The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-09
THAT CONDOR IS OUR CONDOR
LIKE TO KNOW HOW FRISCO EYER
HEARD or 1T.

-
There was = Certain Telegram Addressed
70 = Man Named FoIlett Containing
Our InfoFmatlOn--B'pOse Somebody
besides Follett opened Ills Telegram
The chairman Of the committee on birds
and game Of the Pacific Coast Forest. Fish
and Game Association writes as follows
To THE EDITOR or The SuN-Sir: am
indebted to a recent issue Of your paper
for certain valuable information, namely,
the final destination Of q specimen OF the
California condor, taken east by a gentle
man recently In the employment OF the
above association but discharged there
from for causes. have tried to locate
the condor, as 1t was the property OF our
association and removed from our custody
without our knowledge. ] had informed
a Mr.. Hornaday In New York to that effect
as from telegram | saw In San Francisco
Il was presumed he was the consignee,
but this he denied.
Several months ago had communicated
with our agent ct Santa Maria Cal,
who ultimately purchased the bird for our
association. II was after this had been
done that Mr.. Follett obtained the posses
sion Of IL, as the sellers friend states. by
representing himself as an agent Of your
local park or zoo. Any information Mr..
Follett gained OF this specimen was while
he was in the employment Of the asso-
citation. II took a long persuasion and
by forcing a correspondence to convince
the simple herder, the original owner Of
the bird, that he Follettl was the rightful
purchaser.
the abduction Of our property instead Of
writing to W. the condor would never have
left California,
These are simple facts, and now, when
the final location. Of the bird Is known,
We shall take other measures to expose
the undue ambition OF Naturalist From
the East, an ambition which could easily
and trIthfully be called by a more correct
If less complimentary title We have all
the necessary data to institute proceed
insgs FREDERICK W. D'EvELYN,
Chairman Committee on Birds and Game
SAN Francisco, Cal, April 8, 1905.
When this letter was shown to William
T. Hornaday, the director Of The Bronx
ZOO he remarked as soon as he saw the
letterhead, that he could guess the con-
tents.
Those Frisco people are trying to get
a rise out Of US. he added. Il can best
reply to the charges contained in the letter
by telling how we came TO get the condor
which recently arrived and which is now
in one Of the ostrich cages, doing very
we'll
&C X. Worthen, an animal dealer Of
Warsaw, H., wrote TO me in the winter
that one Of his collectors had located a
condor which could be had for 500. Iwrote
him that we would take the bird, but that
1t must not be delivered until the weather
became milder This acceptance Mr.
Worthen transmitted 10 his collector in
southern California, a man named VIII
-, k,1 hn
until spring.
Meanwhile the Mr.. Follett referred
to in the letter wrote to me reporting
on efforts he had been making TO get GER
tain kinds OF animals for our 700 and asked
If there was anything we wanted him 10 do
He added that he was coming East in a
few weeks, and / told him TO get the condor
and bring it. At the same time l wrote
Mr.. Worthen to telegraph to Follett the
name Of the man who had the condor
Follett had left the service Of the Pacific
Coast Forest, Fish and Game Association,
but his mail and kilograms were still re-
ceived at it's ofiioe.
i am informed that the telegram was
opened at the Office Of the association and
held there for two days before 1t reached
Follett. Moreover. this was the first in
timaton the association had Of the con-
doris existence, but it set out to get the bird
The condor was not then in the possession
Of Wilcox. Worthen's collector, but was
still held by a boy, the son Of ranchman.
Along came an agent Of the association and
offered the boy t45 for II and the boy agreed
to sell. He did not deliver It, however.
and when Mr. Follett arrived and offered
SOS he got the condor and bill Of sale.
so we have the condor and We feel en-
titled TO il, because II Ftlletts telegram
or letter had not been opened the San Fran
cisco association would never have heard
Of the bird
Mr.. Condor who was found preening
himself In the bird house, said that he had
heard Of the row over him and was quite
chesty.
L feel like the Equitable surplus he
added, for condors have a rare turn Of humor
as we'll as Of speed.