Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-05-10

OF dollars. The vein has been omen.
ed at depth of 235 feet. The com.
pany has not shipped any ore, but It
intends to send out some after the
railroad reaches Goldfields. The line
Is now being constructed from Tono-
pah and is standard gauge. The line
connecting Tonopah and Reno has
been blockaded for months, and while
the congested condition has been
somewhat relieved, it is still in bad
shape. The completion of the line
between Tonopah and Goldfields will
oe q great thing for that section.
That part of Nevada is a great
country and there is lots of it. There
Is considerable activity in the hand
ling OF mines and stocks in Gold
fields. Any one who has a claim can
sell 1t, no matter whether it is val
liable or otherwise, and most any
class of stock will bring something.
One great drawback to the country is
lack Of water, but this difficulty
may soon be overcome. At a depth
of $50 feet in the Red Top mine
heavy flow has been struck and in
some of the other mines the rock in
the bottom is beginning to show de-
cided signs Of moisture. We estimate
that the shaft on the Dixie property
will not break into water until it
reaches depth of about 400 feet.
The ground there is higher than that
of some of the other mines. We have
struck some copper ore in the Dixie,
which is a good indication that the
vein Is permanent.
There are some odd things In
that part of the world. One of these
Is bird known as the Road Run
ner,' which is almost as large as
good-sized rooster. The road runner
and the rattlesnake are mortal ene-
mics. They fight when they meet,
but the bird usually gets away with
the snake. The bird, when it finds
RATHER asleep, gathers some thorns
from cactus bushes and lays them
in a circle around the sleeping snake.
When the circle is complete it steps
back few feet and makes a loud
noise that sounds like 'ha, ha,' to
awaken the snake. When the snake
opens it's eyes It sees the bird and
prepares to attack it, but the cactus
thorns hold it in check. Then the
bird jumps into the air few feet,
drops down on the snake, grabs it by
the neck with it's claws and then
jumps into the air again. Then it
drops the snake and grabs it again,
repeating the performance until the
snake is dead.
There is another little varmint in
that district known as the Trade
Rat It is the greatest thief on
earth. It will steal anything it can
haul or carry, but never takes any
thing without leaving stone in the
place of the article taken. That is
why it is called Trade Rat
"Then there is another bird not
much larger than the hand of a man.
1t, too, has popularity. When one
of the little fellows dies its body is
taken by it's bird friends and placed
in a sarcophagus of earth, after which
the opening through which the body
is taken is sealed up. Many of these
little mounds have been opened by
persons and found to contain the bod
les of BIRDS"
Being asked about the mysterious
disease which made it's appearance
in Tonopah few weeks ago, Mr.. An
drus says it is true that the disease
is prevalent, but no one seems to
know what caused it.
ut is quite fatal" says he. "and
usually gets it's man when it attacks
him. UP to the time left no one
competent to diagnose it properly had
been sent into the district. Some To-
cal experts have, however, given their
version of it. Some say it is the re-
suit of anthony and arsenic in the
ore while others claim it is the re-
suit of too much wood alcohol in the
whiskey. Again, others assert that
it is due to a complication of liver
and lung trouble. A short time ago
a government whiskey gauger In Cal.
ifornia condemned 400 barrels OF
whiskey that contained wood alcohol,
and it is quite likely that some OF
this brand may have found it's way
into the Tonopah district. The dis
ease is not so bad now as 1t was a
! few weeks ago."