Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1893-07-13
WORSE THAN RATTLEsNAxEs.

at is not the ratflesnalze or 1araafsIla
whose bite is most dreaded by campers
put on the far western plains The
hunters and cowboys are far more
afraid of the skunk, and that for q
reason that might astonish q great
many people who do not know the
plains country
The land surveyor from New Mexico
was talking
Like the prairie dog and badger,
the skunk of the plains makes its
hole in the open prairie In size and
markings and characteristic means Of
defense and offense 1t closely resembles
its relatives in the east Like them IL
is carnivorous, and prowls about at
night fo- small birds AID mice and in
sects. and when occasion serves. Is an
inveterate ro5ber of poultry yards IL
a person comes upon IT away from its
hole, the skunk doesn't waste its ener-
gies in trying to run away. but iTnpo-
htely turns its face from the intruder
and stands its ground with confidence
that no one will be tempted TO ap-
proach too near. 1t Is its fearlessness
of man that makes this wretched little
beast such terror, for 1t will boldly
enter tent or come anywhere that
persons are asleep on the ground, and
If it finds nothing about that
better suits its taste. Will be-
gin without hesitation to eat
at the hand. face, or any other par: OF
a sleeper's person that chances to De
exposed This would be bad enough
of itself. for the creatures weasel teeth
are as sharp As knives, and man may
find himself badly lacerated when he
ri -, :
the mastering horror of the s,zualz's
bite comes from the fact that it almost
invariably results in hydrophobia 10
the victim Why this should Re emit
pretend to explain. and probably no
body else can tell: but every plainsmaa
knows 1t. and the cowboys dread the
beast worse than they do the rattle
snake
The period shown bv the army rec
ords in which the greatest number Of
people died from this canse on the
plains was between the years ISL and
1919 During this time many persons
were bitten. most of them fatally. Col
r j. Dodge, of the regular army. who
died the other day, knew by report q
sixteen cases, every one OF VIII en-
proved fatal One army doctor. Assist
ant Surgeon Janeway, stationed at
Fort Hugo, reported in the Medical
Journal eleven cases that be treated
or knew OF. in ten of which the patient
died of hydrophObia- It was N those
years that the buffalo practically was
and the hunters and
their outfits of helpers. living upon the
open prairie and sleeping in the open
air. We're peculiarly exposed 10 the at
tacl1s OF these vicious night providers
For four years the plains country was
noisoTne with the carcasses OF buffalo
killed Tor their skins and tongues and
left on the prairie GRAY wolves and
coyotes and foxes had unHonted feast
ing in this vast slaughter yard and
that circumstance may have had
to do with the fact that
many of these beasts ran mad. some
times dashing into settlements and en-
campInents- attacking every living
thing they met and causing great havoc
Of human as well as brute life A. To
skunl<s run mad, which some
plainsmen hold to be the cause OF their
frequent invasion OF sleeping people. or
at least OF the venom of their bite has
never been fully determined But the
expectation OF finding meat ready 1T
hand to feast on. with no trouble to
themselves, which condition existed
twenty years ago wherever = buffalo
hunter had been shooting, might natur-
ally have made them unusually fear
less, and made them unwilling to hunt
for their natural food when they could
find SO good a chance as would be
offered by sleeping man
''Sti1 every year numbers of persons
are bitten by skunfzs on the plains east
Of the Rocky mountains and west OF
the ninety-seventh meridian and some
Eases prove fatal, but / am inclined to
.hink that there are fewer deaths from
skunk bites now than there used to be.
Since the country has practically been
turned into one vast cattle range the
poisonous little beasts have been killed
)H TO some extent for their skins and
he fact that they are hunted may have
made them shyer- Perhaps also. their
'ite is less TenOmous than IN the daysof
buffalo slaughter
1T Is now about twenty years since
he cowboy of the Texas Panhandle
made his famous ride for life. He was
'itten by skunk while sleeping by his
amp fire. and realized all his danger.
'Ome of his companions remembered to
ave heard that five hundred miles
way, in a town of eastern Kansas.
here lived the owner of a famous
maidstone" reputed TO possess the
over of drawing the poison from
rounds made by snakes or rabid ami
lals- Night and day the cowboy rode
t full speed for this town and safety.
L every ranch where he halted he
ound a willing exchange of a fresh
orse for his tired animal, and his jour
ey was tireless- 1t was a race for
fe, and he won He reached his
estimation on the third day. the mad
tone was applied TO the wound, and
fter adhering for days, at last fell of
nd would stick no longer, and the
wner of the stone pronounced him
1red Whether through this treat
Ient or from natural causes. the
ound healed with no further trouble.
Id he returned to his herding in the
anhandle with firm faith in the mad
one and the thankfulness of one who
rs escaped a horrible death-"-N Y.
III
Life Insurance
However desirable q good physical
'ndition, together with good family
cord. may be. in an insurance sense.