Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1897-05-05
TENNESSEE EAGLES.
4 NATURAL MOUNTAIN HOME FOR
THE EIHO OF FREEDOM.

and Sometimes Lives leo ScSrs-Mating
and the Treatment of ;.,c YounS-How
They Are Captured.
There arc many eagles il the Tennes-
see mountains, and there are mountain
GERS who arc expert catchers of the
young eas!ets, who reap rich rewards in
return for their perilous risks and adj
ventures. Eagles make their eyries
amcng the cicfts ard craSs of the high
est mountains OF the state. They are
found on the Stone mountain, the great
Roane, 6,296 feet high; the Bald, 3, $50
feet; the Great Smoky range, G,G36
feet; the BUllhead, 6,6i2 feet; on the
Unaka, the Big Stone and others, none
Of them less than 5000 feet above the
level Of the cocEtry Mt 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, howcver) bring as high
as $500 and $500. Eagles which have to
be killed while trying to capture them
are valuable to tax;dermists, who al
ways find an easy market for great
stated 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 twininS
vines, or III the thiCEcs. and almost H.
accessible growth Of bushes and shrubs,
or on the summit Of Il high rock. An
eagles nest is "a large one always, and
is strongly and comfortably built. Large
sticks and branches are laid together,
nearly fiat, ard bound with twining
vines. Tie spacious inside is covered
with hair AID moses so minutely woven
together that 10 wind can enter. The
mother bird lays two eggs, which are
curiosities. The long eiid tapors down
TO IL point. the color OF the egg is q
ground cf browuish Ied, with many dots
and spots upcn it, The cSg itself is
proof of Tie Wild and savage parentagc.
An eagle lives from so to 100 years.
The young birds are driven forth by
their savage Parents 20 scratch for them-
selves as scoA as they axe able 10 fly. No
training is given then by the old bird.
That is left to ttSic wild instincts,
which hunger nrd necessity dcvelop.
There Is 10 going .'b.cls to the cd
home" fer the young eagle. The motLcr
bird tears up ever vcstigo of the nest
where they have thrivC:I Stree birth, and
while they emit plGi!itiyc shrieks the
oil bird darts at them and pashes them
Off the crugj CT rCcSs, and to prevent
falling they must take TO their wings,
and this IS how they learn 10 fly. It
takes three years for a youEg eagle to
gain its full and complete piumage ard
strength.
Away Up in Tie mountains the eagle
finds it IS hard to gain subsistence as 90
tie gI1mLlcrs Of tie plain. The lrccafi
business Of is existence and the wild
manner i'll which food is gathered seem
to give the bird f2rocity as it grows
older. They range among the mountains
and valleys in pairs, their young never
following, Uut doing the lest tEcy car.
The stern, ursocial tyranny, beginning
with tie homeless a:d Cutcast caglct, is
continued il Later years with their
mates.
If tLe male bird lie the stronger, the
most Of tho ;lrey belongs to him, and lie
allows the female to cat n paltry share
between fierce thrrs;s Of his beak at her.
If the female is the stronger (and she
generally Isl, tho male bird covers and
winces under Eany L fierce blow from
his unfeeling wife, no matter how small
the morsel Eo gets. Bat when danger
threatens, 10 human pair can battle so
ficrcely for each other rs can two eagles.
The breeding season begins about March,
and each male has hut Gre mate durirg
his entire lie. Ii the female is killed
Or captured, the Surviving male becomes
an eagle hermit and fcrccr than ever.
They are CftCn Eccu rear their Ecsts
together, Gnl when tic sGa is shining
take their majestic EiGits straight to-
ward that great ball Ct i:e until they
disappear frcm siGkt. Sitting mon the
mountain siGc, their vision is 90 keen
that they can see, f!r down the valley,
sheep or yourc ;os., a big turkey CT
rCoster, Il t...:.ll Zig, rabbit, or large
bird, and SluCst il the tUinkling of al
eye they descend suddenly upcn their
victim. One mighty grasp and Il tvis:
OF their talol,s aud the victim is dcaj,
long before the ca5lo lays it down for 4
repast. An eagle can live two ard three
days, and even FIVE days, upon gcrg-
ing meal. They prey upon all sorts Of
large birds, fish, lambs, kids and goats.
Oftertimes, when a large calf or goat is
to be attacked aad carried of, four or
six of them will unite and carry of the
the carcass, when they will Immediate
ly begin to fight it out to see which Of
them is entitled to the choicest hits, and
it is truly a survival of the fittest in
such combats as these.
Eagles are captured by expert noun
taireers, who spy upon the parent bird
building her nest and wait for the
breeding season. After due time they
scale the mountains, and, well armed
for the inevitable fight with the parent
birds, 90 to these mountain eyries. Of
tentimcs four men are required to let
one of them down a steep precipice or
cliff, while two of them, dead shots
with the rife, shoot and kill the old
birds upon their first approach, for it
fares i'll with the daring robber who at
tempts to secure the young birds with
none to protect but himself. In this way
are many of the old birds killed for the
taxidermists or for feathers, while the
eaglets are borne away and Gagged for
good sale Enquirer.
Mr. Gratebar to Philip.