Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-08-27
RESCUED FROM THE sUzzARDs.
Man Who Fell on Desert Saved by the
"Ansel" Of Death Valley.


Going the rounds in the halls Of con-
gress there Is document that calls for
$4,000 with which to get guide posts,
under proper survey, in the most
treacherous and almost waterless por-
tions Of the great American Desert.
That money Is wanted by all the peo-
pie in the west, by miner and deserr
traveller, and Lou Westcott Beck In
particular. For many years Mr.. Beck.
accompanied by his faithful dog Rufus,
has made extensive trips to the great
desert, paying particular attention to|
Death Valley, where repose hundreds
Of bones, souvenirs Of the pioneers who
lost their lives in trying to blaze the
traM to California His self-imposed
and annual duty Is merely to set up as
many guide posts as possible. SINGLE
handed. which point the way to the
nearest live spring, and to succor any
fever stricken wanderer, who may fall
by the wayside.
Countless lives have Beck and his dog
saved, and to many wealthy miners Of
Nevada, Arizona and California the two
are heroes without flaw. The man and
his dog are called the angels Of the
Desert" and we'll named they are. On
his trip last year his last rescue was
dramatic in the extreme.
In the heat Of a terrible afternoon,
many miles from water Of any kind,
Beck saw some tiny black objects In
the distance, soaring about in circle.
A stranger would not know what the
objects were, but to Beck they were
significant enough. He called Rufus,
and, pointing the dogs nose to the fly
ing shadows, said:
"Buzzards."
Instantly the dog was of, and Beck
plodded on. In short time Beck smil-
ed as he saw the vultures scattering
and flying In disorder toward the west.
Rufus is there" he murmured. And
sure enough when Beck came up with
the dog there was the PROSTATE form of
a desert traveller, dust covered and mo-
the man, saw at once that life still ex-
listed but that his ears were bleeding.
Quickly Beck was at work, and, OPEN
ing the bag hanging on the breast Of
the big st. Bernard, took out brandy,
forced 1t between the mans lips and
then, taking his canteen, used the wa
ter first to wash the mans face and
chest, and then, when he revived a lit
tie, poured some Of it down his parched
throat. Beck then placed the canteen
in the mans hand, and, tying the dog
to the victims leg, hastened off for
help. And that man is alive today.
Twelve years ago Beck and COM
panion lost their way on the Mojave
desert and wandered for two days and
nights without water. So terrible were
their sufferipgs at that time that Beck
has ever since devoted whatever spare
time and money he possessed toward
the establishment Of sign posts through
out the desert that would give travel
ers on the thirsty roads accurate in
formation as to distances and water
supply stations.
One instance which Beck always
speaks Of when explaining the fearful
need of signboards Is the time when,
right in the heart of Death Valley, he
found three men stone dead at the base
of butte on the other side Of which
was a flowing spring. The men were
looking for water but they had failed.
II there had been a signboard in the
vicinity their lives would have been
saved.
Beck has leather shoes made for his
dog to protect the feet Of the animal
from centipedes and wounds Of the cac-
IT, For himself he wears shoes with
knee tops as protection from the rat
tiers, a type of those known as side
winders abounding. They are from
12 to % inches long, but are as deadly
as the Gila monster. another terror OF
the desert. Beck, II bitten by them.
injects red prussiate Of potassium into
the wound after filling a pocket OF flesh
near the wound with powder and ex-
ploding it.
There are wild camels now in the
American desert, said to have found
their origin in the camels that fled from
white men in that region half CEN
tury ago. Camels, according to Beck.
would be the most practical animals
for desert travel, but dogs would be the
easiest, and these he will attempt to
breed this year. His own dog Rufus Is
half ST. Bernard and half red Siberian
hound, which combination. according
to his own practical experience, Is the
very best possible. This dog can car
ry 25 pounds with ease and can go long
periods without food or water He has
almost human intelligence.-New York
Herald.