The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-02-18

Why WoOdsmen I'm Some Parts of
the south Carry an Anger.

tue soutn carry an anger.
In many sections OF the forest lands OF
the South during the dry seasons a man
may walk for miles without finding
stream Of water or spring by which to
quench his thirst. II. however, he is an
experienced hunter and woodsman, he will
not have to drink water from the stag
nant pools in order to keep life In his
body.
Queer as 1t may seem, an experienced
man can hunt for days through such dry
tracts, and yet experience no inconvenience
on account OF the lack of water. Nature mas
provided means which is only known to
the initiated. Every old huntsman carries
with him, when going on long hunt,
small auger, by which he can secure a re-
freshlng drink and water to cook with at
any moment.
A cottonwood tree or willow Is the well
which the willy huntsman taps. He ex-
amines each tree until he finds one that
has what woodsman calls vein" 1t is
simply an attenuated protuberance. BY
boring into this ''vein" stream of clear
water win flow out 1t is not sap. but clear
pure water The huntsmen say that the
water is better than the average to be had
from ordinary wells. There is no sweetish
taste about 1t. but Il has a strong flavor
of sulphur, and is SLIGHTLY carbonated
The reason for this phenomenon cannot
easily be explained, but that a supply of
water can be contained in tree is not SO
surprising. The fact of its flowing Is the
wonderful feature. showing that II must
be under pressure, or, In other words that
there IN more at the source OF the supply
When 1t Is considered that the trees fur
nish the water in the dry season. and that
the ground Il literally baked, it Is the more
remarkable. especially when the roots of
the trees do not extend to any great depth
into the ground.
owing to The fact that water can be OBJ
tanned by tapping cottonwood and willow
trees, very peculiar testimony was recent
~ heard in case i'm the federal court
here. About twenty years ago. at a GER
tain point on the Mississippi river. one
of the islands which was formed by the
channel forking and surrounding large
tract OF land was deserted by the stream
on the Tennessee side. Years afterward
this land was claimed by the man who
owned the property in Tennessee adjoin-
ing the former island. His claim was
that the island had been washed away.
and that the present land was formed by
accretlon.
The former owner. to prove that the
land had not been washed avay, sawed
off the top of cottonwood stump that
was on the island and showed that Il
contained So circles, or rings. beginning
a
ring was formed in the tree every year.
hence the tree was sapling flfty-nve
years ago. and was consequently growing
there thirty-six years before the island be-
came part Of Tennessee.
In order TO prove that a ring was formed
every year, he testified that while hunting
about twenty-five miles from that place in
1865, he had tapped cottonwood tree for
water. and had put a plug In the hole
afterward 10 keep the water from wasting
His theory was that the tree In its growth
would have covered up the plug and that
the number OF rings from this plug 20 the
bark OF the tree would be- In 1899. thirty
four. showing that a ring had been
formed for every one OF the thirty-four
years II had been imhedded IN the wood
The tree was found and sawed up, The
plug was discovered. and was distant from
the outside OF the tree exactly thlrty-four
rings.
Although such testimony would not be
doubted by woodsmRn IL was not re-
celved as evidence by the court.-Memphis
Scimltar