The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-04-22
CAPTURING AN EAGLE.
A Young Bird Caught for Pet in
Southern Arizona.


In the April "St. Nicholas" Wolcott
lie Clear Beard writes of Moses: A
Tame Eagle" one of his pets while he
was engaged in engineering in southern
Arizona. Mr.. Beard gives the following
account of the capture:
l saw on the rounded top Of one of
the giant cacti with which these de-
serts are thickly studded an eagle the
like of which, though familiar with the
fowls of that region, 1 had never before
Seen and l may here add that we
never did with any certainty discover
the species with which she belonged. l
rode near to get better view, but she
desired no closer acquaintance; for,
after unfolding her wings once or twice
in a hesitating sort of manner as l ap-
preached, she finally spread them and
flew away, couple of pistol shots from
the wagon having only the effect of in
creasing her speed. The cactus on
which she had been resting was very
fair sample of the largest variety in the
world of that interesting plant. OF the
thickness of a mans body, it rose
straight from the ground, a beautiful
| fiuted column of vivid apple-green, to a
! height of twenty-five feet, where a
| cluster of branches nearly as thick as
the parent stem grew out from it and
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 it's
edge little head covered with grayish-
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 problem.
| Somebody suggested that a volun-
teer climb the cactus, but no one thrust
himself forward to do so. The Spanish
name by which it 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, it will
| be seen that the name gives good idea
of the plant
| We did not like to cut it down for
fear the fall might injure the Hedging
but after some debate no better method
presented itself, SO 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 concern, what was going on below
| but this the thick sides of the nest pre-
vented. Then it looked at me and said
| "Jark," 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 it's fall
AS the nest tilted we could see the
thick body belonging to the head, with
two big claws clutching wildly while
madly in an instructive effort to sup
port their owner.
| The cactus came down with a crush
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 ax-head hooked
around the prickly stuff, it was pulled
aside, he pulled 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 it's fullest extent, limited that
he was hungry and wanted something
| to eat.