The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1898-02-11
MAKING OF ADEsERT
THE YUMA WAS FERTILE UNTIL THE
vlNEeARooN STRUCK IT.

n hhg Sptuer winch was the Most "tlHeu
Thing That Ever CrawIcd or rev When
Its Anger Was Aroused"-A vcracious
Tale From the Alkaii Lands.
He had solemn-looking face and
dressed In rather clerical style. His
companions knew that he was travel
ing man, but did not know what line
Of goods he was selling. Finally he
was asked to tell story or take the
consequences.
Gentlemen" he said, "I don't
know any funny stories, as am in a
business where that kind doesn't
CO."
"whot do you handlep'' was then asked
of him.
Il sell coffins," he replied, "and you
must admit that 1t is not the jolliest
line that a man can carry It's a good
business, though, for 1t is always pick
ing mp. You see more people are dying
every day and that means more cof-
fins. Then out west new territory
has opened UP in the last few years.
When / first went to travelling out
luxury. When man died they knock
ed pine box together, whitewashed 1t.
marked the name of its occupant on II
with stencil plate and let it 60 at
that, but now people are becoming ed.
ucated and they want vanished cof-
fms with big brass door plates on them
just the same as the people back
Loct dao1 ,,,oot1,y u,ttb Iaad
things / will have to tell you about
how the Yuma desert became desert
and 1t is aboutl the deadest thing
ever came across. The story was told
to me by an old man who had drifteo
out West in the beginning of the cen.
\ tury.
''He said that when he first struck
the Yuma it was the most fertile spot
he had ever seen; 1t was fairly rank
with fine grass. A great many people
came there and settled, and the only
] thing that bothered. them was a big
4 spider known as the 'Vinegaroon,.
which he said was the most 'pizen
thing that ever crawled or flew when
it's anger was aroused One day q
COW puncher was sleeping ON the prai-
rie, when he was awakened by some.
thing crawling on his breast. He
glanced down, and was Mortified
to see the dreaded spider. He
slowly drew his gun and fired
across his breast He killed the
spider, but not in time to keep it from
stinging him. OF course, he died in a
few minutes. The bullet, after passing
through the spiders body and becom-
Ing coated with poison, struck tree.
You may not believe me, but it is an
honest fact that the tree was killed
and that night all of the leaves fell
off A steer happened to pass the next
morning and ate some of the leaves
He did not walk dozen yards before
he was dead steer Some of the
ranch men in looking for the dead
cow-puncher found the steer and, as
hides were very valuable then, one OF
them skinned it. In doing the work
he cut his hand, and before his crowd
got back to the ranch they had two
dead men in the party instead of one
Well, the hide was sold to a tanner
and while tanning ii he nbecamesinoc.
ulated with the poison and there was
funeral in his family. A shoemaker
got the hide, and in cutting a pair OF
boots out of 1t, his knife slipped and
clipped a piece. out of his finger. ! A
few days later there was Grape ON his
door. A drunken cow-puncher! rode
into town a short time after the sad
occurrence and noticed the new boots
in the shop window. There Is nothing
that appeals to a punchers heart like
a pair of new boots, and in few min.
utes they were his and he was stalk
ing around town in them. OF course. hi
did not wear socks, and the boot.
rubbed the skin off his heel. TIL,
next morning there was cowboy fu
neral. The people were aroused b,
this time and proceeded to find out th,
] cause of SO many strange deaths. Aft
; er a great deal of trouble they trace
them back to the 'Vinegaroon,' through
the hide, boots and to the spot on tn,
! cowboys heel. Then they knew tha
} the boots were poisoned. A man tool
them on the end of a pole and carried
them out into the prairie, where h,
buried them, and, would you believ,
me, in less than a month all of tn,
grass on the prairie had died and th
once fertile spot was converted int,
what is now known as the Yuma des
ert."
For few minutes after the stor,
was finished the drummers looked a
the coffin man with admiration. Thel
they arose as one man and took thei
hats off to him.