The mirror., 1915-11-25
THE LAUGH IN DEVILS CULCH'
A HALF-TOLD TALE
By Beau Esprita.

this unusual adventure. In June | had received
commission from eastern syndicate to investigate
and report mining property in western
Mexico which they contemplating purchasing.
The mlnes-there were three of them had to WIS.,
it found to be in one of the most inaccessible
mountainous districts and it took me eleven days to
get my paraphernalia up from the coast After an
exhaustive examination of the properties and
veys of possible routes OF transportation was fore
ed to report to my employers that the mines. while
fairly rich, would be able to pay for cons6ruc-
ton of the railroad necessary to get the ore ont
proftably. in less than from ten to fifteen years. and
were, therefore. only valuable as long term invest
ment, which the present chaotic political condition
of the republic hardly justified. Mexico is one of
the richest countries in the world in mineral re-
sources-her mineral exports during the rev.
olution, exceed 1914, 900 year-but no one will
ever be able to develop those riches to their full
value until one spanks few battaions of
Mexican Generals
Well, when they got my report the syndicate
wired back that they had no further use for me in
that territory and could call on their bank for my
fee when returned to New York, so started back
to civilization. and arrived at San Francisco late in
August.
So along the second day after had landed
started for New York, thinking maybe the old town
would wipe out such ideas San Francisco being
only the doorstep 10 civilization anyway and may
be too the other thing. But not to make the
change too sudden took the southern route count
ing the mountains and desert country of Nevada
and New Mexico to sort of break civilization IN on
me gently, and they certainly did,
After of the stops just over the Nevada
line the porter thru the train with bundle of
the county papers under his arm, and to pass the
time bought one. There wasn't much in it that
hadn't seen IN the coast papers; mostly about Hiram
Pixies hefer getting lost, and the sociatle at
the school house on Wednesday nlght-you know
how those backwoods papers get it all up and a
credit to them too, considering what they have to
choose from;--well. 1 was just going to throw it
down and take nap when saw the article firing
you? You like it? Thanks. I guess Pm something
of longwinded talker when 1 get started, and this
experience so extraordinary that have to bring
in the how Of it's happening to convince even my
self that it really occurred. I've got that article
about me somewhere-yes, this is it. The way it
starts is what caught my attention.
Gold Hill, New. August 9th 49,.
Professor Walter Pierce, of the State Univer
sity. who has been in Gold Hill for the past week
investigating the epidemic of insanity east of town.
is in the City Lookup. Professor Pierce started out
to visit DEVILS Gulch, where all of the cases have
occurred, on Friday. He brot into town late
last night by two of the hands of the Bar T Ranch
who found him wandering Sines Ford in an
exhausted condition. The boys offered him food
from their dinner pals but he refused to eat and be-
gan to violently when one of them made a
joking remark that the professor didn't look to be
in any condition to laugh at good food. They had
quite time getting him to town. and he is in a crit
ical condition due to the exposure, and exhaustion
from his rawlings. When conscious he talks contin-
uously of who laughs at him, as have all of
the other victims of this strange MANIA There
seems to be cause for this epidemic of insanity
unless the victims have eaten of scme poisonous
plant that grows only In Devils Gulch Dr. Har-
ris, popular county physician, who has attended
eight of the victims while confined in the City Lock-
up states that he knows of plant other poison
that would produce insanity in this form. Profess
sor Pierce will be sent to the asylum at Ogden as
soon as he is able to be moved"
Pretty strange story, isn't it? Fake? that's
what thot at first, and l probably wouldn't have
paid any more attention to it if it had been in a
city paper. But these little country papers are not
much hand at that sort of thing They can't afford
it in towns where everybody knows just when any,
body has cabbage for dinner. Advertising stunt?
thot of that too; but then, they couldn't ring in
State University Professor on stunt to draw tour
ists and get by with it; at least right there in