The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-07-27
KIsKINa MUCH FOR AN EGO.
Some Unhappy Hours Passed in Rob-
bing a Vulture's Nest.

From the Nelo York Tribune
81 have my little fad as we'll az other
people" said a prosperous, fat and jolly
commission merchant TO a Tribune reporter
the other day, but dare say you would
guess a long time without hitting on it, SO |
will confess It without putting you to the
| trouble. 1t is my collection OF birds eggs.
1t rests In my smoking room at home In It's
neat glass-covered boxes with cotten-wo ol
nests, and every egR-shell In it was collected
by myself, and every one has the date and
place Of its capture marked on 1T. The max
| ing OF that collection gave me many hours
OF rare sport, when l was an adventurous
young fellow and had none Of this load OF
fat to carry about, and the chief use of It
now 10 TO recall pleasant memories of those
days that will never come again, When
| you're old you'll know how that ia YOURSELF
and the old gentleman took a strong pull
at his cigar and let the smoke out In a long
| and noisy Sigh.
81 was a traveller in those days for big
export housewhich was pushing into Mexico
and SOUTH America for trade, and SO il
| came about that most Of my eggs are those
| of birds of those countries. Tell YOU about
some OF themi Don't mind if do. Well
for want OF knowing which one to pick on.
| I'll tell you how came to capture the big
| Rest though not the rarest one In the coIlec-
ton. 1t Is vulture's egg. / was in Mexico
when got that egg and thought once or
twice while l was securing it that would
never get out Of Mexico again.
"Vultures are shy of mankind, and their
nests are exceedingly hard to find, so when
/ met hunter who knew where one was,
hired him, with q couple of assistants, to
show me 1t, and help me get the eggs We
| arrived at the spot about noon and almost
wished had not come. The guide pointed
out to me ,precpitous and betting Cliff,
which looked to me to be about 500 feet
high, overhanging a deep lake. About 100
| feet from the top of the cliff there was a
| rent or hole, which, from where we stood,
looked as if it had about as much room in
| side 1t as an empty -four barrel. In there
the guide said, the vultures had their nest
and the only way TO reach 10 was TO let me
down from the top at the end OF long
| rope.
at was o perilous descent, but making a
sort Of chair at the end of stout rawhide
rope. swung myself over the cliff,
twomen lowered me slowly down, while
the third lay on his face aud peered over
into the abyss. watching me. When / got
about twenty feet below the hole in the cliff
| sighaled them to stop. The hole, found,
was as big around at the entrapce as barn
door; hut the top of the cliff projected 80
that hung fully twenty feet away from
the face OF the'rock. Nothing daunted,
began to swing myself, slowly at first, and
| with gradually increasing force till my
body at last swung in against the face Of the
cliff, and finally into the hole itself Catch
ing projecting corner OF ROCK, gained my
feet, and was nearly knocked Off them again
by the horrible stencil which greeted me.
| "The floor of the hole was strewed with
| decayed flesh and fish and feathers and
| bones and in the middle of IL all lay the
| nest, Of long grass and as dirty as any pig
sty, and in it two young vultures and one
Unmatched egg. The egg was a grateful
sight, but the youngsters were an unpleas-
ant surprise. for they at once threw them
selves on their backs and began to scream
like mad. secured the egg, but not with
out getting couple Of bad scratches from
the sharp claws of the young birds which
| were about as big as hen. | was wrapping
the egg in my coat and the young birds
were SLING the air with their olamor, when
suddenly there was whir Of wings, the
entrance was darkened, and l got a blow
| on the head that knocked me down in
the unspeakable filth and filed my eyes
with blood.
| The old birds were upon me. / recog-
nized that fact In an instant, and having
nothing to defend myself With, / expected
TO be knocked down the cliff or at least have
my eyes pecked out. / was always pretty
ready of resource. and In this bad plight the
| thought flashed through my mind that these
usually timid birds were only fierce because
they thought l wanted to harm their young.
| Quickly unrollinR the egg from my coat
threw the garment over the squalling brats,
| and their sharp claws striking into the
cloth at once tangled them inextricably in
| It, Guarding my eyes from the old birds
with one arm, dragged the coat With the
| two young ones attached to 1t TO the mouth
Of the hole. only step or two, and hurled
them far out aud down into the lake
Gas expected, the old vultures followed
their young at once and their efforts to lift
them out Of the water were so ludicrous
that laughed loud Ny laugh was quickly
shut off, however. for in the next moment,
as thrust the egg into my bosom and gave
| the rope tug as a signal to my men to pull
me up, the rawhide came down from the
top Of the cliff with run. Great Scott
| How was to get backl What had those
stupid fools at the top donei l did not
know that they had watched me disappear
intothe hole. and seen the old vultures fol-
low me and had then seen what they thought
must be me, as they distinctly recognized
my coat, come flying out again and fall into
the lake. pursued by the two vultures
whom they could see picking at me In the
waves.
"They let go the rope and hurried away
around end down to the lakes edge to res
cue my mangled body from being eaten up
by the birds. After some tedious hours OF
climbing they found out their mistake ani
proceeded 70 climb back again. By this
time il was growing dark and as sat hour
after hour, in that foul hole, bstw cen
heaven and earth, not knowing what hal
happened, you can imagine my feelings.
Just as 1 was In absolute despair, saw a
stone tied TO cord swing down 10 front of
me. l clutohed It with ecstacy snd nearly
fell over the edge In my eagerness. Tying
the end Of my rope to tho cord. gave
pull and away it went up the cliff again.
After due time gave pull on the rope
and finding 1t taut, [ swung myself out Of
the Internal hole and was drawn up TO the
top rejoicing, with my precious egg still in
IN y bosom"
Silk Culture in Georgia.