Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1897-05-26
CAPTURING AN EAGLE.
A Young Bird Caught for q Pet
SOuthern Arizona.

III ots ANtCAOihS, NoICOtl 1<c SledI
Beard writes of ''Moses: A Tame Ea-
gle," one of his pets while he was en-
gagged in engineering in southern Ari
zona. Mr.. Beard gives the following
account Of its capture:
/ saw on the rounded top Of one OF
the giant cacti with which these des-
erts are thickly studded an eagle the
like of which. though familiar with the
fowls of that region. had never before
seen; and I may here add that we new
er did with any certainty discover the
species to which she belonged. l rode
near to get a better view, but she de-
sired no closer acquaintance; for. after
unfolding her wings once or twice in
hesitating sort Of manner as ap
preached, she finally spread them and
flew heavily away, a couple Of pistol
shots from the wagon having only the
effect Of increasing her speed. The cac-
tus on which she had been resting was
a very fair sample Of the largest vari-
ETY. in the world Of that interesting
body, it rose straight from the ground,
u beautiful fiuted column Of vivid ap-
ple-green, to a height Of twenty
feet, where q cluster Of branches near
ly as thick as the parent stem grew
out from 1t and turned upward, while
the main trunk, without q bend, rose
several feet higher.
Between two Of these branches and
the trunk there was built a nest Of
gOOd-sized sticks. about twice as large
as bushel basket; and on this my eyes
happened to be resting when the noise
Of the shots brought above its edge q
little head covered with srayish- yellow
fuzz, out of which peered two big round
eyes with an air Of anxious inquiry.
In that desert country, far from rail-
ways and towns, we led rather dull
lives; SO the several pets we possessed
In the big permanent camp miles away
served In no small measure to amuse
US; and to these we wished to add our
young friend of the cactus. But how
to get him down was a problem.
Somebody suggested that a vOlun-
teer climb the cactus, but no one thrust
himself forward to do SO. The Spanish
name by which 1t Is known Is SujuarrO.
which, put into English, means that
which scratches" and as the spines
which thickly cover the outer edges Of
the ridges are from one to four inches
long. and as sharp as needles, 1t will
be seen that the name gives a good ides
OF that plant.
We did not like to cut 1t down, fol
fear the fall might injure the fiedglingj
but after some debate no better method
presented itself. SO the town axmen set
to work. As the first blows made the
green shaft tremble, the head appeared
once more, trying, with an expression
Of concern, to see what was going on
below; but this the thick sides Of the
nest prevented. Then 1t looked at me
and said. "Jarkw This was the first
remark ''Moses" ever made to us, and
there was no time for more then; for
the axes had eaten through the pulpy
mass, which now began to bend to its
fall.
As the nest tilted we could see the
thick body belonging to the head. with
two big claws clutching wildly, while
the weak, featherless wings tapped
madly in an instructive effort to support
their owner.
The cactus came down with a crash.
and running up we looked for our bird;
but only little gray down was visible,
with one leg helplessly extended fxom
under a big branch which. broken by
the shock, had fallen across and almost
hid him. We feared he was killed; but
when, by means Of an ax-head hooked
around the prickly stuff, 1t was pulled
aside, he gathered himself together,
quite unhurt. and then, surveying the
strange beings who surrounded him.
made up his mind to them with that
philosophy we later learned to be one
OF his traits, and opening his great
mouth to its fullest extent, hinted that
he was hungry and wanted something
to eat.