The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1897-04-28
TENNESSEE EAGLES.
A NATURAL MOUNTAIN HOME FOR
THE BIRD or FREEDOM.

There He Is Matched In Great Numbers
and Sometimes Lives 100 Years-Mating
and the Treatment Of the Young How
They Are Captured.
There are many eagles in the Tennes-
see mountains, and there are mountain
GERS who are expert catchers of the
young eaglets, who reap rich rewards in
return for their perilous risks and adj
ventures. Eagles make their eyries
among the olefts and orags of the high
est mountains of the state. They are
found on the Stone mountain, the great
Roane, 8, 1916 feet high; the Bald, 8, $50
feet; the Great Smoky range, $3.50
feet; the Bullhead, 6,612 feet on the
Unaka, the Big Stone and others, none
Of them less than 3, 200 feet above the
level of the country at their feet.
Young eagles bring from $40 to $50,
occasionally 500. Eagles that are of
some age and Of great size (such are
rarely captured, however) bring as high
as $500 and 5000. Eagles which have to
be killed while trying to capture them
are valuable TO taxidermists, who al
ways find an easy market for great
stuffed eagle. Their feathers, especially
the wing and tail feathers, are sold for
good prices
The eagle builds its nest upon the top
of mighty tree growing far up on the
mountain among the myriad of twining
vines, or in the thiokest and almost in
accessible growth of bushes and shrubs,
or OH the summit of a high rock. An
eagles nest is large one always, and
is strongly and comfortably built. Large
sticks and branches are laid together,
nearly Hat, and bound with twining
vines The spacious inside is covered
with hair and MOSES SO infinitely woven
together that no wind can enter. The
mother bird lays two eggs, which are
curiosities. The long end tapers down
to point The color of the egg is a
ground Of brownish red, with many dots
and spots upon it. The egg itself is
proof of the wild and savage parentage.
An eagle lives from 80 TO 100 years.
Tho. young birds are driven forth by
; their savage parents to scratch for them
selves as soon as they are able to fly. No
training is given them by the old bird.
That is left to their wild instincts,
which hunger and necessity develop.
There is no going "back to the old
home" for the young eagle The mother
bird tears mp ever vestige of the nest
where they have thriven since birth, and
while they emit plaintive shrieks the
oil bird darts at them and pushes them
of the crags or rocks, and to prevent
falling they must take to their wings,
and this is how they learn to fly. 1t
takes three years for young eagle to
gain its full and complete plumage and
strength.
Away up in the mountains the eagle
finds it as hard to gain subsistence as do
the grumblers Of the plain. The precari
business of its existence and the wild
manner in which food is gathered seem
TO give the bird ferocity as il grows
Older. They range among the mountains
and valleys in pairs, their young never
following, but doing the best they can.
The stern, unsooial tyranny, beginning
with the homeless and outcast eaglet, Is
continued in later years with their
mates.
If the male bird be the stronger, the
most of the prey belongs TO him, and he
allows the female to eat paltry share
between fierce thrusts of his beak at her.
If the female is the stronger land she
generally is), the male bird covers and
winces under many fierce blow from
his unfeeing wife. 10 matter how small
the morsel be gets But when danger
threatens, no human pair can battle SO
fercely for each other as can two eagles.
The breeding season hegins about March,
and each male has but one mate during
his entire life. If the female is killed
or captured, the surviving male becomes
an eagle hermit and tiercer than ever.
They are Often seen near their nests
together, and when the sun is shining
take their majistic flights straight to-
ward that greet ball of fire until they
disappear fronAsight Sitting upon the
mountain sida their vision Is SO keen
that they can Be. far down the valley
a sheep or yol1hg goat, big turkey on
rooster. small pig rabbit on large
bird, and ahutst in the twinkling of an
BNN tuCN ANn'Ellu nbA1~AAf uf"'A NANAA
victim. One mighty grasp and twist
Of their talQNs aud the victip Ia dead,
long before . eagle lays 1t down for q
repast. An y gle can live two and three
DAYS. and evIh five days, upon gorg-
Ing meal. They prd6 upon all sorts Of
largo birds. Msh, lambs. kids and goats
Ofientimes. when large calf OF goat ~
TO be attncN u and carried on. four or
ak Of therA will unite and carry OF the
the carcass when they viii Immediate
~ begin 10 Pc It out TO PEE which q
them Is en- '|d 70 the choicest hits and
Il Il truly |fYivai q che nftest Ia
such combl ~ these.
EAGLES a 1rtufad BY expert noun
lainoors. Nv N upon the parent bird
building esl aud Wait for tho
breeding ~ After d due time they
4 ae.la lfo .|na and well aINod
foI tho me, nsn' N''n 'p' f'f,r'
f|Ids 90 4 '''''''''' 'I '''' ~
Itn||maa Il ''|'''.' "
one o| then.