The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-05-22
THINK SPECIMEN IS A
 REAL THUNDER BIRD
Third of Its Species to Be
 Found in the United States

Glacier Park station. May 21.- The wferd legend of "the thunder bird. 2 long regarded as gospel by the Blackfest Indians of Glacier Park res- ervation and much smiled at by the skeptical white man, now seems to be given concrete foundation by the recent discovery of 2 specimen of the willow ptarnaigan at the topmost edge of the tirnber line on the Inountains of Glacier National Park.
 The bird was found frozen to death and the Indians are now iamenting lest it was stricken by the Great Spir. it as an i'll omen to the entire Black feet tribe. The dead object of awe to the red man was drought to Glacier Park station by Chief Three Bears. who made the trip over the mountains on snowsf1oes in order to intercept Louis w. Hill, president of the Great Northern railway. and have him take it to 8 taxiderrrlist to be preserved. MT. Hill naturally thought 1t was just another of the many legendary super stitions of the tribe. which hoIdsS him up in a reverential light since making him a member of their tribe and giving him the name Of Gray Horse Rider in recognition of his many benefactions to them. However. he was true to his promise and had
 his private car set out at Kalispe1l.
 Mon. in order to deliver the sacred pird'' to H. P. Stanford,E a, renowned Rocky Mountain taxidermist.
 The ornitho1ogist, however, rath- CT took the railway naagnate's breath away when upon advancine with. the dead bird he exclaimed Why. MT. HiH. you have got rare specimen here! It is the willow ptarmigans which is of great scientific interest among ornithoIogists. Chapnan's CoI- or Key shows the willow ptarnnigan has been reported only twice in the United States, once from Maine and once from Massachusetts.''
 Mr. Hill had not paid close atten- ton to the story the old chief had related to him through the inter prefer, so now he has had to send g special representative into the interior of Glacier Park to find Three Bears and get the old Indian's story steno- graphically. Taxiderrnist Stanford, cry in hirdd tom, eagerly awaits copy Of the written story of the finding Of the bird that he may report the facts to the American Museum of Natural History.
 Meanwhile the bird is being, set up as true to life as the taxidermistss s skill can make 1t and it will be placed in the crotch Of the poles of the one hundred year-old buffalo skin tepee. which has been pitched on exhibition in the forest lobby of the big log ho- tel at the eastern gateway to Uncle San. newest national park, because the grandfather of old Chief Three Bears, who headed the Indian coun-. cfI which used to pass the pipe of peace in this ancient shelter relic. was the chief figure in the legend of the thunder bird which old Three Bears fait1afully repeats to this day.
 Long ago there was an old man. who was called Four Bears When he was young man the Blackfeef were camping on Elk River. It was in. summer The long time rain had commenced- In the morning when he went for the horses (to bring them into the canp9 he came to this river. He saw there was a. bird tthat was sitting near the edge of haa water. He walked toward 1t. When he was looking at 1t then he knew that the bird did not belong to this country It's feathers were all of different col OTIS. it's bill was green coIored, it's legs were coIored the same It had three claws It would not open its eyes (literal1y: 1ool1. He then caught it Then he took it home When he entered all the chiefs were invited They all entered. The bird sat at the upper edge Of the lodge. He told these chiefs: Now here is a bird that you may look at 1t (to know1 what it is. It was not known (nobody could