The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1897-06-10
CAPTURING AN EAGLE.
A Young Bird Caught for Pet In
Southern Arizona.

In st. Nicholas, Wolcott lie Clear
Beard writes of "Moses: A Tame IA
gle" one of his pets while he was en'
gagged in engineering in southern Ari'
iona. Mr.. Beard gives the FOLLOWING
account Of its capture:
I saw on the rounded top OF one OF
the giant cacti with which these des'
erts are tnickly studded an eagle the
like of Which. though familiar with tne
fowls of that region, had never before
seen: and may here add that we new
err did with any certainty discover the
species to which she belonged. RODE
near to get a better view, but she de
sired no closer acquaintance; for, aitef
unfolding her wings once or twice III
| hesitating sort of manner as ap'
preached, she finally spread them ana
flew heavily away, a couple or pistol
shots from the wagon having only the
| effect of increasing her speed. The cac-
tus on which she had been resting was
a very fair sample of the largest yari-
ETY. In the world of that interesting
plant. OF the thickness of a man
body, 1t rose straight from the ground,
a beautiful futed column of vivid APP
ple-green, to a height of twenty-five
feet, where cluster of branches near
ly as thick as the parent stem grew
out from 1t and turned upward, while
the main trunk, without bend, rose
several feet higher
Between two of these branches and
the trunk there was built nest of
good-sized sticks, about twice as large
as bushel basket; ana on this my eyes
happened to be resting when the noise
of the shots brought above its edge a
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 volun-
teer climb the cactus, but no one thrust |
himself forward to do so. The Spanish .
name by which 1t Is known is Sujuarro,
which, put into English, means that /
which scratches" and as the splnes .
which thickly cover the outer edges of .
the ridges are from one to four inches |
long, and as sharp as needles, 1t will |
be seen that the name gives q good idea .
of that plant.
We did not like to cut 1t down. for
fear the fall might injure the fledgllng;
but after some debate no better method
presented itself, so the town axmen set
to work. AS the first blows made the
green shaft tremble the head appeared
once more, trying, with an expression
or concern, to see what was going on
below; but this the thick sides Of the
nest prevented 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 its
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
madly in an instructive 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 a 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 prlckly stuff, it was pulled
aside, he gathered himself together
quite unhurt, and then, surveying the
strange beings who surrounded him
made up his mind to them with that
we later learned to be one
Or his traits, and opening his great
mouth to its fullest extent limited that
he was hungry and wanted something
to eat.