The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-07-04
S|DEW|NDERS ARE THICK.
Stories of Snakes in a Land of
Terror and Many
Marvels.
Poisonous Reptiles Abound in the
Midst of the Weed That
Cures.
Moving Mountains in a Desert-Springs
With Medicinal Oualities-A Hand
Car Journey.

There are easier billets in the world than
that of roadmaster on n great railroad.
There are few more responsible. A road
master is a Eort of amateur engineer, who
is supposed to possess exceptional ability
and be able to cope with extraordinary con-
tingencies. If his division is on the Colo
RADIO desert and beyond he is expected to be
n weather prophet and a gauge rolled into
one, writes J. II. Gilmour in the San Fran
cisco Chronicle. If he is not a per-
ambulating, re~port-writing, intellect
ual barometer the company has little
use for him. A roadmaster has the
section gangs under his immediate control,
also a velocipede and a sail car. Taken all
in all he is an important parsonage in the
railroad commonwealth, so when E.. j.
Mulvihill, whose division extends from
Cotton to Tortugo, asked me to take a run
with him on the hnndcar from the latter
place to salton, 1 gladly consented. as it
would afford me opportunity to make
closer acquaintance with that interesting
and mysterious country.
There is something positively fascinating
about the desert. It's weird stiffness is ac-
tually startling. Nothing is more harassing
to the nerves than this desolate silence.
and the desert is SO quiet, so deathlike, SO
actionless, that you are inclined to punch
yourself and feebly inquire whether you
are not inanimate clay, so awfully does the
desert impress its strange personality
upon you. Among fertile fields and
s garden g Ing tS with fruit and
nature; here nature is your master. Her
desolation has no sympathy with man. She
repels his advances, and if he STAYS she
captures him and desiccates him SO thor
oughly by her hot. dry atmosphere that
even as a fertilizer he loses his ultimate
usefulness.
Such were my thoughts as ! stood be-
fore the ORDERLY section house Mt Flowing
Wells. John Halloran, the section boss,
was making a brave endeavor to cultivate
the sandy land, rs WAS shown NY two at
tenuated fig trees and some yellow-blos-
soming cacti. Mrs. Spillman, the truck
walkers wife, made the house happy with
her CHEEKY personality, her busting ways
and her coutented disposition-strange,
strange contrasts to the dismal surround
inEs.
name of flowing wells. but it is n sad dis
appointment. In 1889 tho Southern Pa
citc company dug n well and was re-
warded by n burst Of clear cool water Mt
$50 feet. Track superintendent Curtis
and other officials threw high their hats
80 Wv VI" H' NSf thtS vi utNlilE
struck fresh water, for it must be renem-
bered that each train had to carry n tank
from Walters to Yuma. n distance of 100
Mules. Their extacy was, however, short
lived, for the water was very salty. 1t has
Its uses, for tho Mexicans have sunk n bath.
and it's healing properties are marvellous,
Mr.. Mniv!hill telling me that he has seen
men who have heon terribly afflicted por-
factly cured after n weeks bathing in this
wonderful Bethesda. He Ia confident
That when these wells nre better
known they will be patronized by