Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-09-24
ARIZONA SNAKE YARNS,
Some Pretty Tall Tales From the
Southwest Territory.

From the Denver Republican.
The mining camp Of kInguan was recent
ly invaded by host Of rattlesnakes. Great
ing great CONSERVATION among the people
Snakes were discovered in beds and made
desperate fights when tackled by the own
ers. People sleeping outdoors narrowly
missed violent death from the poisonous
tangs Of the serpents. The snakes wi
gled through the creVices of the tight board
fences and were caught while endeavorin,
to enter the houses. People have taken t.
sleeping upstairs. and a band stand ana
pavilion are crowded every night by sleep
erS who dare not risk sIepDlng on The hare
ground. spell of unusually warm wealth
er is thought to be the cause Of the snake,
leaving their rocky Businesses for a cooler
abode in the settlement.
A man at Mesa City has a pet ella mon
ster He let il go about six weeks ago ia
order that it might shed its skin, as is It's
annual custom. The other day II returned
TO It's usual haunts, looking thoroughly re
JuVenated- Its owner gave il a bath, after
which it made break for its feed box.
where ii has been in the habit of eating
eggs and other luxures.
ToaGs grow TO an abnormal size in south
ern ARIZONA, and often exhibit a preteraal-
ural intelligence. Recently the arc lights
We're started al Mesa City, and myriads of
bugs are in consequence attracted at night
by The glare. The toadS have discovered
This new source OF supply and eat the bugs
thai fall to the ground as rapidly as they
come within reach. 1t is supposed that Nh.
new diet has created an unnatural thirst
ana IN looking around for A source from
which TO quench it they discovered tn.
troughs that receive the drippiuEs from the
beer faucets in the saloons They now it,-
rude in the saloons and line up to the
troughs and drink until they are Thoroughly
intoNica ted, many falling TO the noor as
though dead, while others unsteadily non
10 the sidewalk and resume their feasting
James Thomas, a raRchman living on the
Verde river. in favapai county. has discov-
cred a scheme that threatens to revolution
ize- existing irrigating methods While
walking along the canal bank the other
day he observed an enormous bull snake
stretched at length. with its head in the
water and its body pusating like steam
pump. Observing the reptile still more
closely he was amazed to see a stream of
water flowing from its tail. Ii was actual
ly pumping water. The bullsnake is a
harmless creature. and Mr.. Thomas seized
with an idea, also seized the snake How
to make 1t throw larger stream of water
was the question. and after considerable
thought he tried the experiment of cutting
off a portion of the tail BY this means
the snake was induced to throw a full hea 4
OF water at a minimum eXertion and seem
ed to enjoy the job. Mr. Thomas captured
many other Dullsnakes, which, by as9ocia-
ton with the original pumper, soon became
adopts in the new system of irriga ting
Then their tails were removed, and for GAYS
the side of the ranch next the river was
lined with snakes engaged in throwing uD
streams of water from an inch to an inch
and a half in diameter. A mining man
came along few days ago and was struck
with the novelty of the irrigating method
adopted. He thought that the snakes might
be used in hydraulic mining and num-
Der OF them were coupled together like gar
den hose. The experiment, however was
not entirely. successful, several of the
snakes bursting through unevenness of
pressure.