White Pine news. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1920-1923, 1923-10-07
MEXICAN COUPLE ON DESERT FIVE
DAYS WITHOUT FOOD AND WATER

without 1000 or water Cn the east
ern Nevada desert for five days, uu-
able to utter or understand word
of the English language, not knowing
where they were but thinking they
were in California, Mexican couple
escaped death recently in Butte val.
ley by the breath of hair.
/ Trinidad Sabala and his wife left
Mexico for the United States few
months ago, no one here knows ex-
|actly when. The cause of their leav
ing was illness of the woman. She
is afflicted with something which ac-
cording to a meager description
translated from their native tongue
must he in the nature of a malignant
cancer located in the vicinity of the
liver or gall bladder, though It may
be a non-malignant one.
They were advised by a doctor in
Mexico to go to the United States
where there We're physicians who
understood such things and thereby
they might save her life. They came
to New Mexico and remained three
months. Next they proceeded to Los
Angeles, where Sahala has brother,
and they stayed a brief time, during
which the woman received treat
ment, whether medical or an opera
ton they have not made it clear
though the probabilities are that il
was medical. I
AT Los Angeles they We're advised
to go further north and to a higher
altitude for the summer and to re.
turn in the winter. What may have
been the motive of this advice is not
clear, there being 4 suspicion that
the woman having malignant cancer
, it was done to get rid of her, as she
could not live long anyway and they
had little money
With what money they had they
bought a ticket. The couple cannot
explain where they understood the
| ticket ended but they thought their
destination was somewhere in north
ern California, and they thought all
of this country was California.
Just where they we've put off the
train they cannot tell, but it must
have been either at Deeth OF some
small station in Flko county that is
accessible to Ruby valley.
| Either they still had money enough
to pay their fares into Ruby valley
on the stage or were given q ride iu
an auto. They cannot tell, but it ap-
pears they rode out through Ruby.
probably as far as the auto went and
had to get ou: and walk. or if not
they thought they were going out
among farms where they could walk
and look fer work
Without a morsel of food. any bed
ding or water to drink they walked
into Butte valley. supposedly coming
through Secret pass, and toiling on
in hunger and thirst they finally
showed up at the Stratton ranch.
where Mr.. and Mrs. James Tucker re-
side. This is 100 miles from Elko
and seventy from Ely.
They made the fuckers under
stand that they We're hungry and
were given a meal
Starting out to walk again they
headed south for time. but there
were no more ranches on the road
toward Cherry Creek though there
are two off it that are in sight. Tho
maximum distance between ranches
is about six miles.
But for some reason, probably be-
| cause of the ranches not being on
the road the Mexican couple became
bewildered and lost.
! For five days and nights they must
have remained in the midst of that
comparatively small space in the
form of a Triangle and suffered all
the agonies of death. vet while al
most in sight Of two ranches could
not make them out or could not make
their way to them
| Mexican people, probably by reason
Of a tincture of the Aztec blood in
their veins. live closer to nature than
Americans In several ways. Through
generations they have been taught
how to take care of themselves when
| lost in a desert and out of reach of
water They do not press on in the
hot sun, letting their tongues swell
and protrude from their mouths.
| fhey hunt the shadiest bush in their
vicinity, take sharp rocks and scrape
+ or claw with their finger nails
down to the moist soil on the shady
side of the bush. On this moist place
they lie prone on their stomachs, let.
ting the moisture keep their internal
| organs cool and that thus absorbed
takes the place Of water that Ameri-
cans rush after TO pour down their
throats and die in the attempt
That is what Trinidad Salada and
his frail and dark skinned little help
meet did, the latter in agony from
her bodily affliction.
For five hot days in Butte valley
they lay on their stomachs in the
shade Of large sagebrush or juni-
| pers to stall off death