The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-04-04
CAPTURING An EAGLE.
a Young Bird Caught For n Pet In
Southern Arizona.

Southern Arizona.
In the April st. Nicholas, WoIcott lie
Clear Beard writes OF Moses: A Tame
Eagle" one Of his pets while he was en-
gagged in engineering in Southern Arizona.
Mr.. Beard gives the following account Of
its capture:
saw on the rounded top of one Of the
giant cacti with which these deserts are
thickly studded. an eagle the like of which
though familiar with the fowls of that re-
gion. / had never before seen; and I may
here add that we never did with any GER
tainty discover the species 10 which she
belonged. rode near to get a better view,
but she desired no closer acquaintance;
for, after unfolding her wings once or
twice in a hesitating sort of manner as
approached, she finally spread them and
flew heavily away, couple OF pistol-shots
from the wagon having only the effect Of
increasing her speed. The cactus on which
she had been resting was very fair sam
pie of the largest variety in the world Of
that interesting plant. OF the thickness OF
mans body, 1t rose straight from the
ground, beautiful fiuted column of vivid
apple-green, TO a hight of twenty-five feet,
where cluster OF branches nearly as thick
as the parent stem grew out from IL aud
turned upward, while the main trunk,
without 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 a bushel-
basket; and on this my eyes happened to
be resting when the noise of the shots
brought above its edge little head cover
ed with grayish-yellow fuzz, out of which
peered two big round eyes with an air OF
anxious inquiry.
N %
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
problem.
Somebody suggested that a volunteer
climb the cactus. but no one thrust him
self forward to do so. The Spanish name
by which II is known is Sujuarro, which,
put into English, means that which
scratches" and as the spines which thick
ly cover the outer edges Of the ridges are
from one to four Inches long, and as sharp
as needles, It will be seen that the name
gives a good idea Of the plant
We did not like 10 cut Il down. for fear
the fall might injure the hedgling. but
after some debate no better method pre-
scented Itself, 50 the two axmen set to
work. As the first blows made the green
shaft tremble, the head appeared once
more trying, with an expression OF con-
Germ, to see what was going on below;
but this the thick sides of the net pre-
vented. Then It looked at me and said,
"Jark" This was the first remark
Moses" ever made 20 US. and there was
no time for more then. for the axes had
eaten through the pulpy mass, which now
began 20 bend to It's 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 madiy in an in
stinctive 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 from under
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 AK head hooked around the prickly
stun, II was pulled aside, he gathered
himself together. quite unhurt. and then,
surveying the strange beings around him,
made up his mind 10 them with that phn-'
osophy we later learned 10 be one Of his
traits and opening his great mouth 70 its
fullest extent. limited that he was hungry
and wanted something TO cat