The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1898-04-29
MAKING OF A DESERT
THE YUMA WAS FERTILE UNTIL THE
VlNEGAROON STRUCK 1T.

A Big Spider Which Was the Most "Pizen
Thing That Ever Crawled or Flew When
Its Anger Was Aroused"-A veracious
Tale From the AIkali Lands.
lie mad a solemn-looking face and
dressed in rather clerical style. His
companions knew that he was a travel
ing man, but did not know what line
OF goods he was selling. Finally he
was asked to tell a story or take the
consequences.
gentlemen" he said, "I don't
know any funny stories, as 1 am in a
business where that kind doesn't
CO."
+ "What do you handler" was then asked
of him.
1 sell cofins," he replied, "and you
must admit that 1t is not the jolliest
line that man can carry. It's a good
business, though, for it is always pick
ing up. You see more people are dying
every day and that means more cof-
ms. Then out west a new territory
mas opened up in the last few years.
When l first went to travelling out
there bought coffin was considered a
luxury. When a man died they knock
ed pine box together, whitewashed it,
marked the name of it's occupant on it
with a stencil plate and let it go at
that, but now people are becoming ed
ucated and they want vanished cof-
inns with big brass door plates on them.
just the same as the people back
East. AS l deal mostly with dead
things l will have to tell you about
now the Yuma desert became a desert
and 1t is about the deadest thing
ever came across. The story was told
to me by an old man who had drifted
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; it was fairly rank
with fine grass. A great many people
came there and settled, and the only
thing that bothered them was a big
spider known as the 'Vinegaroon,'
which he said was the most 'pizen
thing that ever crawled or flew when
its anger was aroused One day
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
singing him. Of course, he died in a
few minutes. The bullet, after passing
through the spiders body and becom-
ing coated with poison, struck a tree.
You may not believe me, but it is an
honest fact that the tree was killed,
Ind that night all of the leaves fell
off. A steer happened to pass the next
morning and ate some of the leaves.
e did not walk dozen yards before
lie was dead steer. Some of the
.nch men in looking for the dead
1ow-puncher found the steer, and, as
i des were very valuable then, one of
hem skinned it. In doing the work
lie cut his hand, and before his crowd
ct back to the ranch they had two
cad men in the party instead of one.
ell, the hide was sold to a tanner,
I'D while tanning it he became inoc-
Lated with the poison and there was a
,uneral in his family. A shoemaker
got the hide, and in cutting a pair of
BOOTS out of it, his knife slipped and
dipped piece out of his finger. A
-ew days later there was grape on his
loor. A drunken cow-puncher rode
nto town a short time after the sad
occurrence and noticed the new boots
in the shop window. There is nothing
that appeals to a puncher's heart like
pair of new boots, and in a few min
ties they were his and he was stalk
ug around town in them. OF course he
lid not wear socks, and the boots
ubbed the skin off his heel. The
ext morning there was a cowboy fu-
ieral. The people were aroused by
his time and proceeded to find out the
,ause of so many strange deaths. Aft
ar great deal of trouble they traced
hem back to the 'Vinegaroon,' through
the hide, boots and to the spot on the
cowboys heel. Then they knew that
the boots were poisoned. A man took
them on the end of pole and carried
them out into the prairie, where he !
buried them, and, would you believe
me, in less than a month all of the
grass on the prairie had died and the
once fertile spot was converted into
what is now known as the Yuma des-
art"
For a few minutes after the story
was finished the drummers looked at
the coffin man with admiration. Then
they arose as one man and took their