Rock Island daily Argus., 1892-02-12
LASSOING CONDORS.
.ycrTING PASTlME OF THE CHlL-
IAN PLAINS YEARS AGO.

,,e Monstrous Vultures of the Lofty
,pdes-Gigantic Birds.
Chasing the condor with the lasso was
,h. leading sport on the Chilian plains
r.b,rp yyas in that country years ago"
Ia , New Yorker who went to South
/ America with Harry Meiggs, the great
r,urpad contractor. but | am told that
,li- qratt bird has become so wary that
,,s snort is now almost unknown. Twen-
..fg. wears AGO the condor had developed
~ .,ilrucc of cunning that ever heard
,t There was then. rs there is now, | be
1--we a Government bounty of five dollars
al,.,I Maid for the killing of the condor
I4+l in Chill and Peru. Ii the birds are as
rr.u., o., rhuy were when | went to that
r.4fY1. uIdruWuke hunters ought to make
4 plenty oi money.
.Tgr condor. unlike many other mem
/ b.-- M OBJ. yulturC family, doesn't wait for
/ .u..LIu- ul. somebody to die in order that
he ma, have his dinner, but il he doesn't
/ find n r.nly made carcass convenient on
tine plain when he is hungry, he proceeds
at one. o. provide that carcass himself. At
least. that used to be his habit, and pre-
sumo he hasn't changed any in that re
,p,.t providing the material for carcasses
i>u- plenty now .as il was then,
The herds Of cattle that pasturcd on
The guduiuting plains between the impen.
t,rtble wall of the Andes and the Paciic'S
white crested line of surf offered the con
dor uriyalcd facilities in his line i'll those
dfg, and rs he seemed to be in a state of
chronic hunger, this king Of the feathcred
rI.g levied constant tribute ON the grazing
herds.
twenty-five and thirty years ago it was
no uncommon thing to see hundreds of
these winged freebootcrs lowering over the
plains, each one ravenOuS and determined
dinner rObber from the herds below. t.
which the shadow OF Il CondOr's wings car
rial rs much terror as the appearance of a
hawk does to n brood of chickens
TRAPPING BIG VULTURES
THE condor was the greatest enemy the
stnss raisers in that part Of South America
had To contend with, and il was his per
s>t-nt 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 Il days old time sport at condor
a>>niug was to be had the carcass OF q
steer dog or a horse was carried out on
plain. Strong stakes were driven into
the ground five or six inches apart. about
tue carcass. until a rootlcSs inclOsure six
0r seven feet nigh and twenty feet square.
with q cute ut one side. was made. Long
bai0T, the work Of making this inciOsure
cnlu be finished coudCrs would be seen
floating duy.u from the clouds, far above
which lhuy have their haunts. As long as
the wnrkmcE were busy AT the inclosure
;he birds would sail high overhead.
The instant the coast was clear down
tie great vUlturc would drop and in a few
seconds hc would be tearing at the dead
body ia the iurluSure 1t i no uncommon
thing iOr "A mature condor to have a
twelve foot spread Of wing, and | have
known them to measure fifteen feet from
upto tip Of wing Their bodies are heavy
and ou the ground the bird is clumsy.
1t cannot rise for flight without run
n.ng updly for long distance, to give it
the necessary momentum, especially il il is
-prgau with food, which it never fails to
hs sHaLg iu.t can De obtained. As "a con
sequence. when "a condor alightcd in one of
i'Na Enclosures, ne was aS much Of a pris-
oner a- ii hr were chained down to the
ground, and the sportsman kept him there
t's-sFr has pleasure.
USING TIE LAEIAT.
w hen he wanted TO ride after a condor
i0e owner Of the pen generally with a
friend OF two similarly equipped, mounted
"Ho'l horse fastened his lari;lt to the sad
Gle au" rode to the inclosure An attend
aN, opened the gate Of the prison and let
Oh. condor for each rider. When the
"NaoHo iuund themselves at liberty, they
a. once started at TIE top of their speed on
'Nr long run that would enable them to
lake wing.
After they had run probably une-quarter
o' ~ distance the huntsmcn put spurs to
u''I horses and dashed after the birds.
~ lAe rpndors arose from the ground with
-''"l wings spread, the lassoes were
"o"h An expert handler of the lariat
"o4u send his rope over the condor's head.
anu ~ manage it that it was slipped down
Ul-" D. touched the shoulders of the wings
'.'gIe ll would be frightened on the bird.
'Ht condor was then "A prisoner but
e'Ie TO use his powerful pinions, breathe
''s''' ana lead the hOrSeman a wild chase
"'.'7 Ihe plain turning in all directions
M !" L.~ frantic flight, but unable to rise
.'-Ne. IhHu the length of the lasso. When
l' E.a'T tired Of the sport he would turn
'' .'.'. about and lead the chase himself,
"y.L- .1e unwilling bird along until it
.'''. spent 10 the ground and was
ln death at the horses heels.
.r could understand why condor,
-'l'.'' uNr that, did not turn on both man
"'' ".I-r and attack them as he would a
e- nut ] never knew one to do So Once
a. d" lille lariut would break while the
nan was bracing his horse against
Prrate sweep Of a mighty condor,
,.t''H S"'H both horse and rider would he
s'iI .','D."l violently to the ground. and the
'.'s.A-s released bird would shoot up
,''~ "@e cannot ball and soon disappear
T.''1- the clouds. Condors with severa!
" ,... o.. 'omobody's lariat hanging to them
,. 'Iuent!y seen among those that
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