The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1915-12-10

III various camps, Tor some year
previous, on the Mexican border,
had become accustomed to rattle
snakes, centipedes, tarantulas an,
scorpions-on one occasion at night
on the lower Rio Grande, being com
PEELED to move camp on account of /,
colony of rattlesnakes which loudl,
objected to our presence--but neve
before had | experienced the sam,
uncomfortable, creepy feeling I die
on this night, when | thought at an,
moment the monster might crawl in
to my tent.
There has been much discussion
as to whether or not the ella mons
ter is n venomous reptile. Specimens
have been sent to the Smithsonian
where 1t was said they had no glands
for secreting venom and were harm
less; but different idea prevails and
reasonably so, in the southwest. How
ever. It is not aggressive; it is slug
gish and not easily aroused; but
when it does use its fangs with their
bulldog grip, 1t is always with dead
ly effect.
Mexicans in that part of the coun-
try, in spirit of bravado, when for
titled by several drinks of mescal, are
fond of taking a ella monster in one
hand and thrusting the other against
its nose; and strange to say, they gen.
orally escape, but not always.
There were two authentic cases
which occurred in my vicinity when
to close contact with the reptile met
with disaster. An American saloon
keeper in Fairbanks, Arizona, kept
two large specimens in a barrel as
curosities. One day Mexican came
into the saloon and taking one of
them out with his hand, began to
show off his usual bravado perform
ance, when he was instantly seized
by a finger which could be released
only by cutting off the reptiles head.
The Mexican at once showed signs
of distress and died from the effect
of the bite in less than thirty min
utes.
Another case was that of an Ameri-
can ranchman, who started out one
morning on horseback to ride to Tue
son. fifty miles west of his ranch.
When he had gone about half the
distance, seeing a large ella monster
crossing the road, he dismounted, and
after beating it with a club until, as
he supposed. it was dead, he tied it
20 the saddle straps behind him. AT
ter going several miles he felt be-
hind to see that his trophy was still
there, when the reptiles vice-like
jaws closed on his thumb. Finding it
without assistance, to
pull his thumb away from the rep
tiles grip, the ranchman went at top
speed to a railroad station about a
mile off his road, where, to get relief
it was necessary to cut off the mon
ster's head. Fortunately train was
passing at the time which took the
man at once to the hospital in Tue
son, where, after being at the point
of death for several days, he was de-
tanned for two months until he was
finally cured.
The Gila monsters sluggishness
almost amounts to lethargy, and or
dinarily, if it were not for his fiend-
ish. unwinking eyes it would seem to
be asleep.
At old Fort Mcdowell, thirty miles
north of Phoenix, a happy family
consisting of three CHA monsters, a
dozen field mice and a small prairie
snake, was confined in an iron cage.
The monsters. apparently petrified,
always remained stretched out in the
middle of the cage. The field mice
which were very lively, were contin-
ually scampering over them, some
times sitting on their backs. The lit
tie snake. also very active, was in
cessantly gliding among the other
members of the family.
Perfect harmony existed until one
morning when an old gopher. with
long prominent teeth was put in the
cage. The mice Immediately ran
and hid in their holes. The snake
prepared for attack and assaulted
the new conner, when hard fight be-
gan which ended with the snakes
strangling and swallowing the go
pher.
During this long-drawn-out affair
which lasted over half an hour, the
ella monsters remained as uncon-
cerned as If they were made OF
stone.
There is a reason to suppose there
was a wise purpose In the creation
of all things-the useful and the APP