The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-01-04
SAVED BY AMMONIA.
HOw q Little Vial Of It Was Used
by Hunter

In 1854, after two years prospecting
Tor the dclusivc metal, found myself
i'll the little mining town of Clifton,
Graham county, Arizona, in that finan-
cial condition known rs busted" 1t
is true that l still possessed about
twenty dollars in long green"
cayusc plug (pinto and agcd,) Win
chester rifle, Il siX-shootcr and tur-
quois complcXioncd burro named for
his Castilian prototype Santa Anna,
but saw no way in which to invest
these belongings with any hope of
large and speedy returns. While
bordering over the fearful uncertainties
of a prospcctor's life and fortunes /
was approached by 4 tail and bearded
pard," who suggested that l return
with him to the mountains, and in
stead OF hunting for silver apply my
talents to hunting wild animals. He
gave rs his reasons therefor that there
was always Il market for icrlsed
vcnison, rs we'll as Il demand for
bear and other pclts; besides which
the territorial bountics for destructive
wild animals scalps were consider
alton not to he overlooked. Ills arrt-
ment i'll favor of the game against
silver had its effect, and III twelve
hours | had invested fifteen dollars of
my twenty dollars in grub, nmmuni-
ton etc, and become the running
mate and 'pard'' OF Charley Johnson.
eN-ranger and professional hunter lie
invested II like amount. and packing
Santa Anna and Johnson's burro. a
companion piece to Santa Anna. with
all our property, including Il dog tent,
we left Cliftononc bright October morn
ing for the hills of Graham county.
After about two months of wander
ing in the mountains near the New
Mexico line we crossed over into that
territory, and made camp within ten
miles of the border. The place chosen
was in well-watered canyon, inclosed
on either side by thicllly wooded hills,
on whose sides and SUBMITS we hoped
to find everything available for
slaughter, nor were very far wrong in
our expectations. In three week, wc
had killed, butchercd and ''ierkcd"
twcnty-thrcc deer, and had met and
mastered seven bears and three noun
tain lions, besides having kept our
1ardcr we'll supplied with fowl in the
shape of wild turkey, numbers OF
which used" in the locality
1t had beer our custom for each man,
after getting an early breakfast, 20
AMOUNT his horse and start for the hills.
win no settled time for return. If he
found no game within five miles he
could ride ten, or twenty, and if sue
cessful, when his kill was more than
bis horse could pack. he would hang
tho carcasses and return for the burros
to make Il load into camp.
Early one clear morning in middle
January johnson and | had left the
camp together on one of our daily cx-
cursions and after riding together five
miles or more separated, he taking
northcrly direction for some pine
parks III which the blacll-ta deer
grazed, and going toward the west,
where Juniper growth hourishcd, and
where expected, from signs" | had
recently observed, bear in some force
roamed and fed. had progressed
about three miles, and was nearing
the edge of the juniper strip, when |
came upon large herd of wild
turkeys, out of which succeeded in
Potting fine gobbler. This bird
hung up by means of a stout cord to a
gnarled and stunted oak tree, Just on
the edge of the ''bear park" intending
TO take him into camp when returned
in the evening.
was fairly successful that day in
my search for bruin, and when the sun
was some two hours past the meridian,
started home with the hide and scalp
OF large specimen of the bcrry-loving
Crsus, silvcr-tipped variety. had not
forgotten the dead turkey. and went aft
er MIN, though where he hung was some
what out of my direct road to camp ]
reached the neigh borhood, and began
searching for the tree in which the
bird had hung, which soon found. but
was somewhat nonplused to find that
the ordinary Thanksgiving feast had
hown, and had left his head behind
MN. Some animal or influence had re.
moved the gobblcr, but what specific
one | could not tell The bird was
hnng too high for either bear or noun
tain lion to have disturbed it, and 10
nave thought the robbery the work of
an eagle would have been erroneous
from the fact that no feathers or blood
were discernible under the tree. Some
thing with four legs or two hands had
climbed the tree and pulled the turkey
down. left my horse, together with
my rifle, near the tree and began to
pick around among the grass and
powders with the hope that | might
see some traces of the thief or his
booty. ] had walked perhaps forty
yards from my horse, when / found
the mutilnted remains of the prize of
q In, Ia Il,,1.,