The times., 1898-10-30
ARIZONA YARNS.
A Giln Monster, Snakes and Toads
Make Some Good Stories.

(From the Denver hepublicsn)
The mining camp of Kingman was re-
Gently invaded by a host of rattlesnakes,
creating considerable CONSERVATION among
the people. Snakes were discovered in
beds, and made desperate fights when
tackled by the owners. People sleeping
outdoors narrowly missed a violent death
from the poisonous fangs of the serpents.
The snakes wriggled through the crew
ices of tight board fences and were
caught while endeavoring to enter the
houses People have taken to sleeping
upstairs, and a band-stand and pavilion
are crowded every night by sieepers who
dare not risk sleeping on the bare
ground A spell of unusually warm wealth
er is thought to be the cause OF the
snakes leaving their rocky Businesses for
a cooler abode in the settlement.
a man at Mesa City has pet gila
monster He let it go about six weeks
ago in order that it might shed its skin,
as is its annual custom The other day
Ii returned to its usual haunts. looking
thoroughly rejuvenated.
Toads grow TO an abnormal size in
Southern Arizona, and often exhibit a
preternatural intelligence. Recently arc
lights were started at Mesa City, and
myriads of bugs are in consequence at
tracted at night by the glare. The toads
have discovered this new source of sup
ply, and eat the bugs that fall TO the
ground as rapidly as they come within
reach. 1t is supposed that the new diet
has created an unnatural thirst, and In
looking around for a source from which
to quench il they discovered the troughs
that receive the drippings from the beer
faucets in the saloons. They now in
trude in the saloons and line up to the
troughs and drink until they are thor
,fr. in.n tal ea1 81.
floor as though dead, while others un-
steadily hep to the sidewalk, and re-
sumo their feeding.
James Thomas, a ranchman. living on
the Verde River. in Yavapai county. has
discovered scheme that threatens to
revolutionize existing irrigating meth
DDS. While walking along the canal
bank the other day he observed an enor-
nous bull snake stretched at length.
with his head in the water and its body
pulsating like a steam pump Observing
the reptile still more closely he was
amazed to see stream of water flowing
from its tail. 1t was actually pumping
water. The bull snake is a harm ess
creature, and Mr. Thomas, seized with
an idea, also seized the snake. How to
make it throw a larger stream of water
was the question, and after conside able
thought he tried the experiment of cut
ting off n portion of the tail. By this
means the snake was induced TO throw
a full head of water at a minimum ex-
ertion and seemed to enjoy the job.
Mr. Thomas captured many other bull
snakes, which by association with the
original pumper. soon became adopts at
the new system of irrigating. Then
their tails were removed, and for days
the side of the ranch next to the river
was lined with ?snakes engaged in
throwing up streams of water from an
inch to an inch and a half in diameter.
a mining man came along a 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 a number of
them were coupled together like gar
den hose. The experiment, however. " as
not entirely successful. several OF the
snakes bursting. through uneveness of
pressure.