The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-09-23
WHERE RATTLESNAKES THRIVE.
Prospector's Tale of Trip Through
Gulch in the Madre Chain.

/ Prospector's Tale of a Trip Through .
Gulch in the Madre Chain.
Talking about snakes,- said griz-
Fled old prospector in Tucson to a party
of eastern tourists, you fellows ought
to go down here in the Madre noun
tains, near the Mexican line, and you'd
see snakes. You see, not very many
| miners and prospectors go in the
Madre, because there is almost nothing
in our line there, although you do hear
stories about wonderful mines, and gold
and silver piled up in stacks when the
old Mexicans abandoned the diggings,
but all the gold there is about it is in
the ears of the man who believes such
stuff. Besides, if they do go they
are most eternally glad to get out
again If they have the good luck
not to be bitten by the rattIers.
Why. the average RATHER in the Madre
chain is seven or eight feet long, and
there are lots of 'em good deal bigger
than that. The stupid little reptiles
that go by the name up in Utah and
Colorado aren't in it with their Mexican
brethren when you get to talking bout
snakes. | have been there, and YOU
bet know what am talking about
''Three years ago Jack McQuade and
/ were prospecting together, and we got
tip on the quiet that there were some
rich finds over near Colouiton, a little
Mexican town about one hundred and
seventy-fve miles from here. SO we
went but didn't get track of anything
worth very much, although two or
three fellows made their pile Finally,
! left Jack there and came back, and
/ made up my mind to come
through the Madre. The boys told
me / hadn't better try it, but I did.
and | am not hankering after any
more trips of the kind ] had two bur-
ros and got along all right, and didn't
see anything extraordinary until | had
gotten fairly into the range, when one
morning | was riding down ravine
that would let me out at the base of
big peak which I would go around. At
the further side there ought to be some
of the headwaters of the Maleskyne, as
the Indians call little mountain river
that runs out on the plain and loses it
self in the sand, and then for the rest
of the way it would be ali plain sail
ing. Well, I was riding along down,
smoking and leading one Of the burros
behind when | noticed two rattlers
right in front. ] went around them
and they raised up and ratified like
basket OF eggs. But / didn't mind
little thing like that. Pretty soon |
saw some more, and then they seemed,
all the rest of the way down, to in
crease and multiply with the most as
tonishing rapidity. Luckily the bot
tom of the gulch was wide enough, SO
that we got by 'em all right; but if
those donks weren't scarf! / never
saw the stupid little brutes
50 much alive as they were |
then, and just as we came /
to the mouth of the gorge il narrowed |
up and the snakes were just as thick as /
ever. There was no other way of get |
ting out, so hit,the donks and we went |
through like a house sfre. At one /
place we shook lot of rock loose. and I
a big bunch of snakes rolled down I'M /
der the very feet Of the burros. 4
needn't tell you we didn't stop till we 4
got outside, where there was plenty OF
room.
Before | could stop the little beasts
we nearly ran over a couple of Mex
leans, who were almost frightened out
Of their wits They must have thought
! was a ghost TO have come through
the Snake gulch, as they called the
place, unscathed Bat what was the
most curious thing about the whole
matter was that the Greasers camped
right there and caught snakes and fried
the oil out for the eastern patent
medicine market II seems there j.
quite demand for the oil among Ger
tain class Their camp was raised mp
on posts out of the a. q snakes The
snakes were caught by means %
steel fork on long poiH. which theg
u sed 20 Mn the -att!eF's bead 20
the ground The snake was helpless
hen. and with small hatchet they cut
of It's head and hung the BODY On
stick fastened across the back OF d
ba-ro When dcnke- load had been
killed they were taken - . pace where
the suns rays n the afternoon beat
down ga inst = will Of rock and r2sce
II hot enough 70 roast egg Here they
81. the reptile and hang hin NJ on a
x o.sden frame with a pan underneath
20 catch The slowly dripping oil i
voo1 fst s7sasle w0ys13 furnish = quart
The stencil about The pace wSs some
thing that no words car convey ~ des
q. bu. the G-cAs-rs d4en. ssenn 20 mind
il nueh The rock IN the Erich -sas =
shelving. ssa}y formation. tAst vas "a.
u holes and e-zn ni.s. ard a. The month
- as q sort - 1acssr lam HasMdsss. es,dEEg
IN u.zrsAy s1oagh, and fn.t 0f frogs
and ~grzs5a ~ ever dss-rlptsoz. ard on
hes the szake. saoSEsset- lae Mex
eznS had a kzos&axa there 1nsf doa's
rzzt any ~ l. ] seal awzy ne zsxi
lar srd aereT yanE % SO BACK sga.a-