The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1890-10-23
THE GILA MON STEE.
A Rare Reptile Described as the Most
Eenomous Thing on Earth.

most deadly reptile in all the world, not
excepting the cobra of India or the
Staked Plains rattlesuake Of Texas, is
the dreaded Gila monster of the far
Southwest. There are very few Of these
creatures in existence, and they are
found in but one locality, the bottom
lands Of the Gila River, in Southwestern
Arizona. Once in while a specimen
is encountered further east, but, as
rule, they are smaller than ordinary,
the largest of the species living and
thriving in the locality mentioned.
There are but few more deadly poison
Gus things than bloated yellow rattle
snake, but Indians, MeXicans, scouts:
and others who know, declare that Of
all living creatures the ella monster is
by far the most absolutely poisonous
thing that lives. Scientists have be-
slowed upon him the Latin name Of
Heloderma suspectum, and give various
descriptions of his personal appearance,
and yet not one in a thousand of these
learned gentlemen have ever seen a
specimen, dead or alive.
The Arizona monster belongs to the
lizard family, and is not often less than
ten inches nor more than twenty-five
inches in length. 1t was my good for
tune to encounter a siXteen-inch fellow
not long since, and as it was the first
Of the kind I had ever seen it was
little wonder that did not at once
recognize him. There were a Mexican
and a Moqui Indian with me, and We
had just stepped foot on beaver dam
to cross small, stagnant stream, when
the Indian, who was in front. uttered
snort of fear, leaped about five feet in
the air, and landed up to his waist in
the green Shiny water of the beaver
lagoon. The Mexican crowded back
against me, and then I saw lying fiat
out on the dam summing himself what
I thought to be an immense barking
lizard.
The Indian made ali haste to place a
long distance between his red skin and
the creature, while the Mexican beat a
hasty retreat, leaving ME standing alone
and facing the monster, for it was a
Gila monster, and no mistake.
"Terror-of terrors," calculated the
Mexican, in fear and trembling. "Let
us depart, Signor; let US go quick"
In few words the Aztec explained
the nature of the reptile. Notwith-
standing all the evil that has been said
of him, the creature as he lay there in
the sun was most beautiful object to
look at. He was covered with beads,
or rather with scales. The scales were
arranged in rows, not fiat on the body
like the scales of a fish, but raised in
ridges aud colored in mottled spots
either deep black or bright salmon
orange. The tail was thick and clumsy,
and the legs, precisely like those of a
barking lizard, were black as ebony.
He clung flat to the bark of a rotten
log, and when he knew that some
strange creature was standing near
and surveying him he raised his body
quickly on his legs, hug his sharp nails
into the limb, whipped his head quick
ly. around, and, while his glittering
eyes sparkled dangerously, be darted
back and forth the most venomous-
looking forked tongue one can imagine
at the same time uttering Wheezy,
blowing sound, very much like that
emitted by a puff adder when angered.
He began to crawl slowly along the
log, his ugly dual tongue slowly darting
in and out, and I saw that unless
something was done at once to prevent
it he would make his escape. Selling
a long knotted stick, l made a whack
at him, but only crushed the end of his
blunt tail. Like a flash he wheeled
clear around and made jump at me,
covering about three feet in the clear.
Startled out Of my senses, leaped
back also, and brought tile stick down
again, this time breaking his back and
stretching him out dead on the log.
The Indian and Mexican both re-
turned, but although I wanted them
to help preserve the specimen, neither
would touch or handle his carcass in
any way. Not having any alcohol, I
placed the monster in jar of whiskey
to prevent him, but, unfortunately, be-
fore I reached place where alcohol
could be procured, the whiskey had
spoiled him.
Indians and ignorant Mexicans OF
the locality positively declare that the
breadth of the Gila MONSTERS as dead
" as his bite. These assertions are un-
true. Gila monsters have grooved teeth
and poison gland like rattlesnake,
and are quite if not more poisonous
than the Crotatus horridus, or diamond
back rattlesnake. The best antidote
for their bite is strong tobacco saliva
and a soft quid of tobacco applied TO
the wound. Unlike rattlesnakes's We
nom, whiskey or alcohol has no oppo,
sing influences; on the contrary, man
addicted to alcoholic beverages, if
bitten by this reptile, is almost sure to
die. Ammonia taken internally is an
excellent remedy.
4 cattleman of the Southwest, while
riding over the range searching fol
stray steers, came near being unseated
by his horse suddenly making tre'
mendous side leap to the right. He
reined up and went back to see what
was the cause of his horses action
There on the ground lay tremendous