Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1892-02-10
LASSOING CONDORS.
UciTING PAsTlME or THE Chill
IAN PLAINS YEARS AGO.

Cow the Stock Hcrdcrs Of Sout.i Amer
lea Used to Get sport Ont of Killing
the Monstrous vultures of the Lofty
Andes-Gigangic EIsds.
Chasing the condor with tie lasso was
ihe leading sport on the Gillian plains
when was in that country years ago."
said New Yorker who went to South
America with Harry Mciggs, the great
railroad contractor, but | am told that
this great bird has become so wary that
the sport is now almost unknown. Twen-
ty-tiye years ago the condor had developed
no evidence of cunning that | ever heard
Of There was then as there Is now, | be-
lieve, government bounty of five dollars
head paid for the killing of the condor
both in Chilli 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.
'fThe condor, unlike many other mem
bers of the vulture family, doesn't wait for
something or 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 provide that carcass himself At
least, that used to he his habit, and pre-
sumo he hasn't changed any in that re
spect, providing the material for carcasses
is as plenty now as 1t was then,
'The herds of cattle that pastured on
the undulating plains between the impen-
etrable wall of the Andes and the Pacilc'S
white crested line of surf, offered the con
dor 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 tribute on the grazing
herds
Twenty-Five and thirty years ago it was
no uncommon thing to see hundreds of
these winged freebooters lowering over the
plains, each one Il ravcnous and determined
dinner robber from the herds below b.
which the shadow of condor's wings car
ried as much terror as the appearance of a
hawk does to II brood Of chickens
TRAPPING BIG VULTUREs.
"The condor was the greatest enemy the
stock raisers in that part of South America
had to contend with, and it was his per
sistent and destructive raids on grazing
cattle that made him an outlaw, with a
price on his head, to be relcntlessly hunted
even among the crags and cloud capped
peaks where he made his home.
"When days old time sport at condor
lassoing was to be had the carcass of Il
steer, a dog or u horse was carried out on
the plain. Strong stakes were driven into
the ground five or six inches apart about
the carcass, until n roohess inClOsure six
or seven feet high and twenty feet square,
with n gate Mt one side, was made, Long
before the work of making this inclosure
could be finished condors would be seen
floating down from the clouds, far above
which they have their haunts. As long as
the workmen were busy at the inclosure
the birds would sail high overhead.
'"The instant the coast was clear down
the great vulture would drop and in a few
seconds he would be tearing at the dead
body in the Enclosure. 1t is no uncommon
thing for mature condor to have a
twelve foot spread of wing, and | have
known them to measure fifteen feet from
tip to tip of wing. Their bodies are heavy
and on the ground the bird is clumsy.
at cannot rise for fight without run
ming rapidly for long distance, to give it
the necessary momentum, especially if it is
gorged with food, which it never fails to
be If any food can be obtained. AS a con
sequence, when n condor alighted in one Of
those Enclosures he was as much of pris-
ground, and the sportsman kept him there
to serve his pleasure.
USING THE LARIAT.
"When he wanted to ride after condor
the owner of the pen generally with a
friend or two similarly equipped, mounted
fleet horse fastened his lariat to the sad
die and rode to the inclosurc. An attend
ant opened the gate of the prison and let
out n condor for each rider When the
condors found themselves at liberty, they
Mt once started at the top of their speed on
the long run that would enable them to
take wing.
"After they had run probably one-qunlter
of the distance the huntSmen put spurs to
their horses and dashed after the birds.
AS the condors arose from the ground with
great wings spread the lassOcs were
thrown. An expert handler of the larat
would send his rope over the condors head,
and so manage it that it was slipped down
until it touched the shoulders of the wings
before It would be frightened on the bird.
1.-The condor was then prisoner, but
able to use his powerful pnions, breathe
freely and lead the hOrseman wild chase
across the plain, turning in all directions
in his frantic flight, but unable to rise
higher than the length of the lassO, When
the rider tired of the sport he would turn
his horse about and lead the chase himself,
forcing the unwilling bird along until it
tumbled spent to the ground and was
dragged to death ut the horses heels.
II never could understand why Il condor,
captive like that did not turn on both man
and horse and attack them as he would
steer, but never knew one to do so, Once
in awhile lariat would break while the
horseman was brncing his horse against
some desperate sweep of a mighty condor
and then both horse and rider would he
tumbled violently to the ground, and the
suddenly released bird would shoot mp
ward like cannot ball and soon disappear
among the clouds. CondorS with several
feet of somebody's lariat hanging to them
were frequently seen among those that
swooped down on the herds, New York
Tribune.
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