Mexico weekly ledger., 1896-03-26
A WHITE BUZZARD.

Turned Loose in Rails County and
Killed in Texas-Belled by
Prominent People Well
Known in Mexico.
Mr.. John Abbay, of the firm of
Blum & Co., referring to an article i'll
last Sundays Republic in reference to
the"only white buzzard shot inTexas,"
says that he remembers very well the
buzzard referred to was caught in
Rails County and belled and then
turned loose. 1t is supposed that the
bird grew white with age. The arti-
Gle from the Republic referred to is
very interesting and is as follows:
Lex Ellis, a son of Captain Ellis, of
Burleson County, Texas, few days
ago shot and killed white buzzard.
The young man was plowing in the
garden when his mother, who was
making soap in the back yard, called
to him to come and see the ''bIggest
white bird in the world" The nuz-
zard was resting on the top of the
barnyard fence. The boy looked at
the strange bird few moments. man
ifesting as much surprise as his moth
er. While they were gazing in awe
and admiration the great bird flew
across the lot and astounded the OBJ
servers still more by rattling little
bell that was attached to its neck. The
boy ran into the house and got a gun
and killed the buzzard, in opposition
to the earnest protestations of his
mother. The old lady did not believe
that it was feathers, flesh and blood,
and when it fell off the fence she COW
cred her face with her apron and al
most screamed, "Now, Lex, no teIin'
what you have done. Maybe you
have shot and killed the ghost of one
of your grandmothers or grandfath-
ers." The boy was little more
practical, and when he got within a
few feet of the wounded bird his nose
was greeted with an odor that is
familiar to every country boy. His
small store of pathological knowl-
edge enabled him to at once pro-
nounce the big bird can old buzzard-
SO DID," he said, "that he has turned
gray" A small sheep bell was at
tached to the birds neck by steel
chain. When the boys older brother
came home he noticed some letters on
the bell. The side of the bell that
came in contact with the birds neck
was perfectly bright, but the other
sides were thickly coated with rust
| and some sticky substance. 1t took
the boys a long time to clean the bell
sufficiently to reveal the letters. The
inscription proved that the bird was
very old and more than a thousand
! miles from the place where the bell
was put on his neck. The date,
$780," and "Ralls County, Missouri u
were sufficiently plain, but there were
three names, only two of which could
be made out. The first, "John Sal
ling" was perfect. The second was
either "Judy" or ''Iudy," while the
first part of the name begins with q
G, followed by two small, badly
blurred letters. The whole name wat
probably HGeo. Judy" or "Leo Judy
The initials of the third name have
been almost entirely efraced by time
The word "Gill' is all that can be
made out, even by the aid of a fine
microscope. The young man tool
the bell to the nearest village, where
he heard a great deal more about the
white buzzard. 1t had been seer
several times before.
Upon one occasion it Lit on an ole
dead tree near meeting house where
a crowd of two or three hundred
negroes were enjoying revival
Never did a religious meeting breah
up with less ceremony. AS the biz
white bird circled around over th'
house tinkling its bell, the worshiper
fed to their homes. Many of then
J left their ssfolksn and their team
hitched to the trees near the church
A farmer who lives near Lyons, wh'
insists that he is not at all supersti
tiousor easily frightened, says that tn
killing of this buzzard has solved
great mystery for him. He says tina
few weeks ago he was plowing, ,whe
he suddenly heard the tinkling of
bell which appeared to be in tn
clouds above him. He stopped hi
, plow and looked for long time, bu
saw nothing. He started his teal
again, but the tinkling of the bell con
tinued. He was perfectly satisfie
that he heard bell and that the nois
came from above, but he could sc
nothing in the heavens that could rim
a bell. He heard the bell for two c
}. three hours, and the farmer admit
: that for several days he was nervor
;, every time he thought of the tinklin
Q of that little bell. He saw two or thre
buzzards circling about above him ar
T he noticed that one appeared to
r white, but he thought it was the r.
,, Election of the sunlight, and it new
q occurred to him that one of them hi
II a bell on it's neck. The old gentlems
I. appeared to be greatly relieved whit
% he heard the story of the killing Of
l. buzzard with bell on its neck. lfv
o have deciphered the date on the b'
10 correctly, the big bird had carried Il
l. bell for at least thirty five years.
l. would be interesting to know wheth
'e the people who put the bell on t
Of birds neck are still living. Eth
q. this same white buzzard or anoth
one that was equally as white W
seen in this region about ten yea
. MAKE Your Feet Glad.