The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1904-01-07
"A CHEROKEE NIMROD
Brings Down Enormous Eagle, Terror
of Community. The Kee.too- wahs.

Editor Waterman and Journal =
Yesterday, young Jack Cookson,
noted Cherokee nimrod of this hamlet
succeeded in killing the largest bald
or white headed eagle ever seen in
the Indian Territory. It's length was
feet 51s inches from end of beak to
tip of tail feathers and its breadth
from tip to tip of wing feet 93d
inches, 1t was indeed monster king
of the air, and recalled to mind the
tabled roc, and other enormous birds
of the ARABIAN Nights"
For years it had levied tribute upon
the farmers of this vicinity and hec-
atombs of lambs, kids, pigs, chick.
ems and turkeys had been sacrificed
in order to stay the Unsuitable appetite
of this demon bird. his mate and nest of
young eaglets which year by year they
raised in the deepest recesses of Mt.
CooksoD, four miles northeast of this
place. Innumerable efforts had been
made to kill or capture this bird,
without success, and many of the
simple country people, particularly
the full.bloods, believed him TO bear
a charmed life and possess supernatur.
al cunning. Even the wise old men
of the neighborhood became imbued
with the faint of superstition and
talked long and earnestly of the doc
trine of metempsychosis or soul trans
migration, and pondered and pond
cred, and wondered as to whose rest
less spirit was, tor crimes committed
in human form, now imprisoned with
in the body of this gigantic eagle, and
animating it with diabOlical cunning
and maliRnity to destroy the property
of the farmers. Witches and wizards,
who had for long time fallen into
disrepute, were consulted by men
otherwise considered of good judg-
ment-but all in vain, the great eagle
seemed to be shot proof, although
Will Parnell, one of the champion
shots of the territory, organized at
the bidding of ore of the wise women,
band of ten men who loaded their
guns with silver instead of leaden bull.
lets.
Yesterday young Cookson, who had
long laughed at the credulity of his
friends, secured shot at him with
a 3Scaliber Winchester loaded with
honest powder and lead, and the eagle
fell to the ground,
Dead as the bulrushes round little
Moses,
On the old banks of the Nile, -
and new hero had arisen.
The full. bloods of this neighbor-
hood celebrated the demise of the bird
last night by holding an Eagle-tail
dance, after the custom of their an
cestors of the long ago. Young Cook
son was the hero of the occasion. The
squaws first dlsroted him of his Gus
tomary clothing and placed upon his
feet beaded moccasins; then leggins
and tunic of soft deer-skin was
given to him, and over all was
wrapped a large blanket of many
colors. The tail feathers were next
plucked from the body of the dead
eagle and formed into a circlet, sur
mounting his head. He was now
seated in chair placed in the center
of the room and the dancers performed
the peculiar evolution sacred from
time immemorial to the Eagle tail
dance, and at the end of each set or
figure they all, featheIed brave and
dusky squaw alike, made obeisance to
the eagle slayer He bore his blush
ing honors easily but has since con-
fessed to me that he was glad when it
was all over.
Considerable uneasiness is manifested
in this portion of the country as to
the intentions and plans of the Kee-
too wah society, a full-blood secret
organization. 1t is whispered that it
proposes taking terrible vengeance on
such persons Of their own race as
voted at the last election for the rati'
fication of the treaty between the
United States government and the
Cherokees. What the future may bring
forth is uncertain.
f. l..
Cookson, Ind. Territory,
Dec. "a, 1903.