to be had the
carcass of a steer, dog or horse
was carried out on the plain. Strong
stakes were driven into the ground
five or six inches apart about the
carcass until a roofless Enclosure
six or seven feet high and twenty
feet square, with gate on one side
was made. Long before the work of
making this inclosure could be fin
Iished condors would be seen float
ing down from the clouds far above
which they have their haunts. AS
long as the workmen were busy at
1.-The enclosure the birds would sail
high overhead. The instant the
coast was clear down the great vul-
|ture would drop, and in few Sec
onds he would be tearing at the
dead body in the inclosure. 1t is
no uncommon thing for q mature
condor to have a twelve-foot spread
1of wing, and l have known them to
measure fifteen feet from tip to tip
of wing. Their bodies are heavy.
and on the ground the bird is clum-
sy. 1t cannot rise for flight with
out running rapidly for long dis
tance to give it the necessary mo-
mentum, especially if it ia gorged
with food, which it never fails to be
If any food can be obtained. As a
consequence, when condor alighted
in one Of these enclosures he was
. as much Of a prisoner as if he were
chained down to the ground, and
the sportsman kept him there. to
serve his pleasure.
"When he wanted to ride after q
| condor the owner of the pen, gen
orally with q friend or two similarly
/ equipped, mounted a feet horse,
fastened lariat to the saddle, and
rode to the inclosure. An attendant
opened the gate of the prison and
let out condor for each rider.
When the condors found themselves
at liberty they at once started al
the top Of their speed on the long
run that would enable them to take
wing. After they had run probably
one e-uuarter of tho distance the