Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1903-12-11
This Traveller Says King of Tribe
Is Quite a Gentleman.
Cures Ruler of blood Poison and Il
RoynIly Rewarded In Roturn-
Interesting Letter from
Solomon

A letter has been received from Alvin
Scale, who is travelling in the interests
u the Honolulu museum, by his father
IN Paramount, Ind. Mr.. Scale has been
south OF The equator for the past two
years, and in nat Tine has been very
successful as n naturalist, securing
many specimens. The letter Is dated at
Alu, Solomon islands, July 80. 1t runs:
II am now among the real wild men,
the ~head-huntinS cannibals of the Solo-
mon islands, and | must n that the old
king OF Alu is more Of q gentleman
than | had hoped TO find him. He has
become one OF my best friends; in fact.
he calls me his son, and he gave me a
charm to put around my neck which
only the princes Of the royal family are
allowed to wear
Vt all happened in this way. The
old king stepped ON the spine Of a poison
fish, n thing which usually results in
death to the native, for the fish Ia al
most as poisonous as n rattlesnake.
They sent for Inc to como and see him.
lie was suffering the most intense pain,
and his leg was swollen something
irightful. | injected some morphine
into the foot. which stopped the pain,
much to the old kings delight and re-
lief. Then | washed the wound in anti
septic and dressed 1t nicely, and by
great care brought the old king arjund
all right. and lie got well.
a might be expected. the oh fell
low was very grateful. and he gave me
to understand that | was to DO ono Of
his sons. He gave inc his favorite spear.
tipped with human bone. also one OF
their very rare old money cloaks. This
would BIO worth $3.50 to any museum in
the country.
The British governor OF this Island
told me he had been trying to get one OF
these cloaks for IL years. but had not
succeeded. They are made entirely Of
native mcnev. and arc handed DOWN
from generation to generation in the
oval family. One is the price they 1ay
FOR & white mans life.
"Th's mcn7rch has so wives, and less
than ten years ago he roasted rs TO cele-
brate his brothers, death"
With only q bride In his right hand
II a small penknIfe In his left. walking
backward In the moonlight. Prof. J. II.
Snoddy, ex-county superintendent and
now n state conductor OF inttitutes, re-
Gently had the fight of his life on tho
'onoly prairie Is miles north Of Muller,
.. D., while hunting his lost horse. with
u iour-lecEed antagonist, the name OF
"hlch the professor does not know.
Exhausted from long walking during
tho fore Mari gf an, ,,t,lt anI ,ytlhIp n
n mile OF his lonely prairie home. the
hour being near midnight. no was about
10 SIT down near tho trail on what nd
supposed was n rock. when. like n flash
the supposed stone leaped at him. the
objective point u attack being the pro-
f%essor's throat.
Tho light was on in on instant, MFR.
Snoddy luckily in striking quick and
heavily with the bride getting the un-
known animals long hooked teeth
tangled In the bride. Leaving % tooth
marks on The iron bit and biting easily
through the thick blinds. During this
round the ANIMAL stood on Its hind feet
and was - tall rs n man. Gradually
withir"~':E backwards t''o professor
had Eve more similar battles with tho
: determined hast before he reached the
door OF his house. II may have been a
mad dog. bnt Mr.. Snoddy thinl'F Il more
, likely that n mountain lion s'ra'cd into
that noighborhood from the northwest.
Tho professor said he would not 20
through such an experience again for
all OF Hand county. lie 10 G5 years cid.
n civil war veteran. but of MI The bat
ties OF his life, each OF the six with hat
unknown animal near the dead Of night
produced hair raising sensations which
all tho others wsro incapable OF doing.