Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1908-01-15
"Captured One of the Eagles"

pointing to a big, bald-headed eagle
that was circling over our heads, that
bird flies out from. his nest in the
morning, captures a duck and then
does nothing more for three or four
hours. Shiftless, worthless creature,
he would be happier and healthier if
he put in eight hours day steadily
and then turned in the extra birds he
caught to Tom Ferguson
1.-The eagle is the national bird
responded severely. Such talk as
yours comes pretty near being treason.
And it is SANDER on the character
of respectable eagles. Just at this
time of year an eagle doesn't have to
work hard. But when winter really
sets in there isn't a better feathered
example of the strenuous life than the
abused eagle. Even with his eyesight
he sometimes has to fly miles and
miles before he can see an unwary
duck or heron
The next day he was hired as guide
by man who had quite name as an
optician. Tom asked if an eagle that
had acquired the habit of using field
glasses wouldn't be able to see far
Their than if he used his naked eye"
Probably he would replied the
optician in rather doubtful tones, but
have the eagles in these woods eX-
hibited any yearning for field glasses?
The average eagle is pretty well sat
isfied with his eyesight as it is
tom was positive he had hit upon
a great labor-saving scheme, so he
wasn't the man to give it up. He sent
down to the city and ordered pair of
small but powerful field glasses Then
he climbed up to an eagles nest that
he had had his eye on for some time
and caught one of the eaglets. Tom
brought the eaglet home and began
training it. The first thing was to
get the aglet to look on him as his
friend and to regard the Ferguson
house as his home. After the eagle
was tame Tom began to teach him to
use the field glasses. Tom hung the
glasses about the birds neck and in
little while the eagle got so that he
would pick the glasses up in one claw,
hold them to his eyes, and spend
hours exploring the country round
about.
by the time the eagle reached this
stage he was pretty well grown and
| the winter had really set in. Tom
| judged it was time to put his protege's
training to some practical advantage.
Scientific instruments, loving care,
and training under the eye of the best
guide in the north woods have been
| lavished on YOU he said to the eagle
| Seek the freedom of the skies and
search for birds. This is your home,
so bring the trophies of the chase
| back here. l prefer ducks, but I'll
take anything. Well divide the spoils
between US, and I'll take care that the
good man who owns you don't get the
worst end of it,
THE eagle flew up AS soon as he
was clear of the ground he lifted the
| glasses to his eyes and began his
| search for secluded ducks. Toms
idea of using the field glasses evident
| " was good one. Another eagle had
| been flying about, high in air, looking
for game and not finding any. But the
minute Toms bird was fairly up, with
the increased field given him by the
glasses, he saw duck and started for
it.
The duck that. the trained eagle
started after was evidently a long
ways OF, for it had been out of sight
of the other eagle. But eagles are
swift flyers, and it wasn't long before
Toms pet came wingina back, the