The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-10-04
Colonel Stewart, at Arizona
Post, Lacked Compan-
ionship of Man.
HOWLS OF BEASTS
MADE NIGHT RING
Creeping, Crawling Monsters, With
Hot Blasts From Arid Desert,
Filled Life With Horror.

Two men are on record upon the de
shs.bility of residence in certain parts
OF Arizona one OF them was the late
Gen. Phil Sheridan. and the other Is
now in Washington. after having been
exiled.
With characteristic vlgor of express
sion, Genera, Sheridan delivered him
self OF the sentiment that If he owned
Yuma and the internal regions he would
give away Yuma and live on his other
property.
Col William I. Stewart, OF the Coast
Artillery. found a certain other sec
ton of Arizona equally as distressing
as the more distinguished soldier but
being less emphatic than Sheridan.
Stewart probably expresses himself in
milder but practically the same terms
by declaring that he would rather be
dead than live in Fort Grant
Climatic conditions OF a torrid char
acter seem TO have been responsible Tor
General Sheridan's sentiment, while
Colonel Stewards detestation Of Tort
Grant was due largely to other causes.
Horned tOads, lizards, coyotes. noun
tain lions, jack rabbits, bobcats, taran-
Julas, centpedes, scorpions. garter
snakes, bull snakes, rattIesnakcs, and
ella monsters are all very well in their
way, but when these denizens Of Ari-
Zcua want 10 get on Jungle Book terms
with you by getting into your bathtub
and walking with you i'm front OF your
home. even the mildest-manuered of
men would be irclined 10 demur.
In Large Valley.
eastern corner Of Arizona, I'm a valley
about twelve miles wide, and Of in
terminable length, that loses itself in
Mexican territory. The army post is
about midway to the slope Of the Grant
mountain. at an elevation Of about 1900
feet
When Colonel Stewart reached his
post a year ago this month he found
living there one white man, W. +. Nail.
and the physical contents Of a large
sized Jungle Book. The troops had Ieu
The post three years before, and Nail
was there as a caretaker. but ne had
taken pretty good care not to transform
any Of the deserted quarters into desert
boudoirs. Colonel Stewart increased the /
assortment OF inhabitants by the en-
ployment Of an old darky named Caleb
Martin as cook and teamster Martin
IS quite a character. and IS held in high
esteem by the residents Of the valley.
But fresh beef only four times in six
months does not give a cook much Cd
portunity of displaying his e1pEt cuIln-
airy abilities, so Martins title might
more trUthfUlly have been Opener of
canned meats"
one morning Colonel Stewart went I'D
stairs above his quarters to take his |
daily bath. Just as he entered the room
n long, loose-jointed object, measuring I
i've feet in length. dropped out Of the /
tub and ran between his legs into the
hall, giving the intruder a rcproachfuI /
look, as though to say, Il was never so /
embarrassed in my life"
Killed Her Snakeship.
Colonel Stewart and Caleb. one with
q broom and the other with a brick. /
dispatched the loose joiutcd object. /
which proved 10 be a female buIisuake
that evidently had selected the house as
her permanent abode before the Gringo
came.
The following afternoon the colonel
walked along the boardwalk that paral- /
leled the parade ground. and heard an
ominous ''b-z-z-z-z." Stewart dla not
know that one of his neighbors was
extending greetings by buzzing a merry
Welcome stranger, welcome TO our
home" In reply the colonel wrenched
a board or the walk and laid the snake
out
Yes, sab, YES indeed" observed
Caleb, when asked II he thought there
might be any more at home like that
fellow Deed dcre is Yo' see. sab. !
he's what we calls a yallcr dimund /
back snake, and he is sho' death: and
den dere is de choloIste dimunbacked /
fellow and him am wurse dan sho' /
DEATH
Two days later the colonel met one
Of the ''wurser'' kind buzzing just near (
his front steps. After Caleb had shot
the reptile. measurement showed the
snake 10 nearly five feet long. with an
Of eight rattles.
Dwellers In the valley were widely
scattered. The nearest person 10 the
army post was the postmaster. and he
lived three miles away, while the next
white person was from seven 10 ten
miles distant. But residence i'm that
valley had a peculiar effect on the peo-