The daily sentinel., 1907-02-20
DEATH HIDES
IN THE FIELD
Fatal Germs Fill an Ordinary
Looking Tract Of Land and
Many LabOrers Meet
Strange Death.

Tuentv-fye miles south of the city
oIos Angeles. lies the most peculiar
asa,b trap in the world, according to
dispatch under yesterdays date
line from that city to the Salt Lake
Herald.
Looked at from outside the barbed
wire fence that surrounds it, it is
harmless looking field furrowed with
marks of the plow months old, all
groun to cabbage and carrots and
unips and lettuce for it has been
months since the field was worked.
About a year ago it was reclaimed
from the wild mesa and rented to a
Chinese gardener. Within the first
two weeks of his occupancy two of
bis Oriental workmen had died in the
greatest agony
Both we're stricken in the field.
One lived to reach the humble bunk
house where laborers on the ranch
we're accustomed to sleep. The other
vas picked up his body already stiff
iening in the rigor of death in the
iurrow which he was hoeing. On the
foot Of each was a slight scratch, too
small to be called cut, evidently
made by misstroke of one of the
heavy hoes the men were using.
A month went by and and no fur
thsr harm befell the workers in the
Ted. Then there seemed to come
mother epidemic. Another man died
from causes apparently identical with
he other two. The Chinese began
70 be afraid of the field, and those
living on the neighboring vegetable
prdens would have nothing to do
sla the prohers of work, even at ad-
'--.ed prices, on the fatal plot.
lhe last man who died is said to
la'e cut an entire toe off with his
Toe In any event, he made so large
,sA on his foot that the head of the
'aaese man who was running the
'soen' Charley XII mby name. de-
..sa IN his crafty mind that there
~ some connection between the
w and the sudden death.
NE earth seemed good and pro-
'ea oountifully of all that was
.--.ed IN 1t. No harm came to the
~ so're who ate of the stuff raised in
= part of the garden.
s.'eral months went by. the scare
ING the Chinese died down to
~, n.y. extent and the gardener i'm
IN, ~ SIX men fro Los Angeles. In
r.I.' y, u week two of these had been
~. a'a' and within an incredibly
!, ! lle both died. as had the 9TH
I. IN horrible agony.
l.,S' e Of the new workmen fed
4 ~, lor their homes in the lare- |
wy Increased wages offered
M, j. !, no avail to hold them. Ruin |
y n @-s O"her in the face; he could |
60 men to work his garden so,.
M VAe by one his customers left
a. 4 only laborer left was F.. h., >.
B. ,.,. ana a curious one as well |
q irorh,a " Know the cause of anI
es H., ,e' But he saw the cuts on
st wv al those who had died. saw
4 "a eo' and was careful thatl
- lot cut himself 'i"'
,rsAiulpe.ss so@ever' o he relaxed his
~ N, - and did cash one of his
V, i,o,. sTs lightly. (; but with he bearS r,S
ts yar5. ',e noe. About one hun
laisg linz rom the field passes a
4 bound ~ Los Angeles. Hastily
q sp =. Up his injured foot. ran AZ
ss'dsd ,Sa 1, h his speed to the line
,1ll'y hospital "i'ectly to
NJ Isan 1ln an injection Of 9th the 'aTfe, ants
3. layes'i-nlils. MS story came out. al
sss SusaiiOn S.s of that five-aore. y
ia . h. made ID, and the ground nss-%Sss %as
As ''a'n with the bacillI Of Of
N the 4ev.,.,,
lAs search b'ole ! garden is closed
dadly baciil, on 9 for a way to kill
q. |
At prese5, Vpee more be put in
'''sd the ground is quar-
!. !. ',rvi's is ar., DID,