Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-12-28

WHERE THE ollf IA allie O
skeena River WINDS its last leagues
m the Pacific. stands an aimos'
hare brown rock. 500 feet Of sheer
height. Down the face which is
turned 20 the river, and the rali'
way which ClnCS 70 the ba0N'
the winding lace cascades OF sum
mer have frosted 10 lCe tTdCega
Atop the cliff tfeHFi, aii ABOUT
for two full miles the Douglas mrs.
sugar pines and other great trees
Of the long-hetd preserve have
fallen. right there one noble old
ster. 220-foOt Stka spruce
stands as dark green lohsileK
pointing 10 the SKY
There i a TeaSon--and he 1sS
seven-foot spread q wings Ilc l.
an American Ua1I ~ cIt. appol'n. -
IL a bachelor. though 30 miller sea
son il is possible mate may come
10 share with him the rough noS'
of sticks and moss there -ls2 Ieel
above the ground
At the base ~ the great hole 4
white sign lettered plainly IT
( black. is nailed. II reads
EAGLE EYRIE-DO NOT CUT!
The naked eye cannot detect the
nest from the ground, which proh-
ably is why The eagle built u there
, instead Of in some rock creNlce
HIGH on an unSCaiahlc pinnacle.
I. But one dan last winter a timber
, topper actually climbed toward the
top third Of thC spruce. tf'c
. lumber "a the great hole had been
earmarked for quick klln-dryinE
and use in a new war plant hastily
, being constructed. The timber
topper's Job was 10 Top OF
, branches. and lastly ~ cut away
, the top 90 feet or Whereabouts.
making the rest Of the tree ready
. for telling and transport to saw
! mill.
Part way up. shifting MS belt
RAPIDLY and iiff4ffi14ftf With, hrs 7eet
; spurs. the topper suddenly froze-
. and not from the winters chill. 10
which he was accustomed out Of
dark lump up there some 10 or
u yards above the mans head
suddenly had sounded a heavy
Tapping of strong wings. Out OF
the nest, 10 circle about inquir-
ingly, came great blrd-one
which instinctVely strikes awe
into the man who meets him close
at hand in lonely place.
HE DIDN'T ATTACK
It was the old bald eagle. He
did not attack. as he might have
done if the nest had been laden
with a mate and springtime young
lings. but he sailed about the
spruce in "a rather tight circle
wings moi seeming to move after
once he started. He called out a
harsh question, or what seemed
a question, and the man there
clinging 10 the trunk of the tree
shivered. The eagle kept his head
turned toward the climber as he
circled. And II seemed 10 the man
that the great bird was scowling
az him above that menacing, ac-
cipitrine beak.
Whats the matter. Yank:"
they asked him when ne reached
the ground. looking serious.
The timber-topper shrugged:
II got a kid brother gettin'
his wings down to Panama.
Mebbe I'll try for mine. too, one
Of these days. But / don't want
the sorta wings that ofd fetfa'd
give me. Mo-. IL you got TO
cut this tree. s'pose you send for
one Of them Japs you got behind
wire over beyond HazletOn :"
For a number of reasons that
was not done. The tree remained
In a widening circle the trees
about were cut. and the bald
eagle, most OF the time soaring
aloft so high that he was only a
speck against the cold winter sky.
watched-and once or twice a day
returned 10 his high nest in the
spruce.
HUNTING A MEAL
The men watched him. Espe-
cially the Yank timber-to
watched. He knew that the bird
was the symbol and mascot of his
own land, and took a silent pride
in the soaring sweep of the great
wings.
The far bank or the Skeena
somewhat lower. was plain 10 be-
seen from anywhere near the tor
of the big trees. The Yank one
day saw the black speck high
overhead-at least a thousand feet
up. The eagle effected 4 circle
with unmovlng wings Then& hC
glided down three or four hundred
feet, executing figure eight
Again a downward glide this time
toward the further bank Of the
river. He was hunting q meal anc
hungry. but TINS day there seemed
10 ne no game moving IN AID the
wilderness of white. Perhaps il
had been frightened away by M,
noise and toilng Of those Two
legged ants who climbed trees
ADvERTIsEwE&T
fAMJCh CA EANrT Mr.