Southwest-sentinel. [volume] (Silver City, N.M.) 1883-189?, 1893-02-07

MA2 OGANAAAN.A 80
spoke very vehemently Of the false
impression which has gone abroad
that Arizona is the home of the
reptile.
"There are few men who have
ridden more over the desert than
1 have OF traversed more Arizona
ranges. Therefore l know of what
l speak. People imagine that in
Arizona you cannot go to sleep
but a tarantula may creep across
your face; that you cannot step
out into your back yard but a
scorpion is likely to your
path with tail erected; that you
cannot take a trip into the country
but a ella monster or some other
diabolical reptilian will suddenly
confront you as an enemy to bar
your progress.
"Now all this talk about the
prevalence of poisonous spiders,
gigantic lizards, terrific wild hogs
and other monstrous bug-bears is
all nonsense, and has done more
to harm the country and keep de-
sirable immigration away than
anything else.
"Many immigrants have been
terrorized into staying away on
account of these wild stories of
dismal, creeping things, which
cause cold chills to u down the
backs of sensitive people.
"After living in Arizona for IL
years L can say that all these sto-
ries have their existence only in
Imagination. In all myexperience
1 have seen but one ella monster
wild in Arizona, but few scorpions
and not many tarantulas.
"Is the bite of the ella monster
really poisonous?" was asked of
Mr.. Bruce.
Yes, it is, though many do not
believe so. 1 do not believe the
Gila monster to belong to the liz
ard family. 1 think it is of the
crocodile or alligator species. You
know that land was once the bot
tom of the sea and the country
was tropical. ] think the Gila
monster is a relic of that age.
, "But about the animals bite.
| l have only seen two cases of this
3 One was on my ranch near Ben.
l son. One of my cowboys in @
5 drunken spirit of fun stuck his
r finger between the bars of a cage
!. where a ella monster was confined
. He was warned not to do so. He
was bitten on the finger and il
half an hour he was dead.
"The second case was a memoir
= able one in Arizona, and affected
L Walter Vail, the richest cattle
king in Arizona and New Mexico
; Vail had stopping at his large rancl
u a young lady who expressed
. desire to see one of the ella mon
sters. He said the first one he RAJ
L across he would bring to the ranch
Some time after while travers
ing the ranges with a large part,
Q of vaqueros he espied a large spec
linen of the animal. He easll,
captured it as the animals are yer,
sluggish.
It Thinking he had killed it he pu
the monster on the back of hi
: horse and started for the ranch
,f When he started to dismount h
# placed his hand behind him an
leaped to the ground. One of tn
fingers of his left hand was caugh
T. in the mouth of the animal whic
g had revived.
II "Vail called to his men but the
" could not pry open the closel
Z locked jaws of the Gila. II
* men had to cut off the animal
head before he could get his fng,
N out. Vail thought he was gor
~ but coolly took out his penkni
B. and chopped off pieces of Aef
D. where he had been bitten. H
D. men tied his hand with leath,
to stop the circulation Of Il
blood. Vail then rode thir.
: miles in this condition for a doct,
:, who managed to save his life. Eve
i to this day Vail has hemorrhag
s. under the tongue as the effect
i the poisonous bite"
10 grow old gracefully, Oh