California Condor Eben McMillan 18 September 1963 Within the last Twelve Years. I stopped and visited with Mr. and Mrs. Carl West. They had seen no Condor of late. At the headquarters offices of Kern County Land Companies in Bakersfield, I was shown into the Office of Herb Free who is in charge of San Emigdio Ranch operations. I presented my letter of recommendation to him. After some discussion Mr. Free finally asked me, "Just what are Condors?" In the end Mr. Free seemed most interested and referred me to the Ranch Manager, Mr. Justinian Caire, who would be available by phone at 6:30 p.m. Tonight. I duly called Mr. Caire at 6:30 p.m. and after notifying me of the importance of staying on roads and closing gates when travelling over San Emigdio lands he told me to call his Ranch foreman, Mr. Walter Slaytor and make plans where I could meet Mr. Slaytor and pick up a key to the gate locks on the San Emigdio Ranch. This I immediately did and before being told where Mr. Slaytor would leave the key so that I could pick it up tomorrow afternoon, was again prevailed upon by Mr. Slaytor to stay on the roads and keep all gates locked. This is entered as evidence against irresponsible people settling on the San Emigdio Ranch. Condors enjoy a maximum amount of protection under these circumstances. Referring back to my visit with the Stocktons today, mrs. Frances Stockton told me that as a young girl, living seven miles west of Porterville, Tulare County, California in 1904 or 1905 while attending school they used to watch great numbers of Buzzards and some Condors passing out to the west to feed on the tremendous supply of dead fish that were left stranded when the Tulare Lake dried up for the first time.