The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-08-08
QUEER THINGS IN TEXAS.
Delights Which People Encounter in Some
Parts of the Extreme Southwest.

anu Del 1Sio. OId Roy Bean, VINO formerly ulS-
pensed frontier Justice of decidedly original
and peculiar kind while acting as magistrate at
Vaudeville during the building of the railroad,
owns the eating privilege at Sanderson and the
liquid refreshment bureau connected Herewith.
This business is rather monotonous, and to
man of Old Roy's temperament not altogether
pleasant Latterly he has found time hanging
heavily on his hands, and to assist him in willing
away the tagging hours that creep by so slowly
oct on this dreary plain, he has taken up the
study of natural history. His collection, as yet,
is small, but is decidedly unique one, and he
is adding specimens every day. 1t is his hope
and ambition to one day be the proud possessor
OF living specimen of every manner of creeping
and crawling thing and all those that hop skip,
jump, run or fly in the Lone Star State.
In large glass case in the rear of his saloon
he has Gagged more concentrated venom than can
be found anywhere outside of poison factory
FIRST on the list is family OF centlpedes con-
siStng of a giant nearly ten inches In length,
the old fellows son and daughter, and numer-
tpu. progeny of babies. The centipede is not
pretty insect He runs too much to legs. Once
thought them of no use, but after seeing a lot
Of little Chricahua Indian papooses pulling cen
fipedes from their holes and greedily devouring
them. legs, poison and all, 10 longer doubted
the wisdom and beniicence of their creation.
In the course of my checkered career have had
several adventures with centipedes, and always
came out second best. A centipede can raise
blister on mans body quicker than red-hot
iron. and if you don't Immediately apply rem
e6ial poutice of pounded priekly pear and dose
yourself inwardly with post whisky-which latter
IS warranted TO kill anything but an army mule
the resultant effects may be serious. Cent?
peces usually attack their victim at night, when
he is asleep and can't defend himself They are
armed with about two hundred little lanceS con
venienty dashed to the toe of each foot-of
which they have several-and at the base OF
each lance is tiny sack of venom. II cent?
pede craws across your body-which he'll most
likely do if you lie down anywhere within half
mile of him-you'l have no difficulty in follow
jag his trail, and you'll remember his visit for
weeks. No man ever died from the bite of a
csntipede, but have known one to make man
wish he were dead.
In the cage adjoining that occupied by the
centipedes was a den of tarantuaS, whose Sclen-
tiEc name is Lycosa. The den contained two
Iycose but whether they were brother and
sister, mother and daughter, father and son or
husband and wife am unable to declare. They
were about the size of common saucer, and
were as hairy as Esau. Their mouths were
biood-red, and they each had four sharp teeth.
which from time to time they snapped vlciously
was bitten by a tarantula once, and felt thank
fRl that these two were Gagged l suggested to
cd Roy that it would be a good idea to pull out
their teeth, and he kindly gave me permission to
operate on them dentally. l declined The
farantua is an exaggerated spider, with teeth
and hair They are always ready for a fight, and
will tackle anything, not excluding buzz saw.
In days gone by have often amused myself by
leasing one with red-h hot coal. AT first they
would fight shy, but after they once got mad
they would attack that coal and never surrender
until they were burned to a crisp. never
hfard of any eating a tarantula- If one
bites you use same remedies as prescribed for
Eentipede sting, only more so.
4 gastronomc tenderfoot would have peored
inao the next cage, conured up visions of lobster
saiad and smacked his lips | shuddered 1t is
true that the fair occupants somewhat resembied
aiiliputian Holsters in all save color, which was
Snbdued Lobster salad is made with
vinegar, and this fact is probably responsible
for tie name of these pestiferous little verrnin,
which Immediately recognized as quartette of
viRegaroans. The vinegaroan has never been
scientifically classified, and is content to pod
through life undstngushed save by his humble
frontier patronymic. The MeXcans and Indians,
who have been acquainted with the vinegaroan
longer than have, solennly assert that his bite
is deadly. l have always taken their word for
g. The vnegaroan lives under decaying logs
anu if disturbed scorns to run. l saw fight
once between a vinegaroan and tarantula. The
tasantula was lifted out of the pit dead in one
minute.
The adjoining apartment contained a pair of
Singing lizards, which are scorpions in mnia
ture The singing lizard is found most any
where, but principally snugly ensconced IN the
folds of your blanket when you lie down at
night He always let's you know that he is there,
and have known strong men to tear their hair
and dance and-pray in a very undignitied and
eccentric fashion upon dis covering that a sting
ing lizard had selected them as a bed fellow. The
singing lizards weapon of defense and offense
is his tail, which is long and as full of joints
a bamboo pole. When he punches you with the
sharp end of his caudal appendage you think of
sheols fire, and howl. The singing lizard IS not
good 20 eat. The application of fresh ouid of
tobacco will take the fire out of the spot where
he Sautes you.
1t was necessary to look twice before discover
ing the occupant of the next cage, and only
person familiar with the fauna of the South
western frontier would have recognized him
then. a gigantic devil horse, who crouched mo-
tiCness in one corner of the the cage waiting for
something to turn I'D. l have usually observed
the devil horse in this attitude Of anxious ex-
peetancy If an adventurous fly should hover
too near him. however, he wakes UP with
CELEBRITY that that is astonishing and in less time
than it takes to say boo that fly is his meat.
He does not eat flies, but simply extracts the
Juices from their bodies and lays for more. The
body of a devil horse is all of the size and
hs looks not unlike green walking stick set up
on twelve other walking sticks, six on side. He
can jump ten feet without stopping to catch his
breath. OLD ROys specimen, whom he calls
'Shortstop' because he is good on the fly catch,
WAS about six inches in length and the size of q
broom straw. The scientific men who have
sought to classify the fauna of Texas have some
how overlooked the devil horse. but he doesn't
seem to mind the Slight, and continues catching
dies with monotonous perslstency. L was never
bitten by devil horse. and never met anyone
who had been, but the natives class them among
the poisonous. and they ought to know.
There was mound of sand in the next cage
and this sand was literally alive with what an
unscientihc frontiersman would at once have
recognized as fire ants. / don't know his clas-
sica! name. but ne is found in large numbers all
over the Southwestern frontier Whenever a
colony makes camp in your vicinity it will be
well TO let them remain in peaceable possession.
My camp was once invaded by fire ants. IL was
a good place, convenient to wood an water and
i hated TO leave. / disputed the right OF occu-
pancy with them for three weeks, at the end Of
which time incontinently surrendered ard fled
During thatthree weeks dug them out burned
them out and drowned them out but they didn't
seem to mind it in the least They went on
burrowing and building, and exploring the
surrounding country, and when my tent got full
of them, and | had been bitten in about
three million different places, l thought
it time TO move the bite of the fire ant is
like the sting of the singing lizard 1t
hurts and makes a sore place. They increase