Arizona republican., 1898-07-27


 the water is about four feet below the level of the ranch. The topography of the basin forbids the construction of dam within it's narrow limits MT. Thomas was too poor to put in a windmill or other artificial means of raising water and so had been com pelled to irrigate his land by carrying water to his crops in buckets. He might have been pursuing that labori- ous occupation yet but for a strange thing he saw year ago.
 One morning huge bullsnake which had infested the ranch for a week without any forcible objection on the part of MT. Thomas crawled to the side of the ranch and dropped his head into the water. Mr Thomas noticed a peculiar working of the snakes ah- dominal muscles and small stream began to be thrown from the snakes tail The reptile was actually pump ing water The action of ,he snake filled MT. Thomas with a thrilling, but confused idea. Here was the begin ming of new era in irrigation. But how was the snake to be made avail able? The stream with the snake do- ing his best was inadeouate fer the sroccssfuI growth Of crops.
 Eut Nr. Thomas was not man to 50 to sioeD On a1 i2ea. It was plain that the snake must be made to throw a bigger stream. The next day MT Thomas had 3 solution of the first and what the development so far shows to have been the only serious obstacle He oI.t of the tail of the snake at g point which furnished Q sufficient orifce for the discharge of a full head Of water. { great deal of tne length of the snake was necessarily wasted and he was given Q curious appearance, but then he became Q more useful reptile. Mir Thomas was now confronted by the need Of more snakes, but hullsnakes abound in the mountains along tke Verde. A dozen were gathered up tho next day, driven to the ranch and al lowed to associate with the tailless snake. who at once established a pri- mary school Of irrigation. Within week all of them were engaged in pumping water. Then their tails were removed and for days the side Of the ranch next the stream was lined with snakes engaged in throwing up streams Of water from an inch to an
 
 snakes, however. were able only to threw it over the edge of the land and Mr. Thomas was discoura ged. It was evident to him that these individual efforts would serve TO userul purpose. There must somehow be a concert of action At last it was suggested to MT. Thomas that the snakes might be made to couple themselves together, one snake seizing another by what was left of his tail, thus forming living hose of indefinite length depending wholly on the number of snakes em- ployed. The snakes were quick to grasp the idea and the tail of the snake in front, so that now the system may be said to be complete. Mir Thomas employs hose of 150 snake lengths. The snakes come at the call of Q bell, irrigate tbs ranch eight hours and then disband for recreation and to feed.
 The discovery might never have been made public. MT. Thomas had worked the idea out as far as it would profit him. He made it known to Mir. Doran, who visited the ranch and at once recognized the wonderful possi- bilities concealed within the system. He is more of mining man than an agriculturist, and the application of the bullsnake to hydraulic mining was suggested.
 A test was made, but it was not wholly successful Water raised to a great height involves a severer pres sure than the mere lifting Of it few feet above it's level Some of the less robust snakes gave way aQd were burst MT. Doran, though, is as en- thusiastic as ever and believes that cross between the strongly muDcled boa-constrictor and the eoucated bull or pumping snake will afford Q resist ance sufficient to raise a stream of water to any desired height.
 When Judge Barnes left Prescott Mir. Doran was engaged on a volumi- nous report to the agricultural depart ment upon MT. Thomas irrigation system and the late experiment in hy- draulic mining The report will also include his views with reference to the introduction of the boa-constrictor into agricultural and mining opera tions and recommendation that a government subsidy be set apart for the encouragement of himself, MT. Thomas and the bullsnakes.
 The New York Sun the St. Louis Globe Democrat and other journals en- gagged in the dissemination of Sunday snake literature are at liberty to make any use they see fit of the foregoing IVY DDJ1EC AyuADDTD