Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1892-09-22
GULLS OF THE LAKE.
Birds That Safely Breast the
Fiercest Gales.
with o Skill md Precision That Is aer-
Vicious, They Wrcst Their Food
from tho Very Jaws OF
. tho Tempest.

their quest for food along the surf which
washes the city shore have missed one
of the many exceedingly interesting
sights furnished by this cver-changing
panorama of fascinating water which
too many Chicagoans think is too COM
mon to be worthy the least attention.
These great birds, says the Chicago
Tribune, look much like eagles, of
which they arc type. They arc typical
Chicagoans. Many of them race in
with the suburban trains in the morn
ing, and out again to the wooded shore
lands at night They seem to like tho
din and roar of city life Daily they
pursue their traclllcss path deep into
the city's heart, and not infrcqucntly
sound forth their satisfaction at what
; they sec from its business housctops.
These great, eaglc-lillc birds arc de-
voted workers for Chicago, workers for
! the happiness of Chicago people. Their
wings measure nearly three feet from
tip to tip, and their power both to soar
, and poisc il the teeth of tho angricst
gale is = marvel The fact that the
,, wing; of these lake gulls arc heavily
musclcd gives little clcw to the Won
Gcrful secret, for when in E1id-air It
seems as though they must be entirely
Mt the Iacr. y of the gale, particularly
| when poi3i1G, for ct such moments
| they are maintaining 4 certain definite
. position with apparently no effort, and
; their entire appearance Is that of
statucsquc rcposc- For many seconds
ut time they may be seen TINS poised
while perhaps within speaking diItanco
; huge lake craft with hundreds of tons
: of ballast reel and StaGGcr almost to
capsi:ing by reason Of the lurri canc
that is sweeping the lake. AZ al Co.
: ample OF how c::cccding fer the cum
: ming of natarc srrpaG5eS the alleged
. wisdom of man, the rlotionlcGj poisc of
! these gull5 Of the Lake, raid-air in q
J raging storm, gives evidence NEST Strill-
ing.
! If the storm brings tho human mariner
distress, and Cftc:! death, i is the Kind
lest friend TIC l2,:c>gnll l-novG. Fer
: the storm does the lake gals market
: ing fer hiI-l; i: Is ki5 Grcatc3t rrovio,'r of
: fool Therefore, Thc:l tcI2Dc@t l. howl
. ing and cIlCriiy hurting TIC biilov-S | l.
land from Cif The great, rocking, plateau
! Of water l. RIO time to sec these gull3
busiest II their quest for food. Il :itcrm
on the Lake means the casting towards
shore Of quantities CT decd fish which,
were it not FIR t!.c gyIlEi. T5or:ld add TO
tic city'S pc3;ilcntial possibilities. With
keen eyes ocaT2nirg the Gurf;iag flood
thc3o greet birds, riding Llid-air, and
usually but Il short league from 3hcrc,
wait as if ut perfect case fer the up
pcarcncc Of their food. Sighting q fin
ny carGaS3, they take Il position irnIac-
tliatcly above it, then drop Ike n shot
upon their prize, and GccEingly with
out touching the water they seize tho
fish and SOFT gracefully away. The abb
sclutc nicely with which they gauge
their Grop--which is usually = distance
Of not less than fifty fcct-involviag an
accurate calculation as TO tho distance
the fierce wind may carry them be-
tween the moment Of their Soldipg their
wings end the instant they will reach
the water, together with the CalculG-
tion of tho shift Of position occaSioncd
TO the fish by the slrging waters upon
which IL Goats, i3 something past all
finding out Of course no ono prc1ruocs
for q moment that the gull docs any
mental figuring on these points; not
onc-thousandth part the calculating
that n n1n would do whom about to
swim Z narrow, swiftly-nowing stream
and make q certain point on tho cppo-
| .
cite side. And yet the feat performed
by tho gall is probably u Thousand
times moro wonderful than that of tho
man who swi,ns Il Gwift current accord
ing to his calculations.
The curious may wonder why the
gullo 10 not wait until their favorite
food has been thrown up on the beach,
end then take it with seemingly less
danger 60 themselves. We'll, tho reason
Is That unlike many people tho lake
Eull never loses any tinc waiting fer 30
slip" that may never land. It's lsnovl-
edge OF wind end wctcr tells it It's food
may be washed 60 within rod of shore,
then Che storm which brought il may 20
down, leave IL there, and smother storm
spring mp from the Island end wash it
away.crain. When dead fish orc not
plentiful tho menu Cf the gull is made
| IN OF rrf1lt;c matter egCsNC-Nllv yyliC, Ia