Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-07-23
Foxy Golden Eagles
Fooled Wise Men,
Conclusion of the State curator
Golden Eagle Quest.J

Geiden Eagle Quest.1
Those Golden Eagles are not for
Names Natural History museum-yet,
Saturday, Curator James, accom-
panied by his 17.year-old son Milton
left Augusta on the expedition to the
New Hampshire line to capture the
birds whose nest had been found and
reported to the State Fish and Game
Commissioners by Warden Gray.
Picking up the warden on their way
the little party of eagle hunters jour
neyed 20 miles from the nearest rail-
road station to Mts. Joyce and Gilead,
stopping over night at a farmhouse
near the foot of the former big hill
Sunday morning. at crack o'day, the
hunters climbed Mt. Gilead by the old
Indian trail and obtained from its
summit good view and some photo
graphs or the eagles nest on the face
of Mt. Joyce.
Mt. joyce is $3.50 feet high and has a
sort of visor to it's cap which projects
out 80 feet with a base shelfing rock
Beneath and some 10 feet below is an
other shelf of rock some eight feet
long. on which the big nest is built
On the rock around the nest is nearly
a wagon load of bones and debris
from the food brought to the young
birds and eaten by them. While the
visitors watched the nest one of the
young birds returned from a foraging
expedition with dogs carcass-or
possibly it was that of lamb-which
he devoured and then. gorged and
perehed on the rock, went to sleep.
faIy ,hy ba
hunters descended Mt. Gilead and and
made the ascent of Mt. Joyce. They
had already discovered that 1t would
be impossible. because of the mac
feasibility of the nest, to obtain it,
for the reason that man, let down
from the mountain top. would. when
on level with the nest, still be some
80 feet in midair away from it. The
nest is located in the face of sheer
cliff 1000 feet deep.
Guidd by Warden Gray they made
the Climb of Mt. Joyce over a route
probably never before trod by man.
They had to be very careful not to
cause landslides and because of roll
ing stones and falling earth each man
had to climb in different ascent.
Around the mountain, heading to-
ward the eagles nest, is a ledge on
which Curator James made his way
up to within 100 feet of the nest but
could go no further.
From this perch he secured good
view of one of the old eagles and two
of the young ones. The young ons
are nearly as big as the parent birds.
which have a stretch of wing of some
eight feet. They undoubtedly are
golden eagles as Curator James could
decide from their heads on which a
patch Of golden yellow flashed in the
sun rays
Mr.. James could have shot one or
more but decided not to do so: as
their plumage was imperfect, that of
the old bird being in the moulting
stage and that of the eaglets not fully
formed. Moreover. We're one one shot,
it would drop 1000 feet and be almost
impossible to find in the brush and
forest below
dweIled in their mountain top undis-
turbed now for eight years.
Golden eagles have the reputation of
being able to build nests in inaeces-
sible localities ana these birds were
wise according to their kind. No man
could reach this nest unless by bal
loon or aeropane.
While on the mountain top the
hunters enjoyed lunch and thunder
shower which proved interesting and
spectacular though wet! 1t was young
James first experience in mountain
climbing and he enjoyed the feat.
Curator James and his son returned
to Augusta. Monday, with no golden
eagles but with some fine views of
Mt. Joyce. the eagles and their nest.
p. S. The black flies on the forest
and on the mountains were fierce. re-
senting the intrusion of the States
hunters into their domain. Curator
James was so badly bitten by them
that his neck and face were badly
swollen and one eye was completely
closed
Between Mt. Joyce and Mt. Gilead
runs Cold river and Chatham is the
nearest settlement.