New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-05
.iFTER BIG BIRDS.
THE VI'ITt'EE FAMILY TX THE ANDES
MONEY MADE IN HUNTING CoNDDRS
~ CENTRAL. CHILL


Los Angeles correspondence Philadelphia Times.
IN fcw weeks We Yankees had learned every
detail NJ hunting condors. and our natiy" IN
g.nuity had added to the experience at IN"
Chilians For months got from ten to twenty
condor heads every day and each one in our
party did half as well IA that. My early tram
lng on th, plains OF Kansas and Nevada was
my stock ia trade Every month during the
years iNII. 1872 and 1913 got warrants on
the CHILEAN treasury for from 800 10 SNV' one
month when had forwarded ZIG dried condor
heads 10 the Controller of Chill and had sworn
that there was no fraud by me. got warrant
Dr >loNn That WAS the rcd-et month in
my condor -iassoing days WAS remote from
II desired never saved money Ike that be-
fore since.
The bir birds used To be found in hocks OF
seventy or eighty in the grazing countries oil
the lower Andes IN Central Chill Like other
members Of tn. vulturc FANNY they search
every here for csrcasses upon which to feed
They have wonderfully keen eye, and have
proved to myself that condor can So" d"a'
animal ten or ev III iiNcen miles away. nave
tried experiments where oopdors nave h'"h
allurci over eight miles from a mountain cfaH
above the snow line 10y a bait Of bleeding goat
in the valley below.
i.u, the condor differs with other members ~
thr vulturc family ia that h. doesn't wait Tor
sonct hing or somebody To- die in order that
ne may have his dinner. but II he doesn't ma
a ready -mIic ear Ass convenient on the pam
" hen hr IL hungry he proceeds a ore" To pro
vide that carcass himself. The herds of cattle
that paSturci on the unduating plains between
the inpcnctrablc wall Of the Andes and tn" Pa
cihc's whitc-cr,stcd line Of surf offered the con
dor unriyallrd facilities in his line IN thosc days
and As h. seemed to b. in state of chronic
hunger this king Uf the fratherci race LEVIED
constant tribute on the grazing herds.
Twenty five years ago II was no uncommon
thing To- se. hundreds of these ftcrbooters hoy
cring over the plains. each on" raNcn"uS ana
determined dinner robhcr from the herds below.
t. which the shadow 81 IA condors wing carried
AS much terror as the appearance Of a hawk does
10 "A brood of chickens. tn" condor was th'
greatest enemy the stock raiscrs In that part 81
South America had To contend win ana IL was
his persistent and destructive raids on grazing
cattle that made him an outlaw with price on
his head. ,.,, ,
drsi iob every morning before We had even IA
peep OF sunlight over the mountains was 10
carry the carcass of heau amman - h"i,
or a cow-out on tn" plain. where 1t could easily
he seen from all points OF the COMPASS. we
sometimes made n carcass do service for ,'rt-
night but 1t required strong stomach ana IN
difference to stencil We moved about every
few DAYS from one locality to another ana
meyer put the roting body twice in the sam"
place. because Of the extreme s'ispiciousnrSs
Of an average condor. Generally we would
move three or four miles every twenly-iour
hours Sometimes. when we were not doing so
well as we thought we should do we would
move ten miles away to another valley.
After we had placed our BAIT carcass we ser
m our tents and the canvas flies that concealed
,s and our horses from the view oI the cohuorS.
breakfast was no Sooi'T o'tI YUAN W. ''"'"
see from our pccpholes in the canvas thnt ma
n. several condors coming down through the
clouds from the mountain crest straight toward
our bait We waited patiently un'i dozen or
more of the birds had eaten heartily Of the
meal we had provided for them. and then we
sprang to our horses, which stood near. brdle'!
and saddled ready for the chase In second
we were Off lariats in hand, after the condors
n sbould be said here that when condor mas
corged Itself with food it cannot rise Tor hight