Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-01-28

row tongue OF
land, jutting into Lake Erie from it's
southern shore, rising for fifty feet
without limb and then spreading
wide its immense branches, tall and
solitary, stood the old tree whose com
panions had long since been swept
away by the heavy surges of wave and
storm that had washed bare it's own
great roots and seemed ever trying to
wrench the old oak from its mornings,
but in vain. A landmark by sea and
land for miles around, it held its ex-
posed position as if in proud defiance
of the forces of waves and winds.
But not alone for it's great size and
striking situation was the old oak
noted High up in the topmost
branches, SO high that the foot of the
most expert elm Der had never ventured
there. mass of sticks and dead limbs
was the nest of pair of eagles, who
sought it every spring to rear their
young, and prey upon the gulls and fish
hawks who sought their food in that
vicinity. A magnificent pair were those
old eagles, the pride and admiration of
all for miles around. No one could
remember when this had not
been their eyrie, and the time
in the time of Indian possession.
From the Indians had also been
handed down the tradition that even
more than sentiment or local pride had
preserved the lives of the eagles and
restrained the inhabitants from any
act of violence or harm. For" so
ran the legend, whenever the eagles
nest should be touched by a disturbing
hand, the eagles would leave it never
to return again, and with their de-
parture dire calamity would over
.vhelm the neigh borhood, while i'll luck
and misfortune would ever after fol-
low the rash mortal who should dare
to modest the birds or their habita-
ton"
Such was the prediction told by the
earliest settler ito every newcomer.
and repeated in turn till the old oak
and the great nest within it came to be
almost objects of reverence and super
stitious dread, and daring hunters
Stunned it as tree of ill-omen. while
timid children playing about the beach
kept far aloof from the ''Old Eagle
Oak"
The tradition was again repe ated to
the Van Fleets when one early spring
they came to make their home on the
shore of the lake. about mile from
the point where the great oak held its
solitary state.
Martin Van Fleet listened to the
story as the old hunter Mackworth
told it, his eyes in the meantime
watching the eagles as on widespread
wings they sailed in great circles high
IN the air above him. A bright-eyed,
well-knit, active boy of fourteen. was
Martin, alike ambitious, intrepid, fond
Of daring and adventure, and who
as vet had to learn the meaning of the
word fear. From the first the eagles
were an object of fascinating interest
to him. and also to his younger twin
sisters Grace and Clara, and often they
might have been seen watching them
or haunting the vicinity of the eyrie.
For a time there was comparative
auiet in the old oak; seldom was but
one of the eagles seen, and he re-
MANNED much of the time perched on a
limb near the nest
But at last one day Martin rushed in
to the house crying: New neighbors
have come to town. There are young
eagles in the eyrie"
That such was the case was soon APP
parent to eyes less keenly watchtul,
and both the old eagles now made
long excursions in search of food for
the hungry little mouths SO securely
hidden in the nest
80 dear" sighed Grace one day. as
the old bird disappeared within the
tree. chow do wish l could see those
little eagles"
no vou?" said Martin, with a curl
ous smile. ..Well, who knows but one
If them NAV fall out of the nest one OF
these days"
But that would kill it," rejoined
Clara. land we want to see them alive
Nothing more was said ON the sub
iect. and but incidentally was it noticed
that the next week all of Martins
spare time was given to some work in
regard to which he preserved a studied
silence. Finally one afternoon he
asked his sisters to go with him for