The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1892-02-06
Sport Enjoyed on the Plains of Chilli
by Cowboys Roping These
Birds.
Great Kings of These COndors were
the Cause Of Great Annoyance
and Loss.
How They were Captured by Expert
Rope Throwers, who were Easi.
ly Satisfied.

Chasing the condor with the Iasso was
the leading sport on the Chillian plains
when | was in that country years ago, -
said New Yorker who went to South
America with Harry Meighs, the great
railroad contractor, to reporter, ''but |
am told that the great bird has become
so wary that the sport is now al
most unknown. twenty-five years ago
the condor had developed no evil
dence of cunning that l ever heard
of. There was then, as there is now,
believe, government bounty of SIS
head paid for the killing Of the condor,
both in Chilli and Peru. If the birds are
as plenty as they were when l went TO
that region, wide awake hunters ought to
make plenty of money. Tue cordor, un-
like many other members of the vvlture
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 care ass himself. At
least, that used to be his habit, and
persume be hasn't changed any in that
| respect, providing the material for car
I casses are as plenty now as it was then.
"The herds of cattle that pastured on
| the undulating plains between the impene
trable wall of the Andes and the PaciGc's
| white-crested line Of serf off cred the con-
! dor unrivaled facilities in his line in those
| days, and as he seemed to be in state OF
chronic hunger, this king of the feathered
race levied constant tribute on the graz
ing 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 a raw
enous aud determined dinner robber from
| the herds below, to which the shadow of a
condor's wings carried as much terrow as
| the appearance of a hawk does to a brood
of chickens. The condor was ths great
est enemy the stock raisers in
that part of South America had
to contend With, and it was his persistent
| and destructive raids on grazing cattle
that made him an outlaw, with price on
his head, to be relentlessly 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
steer, dog or horse, was carried out or
| the plains where stakes we're driven into
the ground five or six inches apart about
the carcass until a roohess incIosure six or
seven feet high and twenty feet square,
| with gate on 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 inslosure
the birds would sail high overhead. Th,
instant the coast was clear down the great
vulture would drop, and in few seconds
he would be tearing at the dead body in
the inclosure. 1t is no uncommon thing
for mature uandor to have twelve .fooI
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. 1t cannot rise
for flight without running rapidly for
long distance to give it the necessary mo-
mentum, especially if it is gorged with
TODD, which it never fails to be if any food
can be obtained. AS consequence, when
condor alighted in one of these inclos-
ures he was as much of prisoner as if he
the sportsman kept him there to serve his
pleasure.
when be wanted to ride after condor
the owner of the pen, generally with
fri nd or two similarly equipped, mounted
a feet horse, fastened his Iariat to tie
saddle and rode TO the inclosure. An at.
tendant opened the gate of the prison and
let out condor for zach rider. When
the condors found themselves at liberty
they at 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 quarter OF the the distance
the huntsmen put spdrs to their horses
and dashed after the birds. As the con
dor arose from the ground with
great wings spread the lassoes were
thrown. An expert handler of the
lariat would send his rope over the
condor's 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. The condor was
then prisoner, but able to use his power
full pinions, breathe freely and lead the
horseman wild chase across the plain,
turning in all directions in his frantic
fight, 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 az the horses heels.
II never could understand why a con-
dor, captive like that, did not turn on b. 9TH
man and horse and attack them as he
would steer, but I never knew one to do
so. Once in while lariat would break
while the horseman was bracing his horse
against some desperate sweep Of mighty
condor, and then both horse and rider
would be tumbled violently to the ground,
and the suddenly released bird would
shoot upward like a cannon 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 oD
the herds.
IL never tried the spoit but once. Oace
was enough for me. lassoed my bird,
tremendous fellow, bu being green
hand at the business, frightened the rop4
on the windpipe. That shut of his breath
at once, and after darting about in the ali
ia crazy sort Of way for minute or 81
ne arose straight up as far as the ropf
would let him, gave gasp like the escape
valve Of a locomotive and shot down upos
me as straight as a plumb bob. Whe'