The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-10-03

FIX oAu weighing 0AoVoH pOuuuS Is Tue
|rgest specimen ever seen in this section,
d they are seldom over twelve inches in
|hgth-the ella monster has bigger rep
alton than anything else of his size that
pws. Not only is he classed with the
Ethical salamander who could sue
ssfully and enjoyably Withstand fire,
y he equally refuses to suffer death by
liter, and to his extraordinary vitality il
ded the story that his breath is poison
8 and his bite invariably fatal. These
sries might readily be believed of him by
lose who have never made his acquaint-
ce on his native heath, and have seen
n only as stuffed specimen in museums,
the Gila is decidedly ugly looking
ate. He is a cross in appearance between
green lizard and an alligator, with an
/ ly looking blunt nose, a mean looking
Fir of eyes. and his body frequently cover
| with dull red spots. He was apparently
lit neither for the land nor the water, al
! legs are neither long enough nor strong
ough for walking, and are not enough of
lis to aid him materially in swimming.
|metimes he is found along the banks OF
creeks or acequias, and sometimes on
|p very rockiest and most barren of noun
IN spots, but more frequently, especially
ring this rainy season, he will be dis
(Eered around in patches of the young
~ tender grass which has just sprouted,
@ere he feeds on the vegetation and the
Us and bugs which abound. The Gila
|fnster is very little feared here, where he
80. He is not only too slow and clumsy
1 attack person. but very grave doubts
st as to his ability to do much damage
IN were the attack made.
During residence of several months in
iona the writer has seen Gila monsters
the dozens and has killed them, too, but
must confess to his sorrow-fOr he came
re with a very high idea of this ugly liz
|S's ability to do mischief-that the rep
4 inspires more fear than his perform
|i;es warrant. In and around Tucson are
lumber of well-authenticated cases of
|fsons having been bitten, but none in
5ich the bite has proved fatal. There are
ID numerous instances of reported death
L great agony from the wounds inflicted
the ella, but when these reports have
ne through sitting process back through
n, Dick and Harry, they have wound IN
nothing. That the bite of the ella is
necessarily fatal, as generally supposed,
Eanythlng more than painful was shown
e only few days ago, when soldier at
1T Lowell, just outside the city, had his
ger severely lacerated by one of the rep
Es. The soldiers name is Memo, and al
|iugh death was predicted for him when
/ monster sank his teeth into his flesh, he
E3till driving the mail wagon between this
y and the garrison with great regularity.
ONE of the soldiers at the fort relieve the
notony of life by catching tarantulas.
Frpions, ETC., and a couple of weeks ago
!, OF them brought in ella monster they
n captu ed out in the brush. It was a
d-sized specimen, about foot long, and
W placed in box in one of the troop
Efrters and gwen an egg or two week
its subsistence. While It would RIM ont
tongue and hiss in an aggressive manner.
moved little disposition to bite, and the
u became SO accustomed to it that thew
hid take it up in their hands. A few
ss ago Memo picked the beast up and
an fooling with it. allowing it to crawl
I and down his bare arm, and run its
que over his hand. While going Through
20 maneuvers the ella went back on it's
tutation for innocence by suddenly grasp
I the soldiers forefnger, biting it to the |
e. ana holding on with such tenacity
= Memo had to use his other hand to |
20 open its mouth and shake it off. He |
up a howl of rage and pain, and the |
n crawled away unnoticed among the |
lers.
he wound bled freely, and Memo. pretty |
Fly frightened, commenced sucking his
Ter and splitting out the blood, and started |
the hospital on the jump. Maj. Girard,
surgeon, Immediately dosed the man
N whisky and prepared wash for the
ser. but had no apprehensions of a seri-
i outcome from the bite, as he savs ha
never heard of an authenticated case Of |
tn from such cause, and has no reason |
,hink a ella monster is half as poison
as rattlesnake. His predictions in /
case were at least correct, as Memo |
ed quietly all night and in the morning
/ as we'll as ever. His hand was slightly.
lien for day or two, but the swelling
D disappeared and the wound healed up |
& quickly. Maj. Girard says it is possible |
i Memo saved his life BY SO quickly suck
the blood from the bite, or that the |
IA, from confinement, may have lost it's |
on. as, when running loose, one of the |
lies articles of food is a poisonous |
I'd, but that more probably the ella |
tlster is not SO black as he is painted.
.ot long ago an employe of the Empire !
,h came tearing into town on horseback |
r. his, hand bandaged. and soon had |
ee or four doctors in consultation over |
Z. He had caught ella monster of an |
'ptional size. and supposedly killed it
I coming into the city on business he |
cludad to bring it along and have the |
4 stuffed. 30 he hung the reptile to the
tel of his saddle. Half way between the |
III and Tucson he reached around to see |
is prize was still there and found it was.
( CHA had come to life again and seized
his finger. OF course, he was badly +
htened, and as his hand and arm panied
before he reached the city he wanted
doctors to cut of his arm if they
light that thereby they could save his
This they refused to do, and gave him
usual antidotes for animal poison. The
& effects he suffered from the bite was
porary Inconvenience for q few DAYS,
he shows the scar ON his finger and
.ts to his robust frame as evidence that
bite of a ella monster might be fatal,
that il is not SO in all cases.
le only case of ella MONSTERS bite as
isted with death that the writer has
i able to substantiate in this part of the
instances of people be-
bitten are numerous-Was also with re-
d to an employe of this ranch. and in
tbs bits Was indirectly and mot direct