Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1903-07-01
INSECTS KEEP GUARD.
Mines of Mineral Riches Rendered
Inaccessible to PROJECTORS by
Poisonous Swarms.

Some of the richest strikes of gold
are so zealously guarded by venomous
insects that man after repeated efforts
has given up the struggle. Mines lie
unclaimed, fabulous wealth accurately
located is left untouched because of
these little pests, says the Philadelphia
Press.
Ants are at present the worst enc
mics of the West Australian gold pros
pectors. They are not particularly
poisonous, but they have an odor so
abominable that if one SO much as
touches piece of bread or meat, such
food becomes UNBEATABLE and must be
thrown away.
In some places up near the granite
ridge which lies between the coast des-
ert and the inland waste of spinifeX
scrub there are claims extremely rich
in gold which have been abandoned
simply on account of these pestiferous
| insects.
About 20 miles from Mount Reid, on
the west coast of Tasmania, there is
creek which is known to be rich in
alluvial gold. Every now and then dur
ing the winter a party of prospectors
go up to this place and begin gold
washing, but SO soon as the warm
weather comes on back they come.
The sand flies render life absolutely
unbearable. These sand flies are tiny
black insects, SO small that mosquito
net will not keep them out. They bite
enormously, and seem specially fond of
settling upon the eyes. Men are fire.
1uently completely blinded by their
bites.
A representative of the Alaska &
Dominion Trading company, who went
up the Yukon three years ago, has just
returned after a remarkable expert
ence with mosquitoes.
In the summer of 1900 he and a
friend, with a couple of Indian guides
went up from Dawson City to place
called Vehner's lake, where it was said
that a very rich find of placer colo
had been made. They were warned
: that mosquitoes were worse in that
region than anywhere else, so they
provided themselves with every pos
sible protection, including heavy hal
, nets.
They found that the reports they
had heard failed to equal the reality
The insects hung over the water lik,
thick clouds of smoke; they were twic,
as big as the ordinary species, ant
their stings were like prods from
red-hot needle.
On their way up the stream alons
which they were rowing they heard
feeble cry from the bank. They LANDED
and found an unhappy miner almos
at deaths door.
1t appeared that some days befor,
he had lost one of his boots in fordin,
a creek. The mosquitoes had settle,
I on his exposed foot and bitten it S,
u frightfully that it swelled enormous
F.? ly and became useless.
e Unable to walk, the wretched ma
had been lying where they found hir
for As hours. He had covered his in
jured foot with clay, but the flesh ha
mortified and he was in desperat
l condition.
: He told his rescuers that he ha
II been on his way down to Dawson Cit
to find partner to help him work
s new claim where gold, he said, wa
n as thick as gravel. He had about hin
IS nearly three pounds weight of yer
e pure coarse gold.
:. In his gratitude he promised I
show his rescuers where this !
L. Dorado lay. But before he could
IS so he dieu of blood poisoning induce
n, by the bites, and the secret of h
I'd find died with him.
The mosquitoes still guard tn
ri marvellous claim, and prospectors al
IS very shy of venturing up into so da
ct gerous neighbornood.
&c An ancient mine, once worked |
50 Indians, and reported fabulously ric
lies in the mountains of Durango.
&c Mexico. But so venomous and n
n merous are the scorpions which i
w habit this barren region of rocks al
4 sand that almost every explorir
Of party which has endeavored to loca
"a this long-lost treasure house has 10
e one or more of it's members, al
money will not persuade the nativ
ne Of the region to venture there.
a, Out OF the Ordinary.