The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-03-06
OLDFAIRFAX EAGLES
THEIR VORACTTY SOMETIMES
 CAUSES THEIR UNDOING.
Duel Between Bird and Ftsh--Fastened His Taions fin the Back of Stur- geOn He Could Not Lift, and
 Went Down fer Good.
Washington Post.

washington Post.
 Two Colfax county men both of whom are well up in a knowledge of
 anything thai flies in the air or swims in the creeks and waters about that section of Virginia, were In Washing ton few nights ago, and Interested
 several of their old friends and cronies in telling about eagles in their county Grizzled old Pop Parker, one of the
 two men, called attention to the fact
 that at sheridan's Point. opposite Fort Washington, there Is an old dead tree that is quite a favorite for eagles to build their nests in, and there Is an
 other decayed forest giant in the lo- cality in which an eagle had his hahtta-
 ton for a long time. He was pi- rate and a marauding thief If ever there was one in the woods of Fairfax county" said Pop. "and everybody got to know him. Little pigs and puppies often furnished him meal of vic7 tuals. Wild ducks were dainties of- ten on his bill of fare, and he was regular fish hawk when 1t came to sealed creatures.
 '4This old bird was a holy terror, but he went to the well once too often" continued the relator. He was out witted somehow by a man who came
 down to our county from Washington, A Mir. Percy Overton, who, l believe, was then a CIVIL eng HI laiS Nhi- ploy of the War Department. Somehow or other he outwitted the old bird and captured him. He sent him out to the
 Geological Park in this city. I'm going out there before leave town" he concluded. ito see If can recognize the old villain"
 it." said MT. Parker's companion. par ticularly when they go on fishing ex. cursions. Not long ago l was one or a party that saw an old eagle after
 a pretty big fish. It may have been a sturgeon or perhaps big rock hsh' hut whatever 1t was he didn't propose | to he bali for any sort of bird. The eagle had his eyes on the fish and made i several dashes at him. At last he got him and stuck his talons in the thick hide of the fish. It must have been a strong young sturgeon, and while old baldy, the eagle. caught him. ne also got caught It seems the bird couldn't | release his talons from the fish quick enough, or he didn't want to let go his i hold. and down into the water they went together. We could see there was a struggle by the way the water was stirred up. I don't know what hap pened to the fish, but that eagle dloh come to the surface again.
 Another thing saw not many weeks ago." said the same man, was a race i between an eagle and a wild duck This was down at St. Mary's, on the Po- | tomac. The eagle must have chased 1 that duck, which was trying to es- l cane by swimming for a mile. Every | little while the duck would dive, and the wary old eagle would just soar about and keep his eyes pealed. Every time the duck came to the surface he
 went for him. and at last he wore the duck out. caught him, and flew away home with him"
 These interesting stories induced am other member of the group to relate an experience he had with an owl oolne time ago." he remarked, when was
 tending bar at one of the older hotels
 in this city. a friend living over In
 Rappahannock county made me pres ent of an owl. He was a great big
 moon-eyed bird. that only wanted spec.
 tacles to remind me of an old school teacher that used to whale tho very life out of us boys, about fifty years