Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-08-08
a TREE With A TEMPER.

1t Grows In Arizona With Another That
Gives Light Like an Electric Lamp.
'There are more queer things to the
acre in Arizona than in any other part
of this wide land" said Colonel Brace
Dion of Houck's Tank, Apache county.
''and, according to my idea, and know
pretty near what queer things are, the
queerest thing in all Arizona is the
tree that has temper worse than a
blond comic opera prima donna's and
gets its dander mp with just as small
provocation. They tell me out there
that this tree bel 3 to the coniferous
species. It grovsy bo something like
20 feet high and tlic. stops. Its leaves
are long, slender and pointed. like por
cupine quilts When this tree is in a
good humor, these leaves lie close to'the
branches, and it spreads pleasant aro-
matte odor all around. But when it is
angry every leaf Oh the tree rises up on
end, and the aspect of that particular
piece of timber is about as fierce and
threatening as anything you would care
w lOOh a. IAC ICSluOuS OuOl
the tree sent forth in its peaceful mood
gives way to an odor that will put wings
on your feet to place as much distance
as you can between the offensive tree
and yourself.
'This tree is very touchy on the sub
ject of dogs, and the coming of canine
anywhere near it will instantly make
it furious. Yet wolf, a grizzly bear
or mountain lion never ruffies the tenn
per of this tree if those animals do not
presume OH too great familiarity with
it. They may lie around it as long as
they care to, but if one of them so far
forgets itself as to rub or scratch tie
trunk of the tree the hot tempered thing
will fly into one of its tantrums in
stantly, and the way Mr. Bear, Wolf OF
Lion will make himself scarce in those
parts is whole circus to see Nothing
will work this tree up to concert pitch,
though, so quick and effectually as
throwing stones at it. Then it will ac-
tually rip and tear, and no living thing
would think Of going within gunshot of
it. Some folks ont at Houek's Tank call
this tree the porcupine tree, and some
say it's right name is skunk tree. Icall
it the holy terror tree. Blu no matter
what you call it, it is ,eer job of
nature, and Arizona claims it as her
own.
"While this tree is the only real,
genuine vegetable kingdom crank we've
got in Arizona, we point with some
more pride to another tree that only
Arizona soil has the talent to produce
This one is the electric light tree. This
tree is not as abundant as the holy ter
TOR tree and is dwarf, seldom having
the courage to get more than 12 feet
high. Its foliage is very dense, and at
night it CLEANS like an arc light. The
light that shines from this tree is so
strong that one may sit 25 feet away
and read fine print. The queerest point
of this tree is that its light begins to
grow dim with the coming of the new
moon and steadily loses brilliancy until
the moon is full. Then the tree is as
dark as a mine. When the moon begins
to wane, the trees luminosity is gradu-
ally renewed, and by the time the moon
has disappeared the tree is shining again
as brightly as ever. Sometimes the light
on this queer tree becomes faint even
in the dark of the moon. Then we have
to do queer thing to restore it. We
drench it with bucketful or two of
water, and instantly the effulgent glow
will return in all its brilliancy. New
York Sun.