The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1890-10-02
DESERTS AND THIRsTs.
n California Man Tells why he Loves One
Desert and Hates Another.

There is a difference in deserts,
says Colonel Juan D. Mccarthy. Of
CALIFORNIA;. in an interview published
in the New York San, ";lnd | don't
mean to say that Pm stuck on the big
sand valley that stretches between the
Colorado river and the San BernaClino
Mountains. Two we'll established
horror OF that bit OF country, and I'll
tell VOW why. You may remember
that the section of the Southern Pacific
crossing the Yuma desert was the last
portion of the road built. While the
road was being constructed owned
sso,ne stage lines in Arizona, and the
Southern Pacific asked me to put on Il
line between Yuma and seven Plains
TO connect the two lines Of the railroad.
Before deciding l thought it best to
strive over and inspect the route, and,
aaking one of my best drivers, | start
ed from Cotton in light wagon drawn
by two good horses. Our load was
made up mainly of water barrels, and
we calculated that we had more than
enough to carry us through. The real
sand desert, in which there is no living
thing, animal or vegetable, is about
$50 miles wide, and in those days not
& drop of water could be had on the.
sroute- The distance was too great to
se made in the night, and in the day
tine 40 shelter from the heat could be
found, and it was no worse to be mov-
fEng slowly than to be at rest. The
heat WAS appalling and we couldn't
put II hand upon anything metallic
WAY, when they built the railroad
across there, the men had to use wood
en- soags to handle the rails, and they
needed gloves even then.
Half way across the desert we came
upon L party OF four men whose horses
had given out, and us they had no wat
CT we divided our stock with them so
that they could get back alive. Then one
of our barrels sprung leak, and
We lost lot before we knew it. Our
horses suffered horribly, but we could
ito no more than cool their mouths now
and then with Il wet sponge, and when
we had thirty miles yet to 90 they col
tapsed i'll the afternoon. We had just
a pint Of water left at that time. and
both OF Us were parched with thirst.
drank third of the pint and set out
a-foot for Yuma, leaving the rest of
the water for the driver, who was too
smueh used up to walk.
walking in the sand was hard
slow work. aud it was broad daylight
when l sighted the Colorado river.
That $ ip OF silver CLEAN in the sun
light was the most blessed sight my
eyes ever rested upon, and broke in
20 4 run toward the river with a wild
desire to plunge into the water and
drink the stream dry. l was half
erazed with thirst and fatigue and
HAD 40 more sense than Il mile post,
zaud if [ hadn't been stopped I'd have
killed myself with drinking. That's a
pointer for your cold water cranks.
fntemperate use of water at that time
would have killed me quicker than all
!. the whisky my skin could hold. BY
good luck somebody in Yuma saw me
summing Zizzag across the plain toward
1.-The river and knew by my actions that
i was desert crazy. A party of men
4rau eut and stopped me, and fought
them ia my frantic desire to reach the
river and plunge into it. But they
ayerpoWered me, and gave me just Il
sip OF water at a time until the worst
OF my thirst was quenched, and then
became rational and told them about
the driver
Within an hour relief party was
made up and started out with plenty
Of water in a wagon, and I had re-
covered sufficiently to go witt. the
party. When we got to where / had
left the outfit, we found only the wag-
Sn and the two dead horses. The driy-
"a had disappeared. it was easy to
track the man, however, as the wind
ilad not blown his footprints full OF
saad. and in an hour or two we found
aim, after following his aimless errat-
&c Wanderings. I'll never forget the
sight. The mans tongue, swollen and
aiack as your boots protuded from his
mouth. his eyes were bullying from his
head and staring like maniac's. and
he vas covered with blood that flowed
from t~o wounds in his throat. Thirst
had made him crazy, and when the
feeling of sutfocation in his throat had
become intolerable, he had slashed his
neck vertically on each side of the
xindptpe, in the vain hope of relieving
ftac tension. OF course the cutting
did no good directly, but possibly the
letting of blood did no harm. The
mans suffering must have been hid
eous. We caught him with some diff
fculty and took him back to Yuma
giving him a little water every few
minutes on the way, and he finally re
covered after some weeks in the hos
g,it;ll.
Il didn't put any stage line acros!
that corner of the desert. you can bet
When / think of that trip even New
York seems better than the desert
chat kind of desert, mean
The old master was given anothe,
commission, and naught was heard il
Sue art gallery save the gentle gurg
ling of two works of art through two
straWs. as Colonel Mccarthy and The
OF unqucnchable thirst.
a Boys Strange Head.