Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1895-07-12

L WOlluCA, Dill, IL ~ "oo "AOHS 81 ..-
To hang him up there-but it's done,
And so must stand for good or ill.
We must not weaken, Bill"
"You could a tale unfold then, Bill"
Could you but speak, but you are dumb.
So l must unfold you, and will.
Ard here l read, 81 gallon rum,
And 81 from the till"
How you remember, Bill!
ayes, you remember, Bill, the night,
We hung him up there, at the bar,
For ten hard rocks-I think that's right,
But you remember better far
Than l. 1t Slipped my mind, but still
Well, you remembered, Bill"
l trust, sincerely, that no one will
attempt to abscond with the new wheel
which has just been purchased and set
up by Col. W. T. Perkins to replace the
one which was taken from him some
time ago. I do not say this out OF any
fear that the new wheel will be stolen,
but to dissuade anyone who may at any
time feel tempted to make away with it.
That there may be no misunderstanding
in the matter, I will state that when not
in active use the new wheel is attached
to the foundation of Mr.. Perkins house
with a thirty-slx.f foot log chain, wrapped
thirteen times about the cornerstone,
and fastened with a twenty five-pound
Yale lock, made expressly to order for
the purpose. The key to the lock is
slightly larger than the ordinary crow
bar and is kept securely deposited in the
vault of the First National bank, day
and night. At each side of the wheel is
a 3O0-pound bear trap with jaws two
feet in length, each armed with forty
eight teeth, any one of which is larger
than a common harrow tooth. In addi-
ton to these slight precautionary meas.
ures, the wheel is attached by fine steel
wires to twelve concealed double-bar-
relied set ehotguns, which are so sighted
as to rake fore, and aft, the entire ma
c%hine,upon the slightest attempt to move
it. There are also thirteen dynamite
cartridges planted an inch deep all about
the place, which will explode at the
lightest footstep, and should the prowl-
ing wheel thief escape being blown to
atoms, the conclusion looses the chains
of ten vicious bull dogs, who are fed but
once a week and then upon nothing but
live Goals and buzz saw teeth. The whole
arrangement of masked batteries by
which the wheel is protected is operated
by a time lock, which goes on at 6 D. M.
and continues on until 7 the next morn
ing. During that period the neighbor-
hood is warned by a large red flag
labeled Dangerous in deep black let
ters, and the residents go stocking
footed, lest there be a premature bonn
bardment superinduced by the jar of
heavier footballs.
In a recent issue of the jamestown
Alert I find a brief mention of the al
most impossibility of travel up and
down the Missouri river, owing to the
large number of mosquitoes which in
fest the woods and willows along the
banks of the stream. There has been so
much to be said this season of the ex-
cellence3 of crop prospects and the un-
precedented rainfall, that I have neglect
ed to refer to this matter myself, end
might have omitted it altogether, but
for the casual reference to the subject in
the Alert. The mosquitus .aorribilis,
or Missouri river welldlgger, as this
animal is frequently designated, is a
familiar object to all those who have
made a careful study of the wild animals
of the Slope, but doubtless needs some
introduction to that portion of the popu-
lation Of the state which is SO unfortu-
nate as to live outside the Missouri river
valley. The adult mosquito is a formid-
able animal, auctuating in size between
the bald eagle and the snowy owl, with
a tremendous wealth Of bill and breadth
of wing. Unless disturbed, he prefers
to make his home in the solitude of the
densest forests, building his nest of dry
brushwood and leaves IN the top of the
tall cottonwood, from which he swoops
down with unerring accuracy upon
travellers, whom he espies afar off.
Ordinarily, the Missouri river mosquito
prefers human flesh, but if driven to it
by hunger, will attack a young calf or
sheep, and bear it off in it's talons. Not
infrequently the male mosquito has been
seen to hover almost mot;onless over the
dark:and muddytwaters Of the river for a
considerable time, and then dart down
gracefully into the stream, to emerge
with a fine, large catfish, from which it
makes a meal. In July and August,
the animal is especially vicious, and
many a thrilling tale might be told of a
fierce hand to hand encounter with an
adult mosquito, in the dense solitude
and silence of the forests along the river.
For this reason, travel through the woods
is seldom undertaken in the summer
months, and steamboat crews are heavi-
lY armed to beat off the %viciOne haaats