The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-10
IDAHo,s POISONOUS POT HOLES.
Death Traps In the Soil That Are the Terrors
OF Man ana Beast.
From the Denver Republican.

From the Denver Republican.
Attention Is again called to tho dangerous pot
holes Of the Payotto by the story OF a hunter
who saw several OF a herd Of cattle plunge into
some Of them and go bawling and kicking down
to q terrible death. These pot holes do not
cover any great area, but they arc sufficient in
number to render travel across the section
exceedingly dangerous, while to siockmen they
constitute q constant source Of loss.
For many years tho existence Of these pot
holes has been known. but as tho years have
rolled on they have not apparently Increased or
diminished in size or number but stand thore
ready to receive IN their sltmy embrace any
object, animate or inan,mate. that may bo un.
fortunate enough to pass that way.
filed is OF tho Consistency Of mortar, and tho
summer heat forms over tho surface u thin
crust, the appearance as compared with the
ceive the man unacquaintcd with tho dan.
gers that lurk on every hand or the animals
that may rush across tho mesa.
The pot holes are from six 10 twenty-nve rect
In depth. as near az can DO ascsrtSined. aud
arc from four TO twelve feet across at tho ex-
posed surface. but they appear TO enlarge as
that one might break through before ~treading
fringes OF underground, and this fact has saved
many a man from a terrible death. Those who
are acq TAINTED with the circumstances avoid
except when compelled TO go ON TO tho mesa
to "hurrah" out stock. and strangers arc
warned To Keep OH mo btre hDOLb.
In the rainy season. when the action Of the
water wears away the crust. tho odor that arises
from the holes causes persons who inhtle them
to become deathly sick. giving rise to the belief
that the holes are itlled with matter as poison
ous as the condensed breath OF a million swamp
reptiles. Hunters who have broken through
and had their shoes covered over with tho nasty
slime have found that in the course OF AN hour
the leather has become rotted.
A feature that attracts many 10 That section
Is that birds abound there. making II u sp!e niid
shooting ground. but the r.iulrnds are Al! !anIii.
lar with the location OF the holes, and none Of
them has ever come 10 srlei oeyohd sIppiNE
In to their shoe tops in moments OF abstraction
while waiting for u shot.
poisonous pot holes are supposed to have claimed
several victims IN the early days. The Cover
Bend country, and came down 10 IN Payetlr
valley 10 - point where Emmett now stands after
! luals =, .atahlra, the Governor h wing put in u
! Garden 10 which he aftcrwi~d gave his alton.
zion, 10 the exclusion OF the mining claims. as, a
more certain means o. u!l1% upa 'upp'f 81 t"e
while not on the warpath. had been giving the
miners and Siockmen no htt.c trouble. and when
the Governor and his party arrived on the Pay
etc they tonnd "A number OF ~cowboys greatly
excited over the itnproinpiu burial. AS snpposci,
OF several indians in what are now familiarity
called the poi holes.
The cowhoys had chased a small band OF
Indians away from their camp a couple OF davs
t,fore. threateniQS to shoot them 4 they did not
thereafter keep their distance. The Indians, 1t
appears. secured rein~forcements in the Boisc
Valley and r~eturnot determined to give the
COW boys a taste .! high lie, They appeared on
the sd" ofihc mesa opposite the point where
the cowboys wrrr cncampcd, and Just before
dsybreaS snrnkcd o.t through the underground
10 give the ,;oCkmrn \ surprise party that they
would no, soon forget. just before they
reached the point where tho pot holes ara
located they started Oh the Junp !or the
camp. who1ping like n troop OF frnds. The
cowboys AZ once jumped for their guns. but be-
fore tho redskins had advanced 200 yards "A
most astounding spectacle was presented. Ont
OF tn" foremost Indians was seen TO pitch FROM
his horse, and tho animal iisclt was scen ,:our,!'
erlng on the ground. Several other Indians
went down in rapid succession with their
horses. and others tumbiei over them, rms
had the effect OF stopping tho rcvcnGc-ladcn "
petition. There WAS a scramble 10 assist the
failen reds. and then the Minority of the In
dams wheeled about ami struck on IN the a. rec
ton from which they came Ms though the devil
and al his Icg.Ous were after them.
The cowboy made an examination and found
several horses mired In the pot holes. Some
were only partially in, and these they manascd
TO pull ont. while other, were so far gone thn'
The cowboys meTcitully shot them and left then
to sink II in the deadly mirc. The cowboys saw NJ
Indiun. in the holes. but. as those they saw run
ming away on root did not correspond to %,
number OF swampcd horses, they came to the
conclusion that some OF the reds at least has
been pitched head first into The pot holes. coins
updar l.rfnra Tho stDgkrnpn could roach The sCpne