The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-26

on fire.
AN ARIZONA HUNT.
Another interesting experience in trac-
ing lost cars fell to my lot last summer.
While in an Eastern city / received orders
to go at once TO ella Bend, Ariz., and see IL
could locate box car No. 2,172 of the Mis-
sissippi Central branch leased line of the
Alabama Great Southern. This car had
been the subject of a great deal of corre-
spondence before it had even been traced so
far. 1t had been in Texas and from the
Houston & Texas Central had been traced
to the Toledo, ST. Louis & Kansas City
railroad thence to St. Louis again, and
form there it had gone west to Nevada,
where it had been loaded with silver ore.
Thence it had been back to Argentine,
Kan, to the smelter, where it had remained
a month before being unloaded, and then
by yardmasters error had been billed to
Yuma, Ariz., in place of Selma, Ala IL
had broken down at ella Bend, Ar1z, en-
route, and had been set OF at an apanuonea
spur track almost overgroWn with cactus
and sage brush. The spur at one time leu
to quarry of quartz rock some three miles
back, but had been abandoned.
1.-The locality was as desolate as a her
NIT could desire, not an inhabltant pelng
within miles. and name was given to It
tagged the train. South of the bend was a
sand waste-an arid desert. Dropping OH
iT minute and It'll the p only consolation could
get out of the situation was that the west
bound train would be along in three hours,
and could get back into CIVILIZATION at
Mineral Point, a village some sixty miles
away.
Taking the track or spur switch which
left the main line at the bend or the ROAD
l walked along the ties-the rails having
been removed except few lengths near the
track, and wandered along Tor mar H. m 1.iie
monsters. rattlesnakes, and other pleasant
soiourners whom l might intrude upon TO
my sorrow. at last came upon what ,; APP
peared to be the end of the grade. The
track disappeared at the edge OF a hlgh
sand hill, evidently a, formation Of some
wind storm for which the deserts are
noted. Why, do not know; but curiosity
prompted me to climb this hill, which was
ering an acre or more. When once on top,
after a hard climb l was rewarded only oy
the, sight of a stretch of sand plains I'M
broken save by sage brush clumps and
other sand hills like the one upon which 1
stood.
to get away from the lonesome spot was
upon the eve of returning when from pc
hind a little sand knoll quarter OF a mile
away | saw curl Of smoke am aff1slh n
ven for outlaws and renegade lndians, 1
struck out to see who could be 1901 enough
to locate there. A tiresome walk brought
me in sight of the fire, and to my astonished
gaze, what should I see, in what had for
merly been the old quartz quarry, but
smoke, while nearly half a dozen copper
colored Piute Indian children and full as
sortment of native dogs lolled IN the sun.
No Indians being on the warpath L MADE
bold to venture up. An old SquaW was puS-
lily engaged tanning some kind OF hide,
while an old buck lay stretched out asleep ae
verse in their language, | confined Inyselr
to a survey of the premises, and, while the
buried in drifted sand, the. south side
showed plainly that it was what was left
of Mississippi Central No. 2:l12; the lettering
and paint being all gone off the sides most
exposed to the wind and sand. An explana-
ton being at that time unobtainable from
the savages. left the scene. being care
a vociferous chorus of dog barks as part
ing salute. Carefully retracing my steps
was on hand at the spot where the train
stopped when tagged and was in course or
time at telegraph office at Yuma, whence
I wired particulars to Headquarters as
to where I had found the car and the inn
possibility of ever getting it back; ;.
Orders came at once to burn 1T. and II
possible carry away the trucks and IRON
With not team within forty miles the lat
ter was out Of the question ana Wlreo
ply. the officials sent orders to burn It t any
how. This / proceeded to DO, alueo py SIX
stalwart section men. 1t was only ny our
helping to remove the little effects of the
family that we succeeded In avoiding d,1
ready to defend his home.
solved the problem as to how the car got
there. It is likely that after the, car was
sidetracked some one released the brake
" steep to carry it near to. if not into.
the quarry where found. Then the ever
shifting sands soon covered up the track,
as the quarry was abandoned and no one
kept open or cared for, the spur, the
whole country being abandoned to the few
roaming Piutes, sage hens. and the ever
dreaded ella monsters. the whereabouts
and future as well as the past OF the mine,
sjdetrack and car alike were forgotten,
until by chance / discovered 1t and solved
mystery 2172. the lost cars number"