Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1898-04-28
FREEDOM RESTORED.
A Young California Farmers Kindness to
Eagle He Had Seen Before.

A Young California Farmers Kindness to
an Eagle He Had Seen Before.
There was an interested crowd be-
fore large glass front. Everybody
that came along stopped either to
make inquiries or elbowed in toward
the window to see what the attrac-
ton was. Inside was magnificent
white headed eagle. There was a
chain from its right foot to a huge
piece of iron, some water in pan,
an untouched piece of fish, a few
sods and a large card with the words
"For Sale"
The big birds wings dropped on
either side to its feet. It's eyes were
glazed and dim looking. 1t opened
and shut them now and then, but
never once turned them to the jos
thing, noisy crowd that stood just
outside the glass. There were no
marks of violence to be seen, but the
dull, pathetic eyes, the dropping
wings, the soiled white about the
head and the ruff1ed feathers over
the body showed that the captive
had been in chains much longer
than it had been in the window.
One of the crowd in the street
was a sturdy young farmer who had
come into town early that morning.
He had pushed his way to the front
and stood looking i'll silence for
long time at the great, helpless bird.
He was sure he had seen it before.
1t had been captured, he learned
from what some of the crowd said,
in the country from which he had
come That settled it, 1t was the
same bird
He had seen it on the mountain
where he sometimes had hunted for
a stray sheep. He knew the big pine
in the top of which it had its nest.
He had noted it soar majestically
and free about him as he worked in
the valley and had seen it sit mo-
tionless for hours on the top of some
tall, distant ranpike Now and then
he had had a suspicion that it had
carried off an occasional lamb and
had more than once tried to shoot
the bird, but had never succeeded in
getting near enough.
The young farmer elbowed his
way along the window to the door
of the store. Then he went in.
"What dye want for that birdf"
he said. "I'd like to buy i'm.
1.-TWO dollars" was the reply.
Every well, I'll take i'm"
He paid over the money, and the
bird was handed out to him.
The crowd at the window watched
eagerly as the farmer came out with
the big eagle under his arm and
went straight across the street to
where ladder leaned againsta bill
board that was some 10 or 10 feet
high. At the foot of the ladder he
= stopped and took the chain from the
birds leg. Then he went slowly uI
and placed his old friend-or enemy
he was not sure which, but no diff
= . forenoon the top of the billboard
= and came down.
n The great bird had been prison
s er so long that it seemed for time
S to have forgotten how to be free. 1
sat for awhile as it had sat in tn,
y window, but gradually it came to it
self. 1t lifted first one dropping wing
It and tucked it closely to its side, thel
}. the other It raised itself slowly t,
II its full height and stretched out it
e great head toward the sky. TIL
u dullness went out of the eyes and
= fierce new light flashed in; then
nervously stretching out it's hug
d pinions on either side and taking
: step or two forward, it rose with
q hoarse scream and swept out towar,
. the sun.
:, A burst Of applause from tn
9 crowd met the farmer as he recross
;. ed the street.
It II had seen him on the noun
IS tain, he said, ian I couldn't bea
l. to see him there He pointed t
7, the window, then in moment b
re wac coma Tho Whittier