The Eagle Escapes the Hotel Yakima
A captive eagle, purchased from a local youth, picks its own lock and escapes back into the wilderness.
W. Wallace Atherton, of the Hotel Yakima, was the possessor of a handsome specimen of the American eagle, which he purchased on Monday from young Mr. Urtrap of the Wenas. The bird measured seven feet across the wings and was caught in a steel trap. He was in Mr. Atherton's possession but a short time, when he picked the strap loose which encircled his leg and soared heavenward. A reward of $5 will be paid for his return to the hotel.
“He was in Mr. Atherton's possession but a short time, when he picked the strap loose which encircled his leg and soared heavenward.”
Capturing wildlife for display was a common nineteenth-century practice, but the eagle's flight to freedom reflects the rugged, untamed spirit of the Yakima Valley in the 1890s. The Hotel Yakima, a central hub at the time, has long since vanished, but the site remains a symbolic anchor for the downtown area.
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