Gilpin observer., 1914-05-28
! T1a 4sD 'ssss5sTeH a's sHsso ! 81 !
(salt Lake Mining Review


many ways. They are both man-eat-
ers and have no respect, whatever,
for the feelings of their victims. Eut
they differ greatly in their habits
and have nothing in common between
them excepting their thirst for blood
for one is wild and woody while the
other is domesticated. The bed bug,
for instance, will look up the room
OF his victim in the hotel register
and wait until after the curfew bells
have rung before paying him visit
Then, after he has filled plum up
from the veins of the unsuspecting
sleeper, he calls for a toothpick and
cigar and retires to his snuggery for
little rest and relaxation. About
noon he may partake of highball,
and at dusk he is ready for the eve
ming paper SO that he can look over
the list of hotel arrivals, so as to
the other hand, shuns the usual
haunts of man; but, if an indiscreet
individual strays into Mr.. Ticks sage
brush domain, hostilities begin at
once and no quarter IS granted.
From every sage a wood tick, as flat
as pancake, and nearly all head,
jumps onto the clothing of the pas
serby, into his boot tops and between
belt and shirt; and, without further
ceremony, begin to hustle for juicy
steaks and secluded sections of his
victims anatomy. The victim, if he
| IS tender-skinned, will soon begin to
feel as if he had accidently mixed
up with colony of African red ants
and it is incumbent upon him to dis
robe on the spot, and, gun in hand.
begin a war of determination. If the
tick is an expert in his profession,
he will manage to get his beak in
to pay rock without being noticed. He
then becomes as greedy as pig. and
gradually works his head into his
grub pile clear above his ears. If
undisturbed, he will feed on blood
until his body swells out as large
as a ten-cent piece. But, unlike the
bed bug, he hasn't the delicacy to
quit when full capacity is reached
He just stays there, getting his
head further and further in, until the
individual furnishing the eats begins
to feel irritated and institutes a
Search for the cause of the irritation
Even then the tick will not retire
like a gentleman, and has to be pull
ed away from his dining room. This
is difficult performance and often
results in dismemberment, and the
head of the tick is left in the flesh.
much to the discomfort of the victim.
Indeed, unless the head is entirely
removed, blood poisoning may set in
or spotted fever may follow. So, you
see that there is a great difference
between the wood tick and the bed
bug, Notwithstanding their close re-
semblance to each other.
You say" continued the prospec-
tor, that you wish l would talk about
something pleasant, and that it is
hardly good taste to discuss ticks
and bugs while eating dinner; and,
also, that you see no connection,
whatever. between such savage and
blood-thirsty insects and mining; and
your point is well taken, although
there are always exceptions to every
rule, and the story started out to
tell you all hinges upon this excep-
tion.
About ten years ago / was pros
pecting in the Reciprocity range in
Montana and had pitched my camp
up near the head of Huckleberry can
yon, where the sagebrush grew as
large as cedar trees. 1t was in the
spring of the year. and the wood
ticks in the sagebrush were as saw
age as Mexican outlaws, and just as
treacherous, for they would smile at
my first approach and jump at me as
soon as / was within three feet of
their ambuscade. ! had been pros
pecting nearly week and had met
with but little success. On the morn
ing in question l thought would
make one more search. and then pull
stakes If l failed to find color. All
morning l worked my way through
the sage and underbrush without so
much as finding a piece of float or
an outcrop of any kind At noon
stopped to eat my lunch and seated
myself on what looked to be nothing
but common country rock. AS was
my usual custom l removed a por-
tion of my clothing and began pros
pecting for ticks. found several
who had located claims on my per-
son and had already begun develop
ment work. These | made bug