Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-06-13

They Furnish Desert indian Wlth
uvsIIheed.
An old Indian, known to prospec-
tors as " Figtree JOHN has for many
years lived alone beside large spring
in the Colorado desert in San Diego
county. His home is one OF the most
desolate, and inaccessible spots on
the earths surface and the last place
one would expect to find human
being living in contentment. 1t Is
close to the Mexican line and about
fifty miles east of the hills that form
the western boundary to the waste OF
white sand.
At all seasons OF the year the heat
10 intoIerabie and the awful hot
wind blows day and night. Five
yards from the spring in any direc-
tion there is not living green thing
in sight-only the binding glare OF
the sandy plain stretching for miles
on all sides until it joins the foot
hills in simmering purple hue.
Figtree Johns place, however, 10
tiny oasis OF about 20U square feet.
The spring is large one and the
water pure and fresh when it bubbles
from the earth. But it eyaporates
! during the day almost as fast as 1t
comes from the ground, so that the
surface Is Only moistened for small
extent. On the edge of the spring
grasses and weeds grow, and one
large fig tree spreads its branches
over the whole spot.
The tree bears fruit almost the
year around and also serves as q
shelter for John. Blankets are
spread on the ground and camp
utensils scattered around. But there
are always plenty Of things to eat
and drink that have been brought
from the markets of civilization, and
the way John obtained these was
puzzle to the prospectors for long
time. He never did any work and
certainly could not raise nor find any
thing TO sell anywhere near his
place. Bnt it seems Johns money
has always came to him without an
effort. He simply lay down and
waited.
1t is horrible to think about, but
he waited for the pack burros
of prospectors who had been over
come by thirst and died In the desert.
Johns place is several miles off the
trail OF prospectors going to and
from the gold country and hundreds
Of bleaching bones have been found
in the vicinity.
Most of these men have several
burros and good outfits when they
start, but somehow they lose the trail
or are overtaken by sandstorms. All
share the same fate-a few days Of
horrible suffering and then death.
The burros, being more hardy than
the men, are more able TO stand the
hardships, and when their masters
lie down and die in the burning sand
they find water by instinct. Since
old John has been at the spring q
large number have come to his place
crazy for water. or course he takes
care Of them and makes search for
their owners, or holds them for iden-
LITIGATION.
Sometimes they have expensive
outfits, showing the owner to have
been a tenderfoot that expected to
find mountain Of gold. The pro-
visions in the packs John has always
appropriated after certain time.
and the burros he has sold to people
in the foothills to whom he makes
periodical trips. On one occasion q
whole train of burros came to his
place, and the owners were never
found. so that John cleared several
dollars just by waiting under his fig
tree.
Old John is perfectly happy in his
desert home. and is we'll pleased to
have prospectors die in the desert, SO
long as their burros come to his
spring. He takes good care of the
animals and becomes very friendly
with them. He never sells any of
them or the contents OF their packs
for at least year, but keeps them
in case any one calls to claim them.
But nobody ever calls to claim stray
burros that are driven by thirst to
Figtree Johns place.