West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1893-09-14
DESERT PHANToMs.
Wierd Visions That Load Trav-
elers Astray In New Mexico
Fast Dry Stretches OF Territory wbess
Even the Wild Beasts Go Mad from
Lack OF Wntor--strsnEe Stories
OF the Plains.

Lack OF Wntor--strsnEe Stories
OF the Plains
Ono OF the wrordcst of desert scenes
Is the mirage, and no more curious
stories have been told Of them in recent
years than by Dean Duke. OF San Fran
cisco, who, rs superintendent of great
cattlo range In New Mexico, has been
much In the saddle during tho last few
months. nnd has seen many of them.
Mr.. Duke, who. according TO San
Francisco exchange, lately arrived 10
that city, tolls of quaint towns beyond
the American border being refractcd Ia
the skies and made 60 appear as actually
existing on the New Mexico deserts
The towns vary In size, and the domcs
Of churches and Of government build
ings. the stores, md all the outlines
stand out In clear view. The mir Is 30
thin md pure that o real object City
miles away does not appear to be more
than FIVE.
''In riding over tho plains have seen
many of these strange mirages of
towns OF Old Mexico" said he The
spires OF the churches. with their white
crosses, the adobe buildings and every
thing ABOUT them arc complete. Riding
nt n distance ono takes them for real
towns. and It IL only after learning
that there can be no such cities in the
vicinity that he gives up his idea of GO
Ing to them. Many men have been de-
ceivod by thcm, Us they hove been by
the mirages resembling lakes.
Not long ago an American named
Frank Soybold was journcying from the
old town of Junrez. Mexico, 10 Los Pu-
Tomas, In New Mexico, with lot of
merchandise. About forty miles south
Of Deming, In chihuahua, no SOW a
beautiful lake nnd pulled over the plains
TO get water for himself and team. ms
both were very thirsty. He drove for
quite distance and still didn't appear
TO get any closer. Still tho lake was
there before him In such beauty and
naturalness that he never thought but
II was genuine, and kept on. He could
feel, as he thought, tho cool breeze
from the lake. and wns encouraged TO
push ahead.
AT length after going several miles
and getting no closer the fact of It's be-
Ing mirage Of tho desert dawned on
him md he wheeled his team around 10
get back. But night came on before
he reached tho road. lie pushed ahead,
thinking to reach 1t anyway, ond thus
got lost and wandered around till he
could not reach tho road.
'Iie had. therefore, to etay where he
was, and in the morning he renewed his
search. II was no use, however He
could not find IL, and after wandering
around good while longer he un-
hitched his teams, left his goods and
proceeded In the direction no supposed
III oil a b. a l..
oil before he got back. aud In that timo
be had no water and suffered greatly.
IL wns wonder hegot through at all.
Another case know Of occurred last
GUNNER. A Mexican got lost on tho
plains, wos deceived by the miragos,
and went hithcr and thither In quest of
water. Finally he was deceived by this
so much aud had gone 80 long without
anything TO drink that he became de-
Erious. and. whipping out his revolver,
shot himself to get rid of his sufferings
His hand wos unstendy, and instead
OF infiictiug fatal hurt lie shot him
eclf in tho leg. lie saw the blood oos-
ing from It, and In his crazed condition
drenk It as It came from the wound.
Strange to say, II revived him 50 that
he partially recovered his reason, and at
last got back to where he could get
water and DO treated. lie eventually
recovered.
ION the vast dry plains near tho Mex
lean border last summer great many
coyotes went mad because there was no
water to drink. In this mad condition
they would bite anybody they found
Two Mexican boys were slcepingo on the
ground in their blankets one night
when a mad coyote attacked and DIT
both of them. One of tho boye after
wards died Of hydrophobia from tho
coyote bite, bat tho other finally got
we'll
"Thero hove been several instances
of people dying down there Of hydro
phobia from the bites of the mad coy
otes Rather more of them have Oc-
Cured over the line Of Mexico than any
where else II was the excessive dry
ness thnt caused the coyotes to get
crazcd. At such times they arc Danger
GUS and one must look out for them