The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-06-26
RATTLEsNAkE AND EAGLE
Fight Duel to the Death in a Won
derful Arena.

Denver Post.
An ancient fight-as ancient as the
time dividing bird from serpent-a
fight thousands of times repeated in
the lonely places of earth each year,
but which man seldom sees, was wit
messed recently by John Wethersby
of Colorado City 1t was a struggle
to the finish between an eagle and
big rattlesnake. Death was referee,
as he is in all the contests waged UNI
der natures code of fang and claw
Man, in the person of Wethersby, put
in his hand when the two combatants
had settled their strife, and ended it
to suit himself-as man always does.
me arena was the big bluffs that
mark how the mountains have crum-
bled into the plain, about twenty
miles east of Colorado Springs-an
open big enough for the armies in
Manchuria to maneuver in.
Among other things there are two
that man may not know, so it is said;
The way of the serpent upon the
rock the eagle soaring in the sky
Each has a wonderful power that man
does not Observation-Disclosures not under
stand any more than he does why
they always fight when they meet, and
that they always should and will, so
long as there are serpents upon the
rocks and eagles soaring in the sky.
If there were no eagles the rattle
snake has no enemy in the sky or
upon the earth, save man, to fear.
The eagle, likewise, has no fear of
anything, unless it may be the glisten-
ing yellow and brown poison creture
of the rocks-the RATHER.
Thus it lives forever-the death
feud of the eagle CT the Montezumas
and the spent father of the NOTES.-The
RATHER.
How it began. Wethersby did not
see. He was standing near the top of
a big stony crag that glistened in the
bright light, looking over the vast
opens and great basins, when his at
tention was attracted by the flop of
something striking the ground few
hundred feet from him. He could not
see what it was, but a moment later
he saw an eagle 5ooo down and rise
slowly, holding within its mailed
claws a snake. The big bird scared
UP a hundred feet or more and shook
the snake looeo, which fell twisting
and collins until it struck with dis
tinctly audible "fop''-the noise that
hat first attracted Wetherby's atten-
ton.
Again and gain the bird swooped,
arose with the serpent and dropped 1t
again, and Welnersby drew closer and
closer to watcI.
Then the eagle-a young one, as
Wethersby could tell by its size ana
plumage-struck and failed to rise.
Ire man was close enough now to
see everything that happened.
The young bird had almost exhaust
ed itself in it's struggles with the
snake, and may, too, have been bitten
by it. At an rate, it was upon the
ground, its wings slightly spread, as
if from heat. its mouth open. The
snake was recovering from its jolting
fell and slowly gathering its coils. 1t
rested moment in position, and then
struck the eagle, the fangs entering at
the corner of the birds mouth, in the
soft tissue at the base of the beak.
The eagle recovered from the shock,
stood motionles5 few seconds, While
the -attler waite d as only a RATHER
can and. spreading out its wings, top
pied over.
Then the mailman who hates SER
penis as the eagle does-put forth his
hand, using a power more wonderful
than that of either. There was a puff
of white smoke in the clear air, the
blunt pop" of the pistol ratified
.ong the glistening, wind-polished
roc and the snake was a mangled,
bright, still thing that ants began to
gather about.
1t was unjust, maybe. The snake
had won fairly-he was entitled to go
his way-the way of terror for all the
little furry, bright-eyed things OF the
PLAINS. But Wetnersby couldn't help
it, Someway that Staying by poison
even if it's done in the open, doesn't
seem fair, and man hates to see the
emblem of his armies and navies, the
triumphant eagle of thunderbolts and
writing serpents, lying in the sun
slime, overcome, limp, helpless, dead.
Fourteen Injured On Trolley Car.
Chicago, June 35.-Fourteen persons
were injured this afternoon, three of
them seriously, wheh rapidly moving
electric car on the Chicago and North
Shore railway left the tracks at Grove
street. The car ran 100 feet on the pave
ment and was stopped by striking a pole
supporting the trolley wires The front
part of the car was wrecked.
Phone 27s People'D IL you want the
rrl NM