Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-10

VI
N takes him into queer places. My
~ brother and have been half way
around the world, climbing spires
and chimneys painting the walls Of
factory Buildings repairing bridges and trestles,
doing every sort of job that an ordinary painter
or carpenter or mason might think too risky.
We never refused contract, no matter how
difficult it seemed. We have handled some
tough assignments, but don't think we ever
tackled meaner proposition than wooden
bridge down I'm Sonora, Mexico, which We
called "rattlesnake trestle."
Several years ago we accepted a contract to
repair and paint this bridge, which was 800
feet long and spanned the Yaqui River, the
largest river in Sonora. It was time and
material" contract. We hadn't the slightest
idea what we were up against, so We just fol-
lowed instructions and shipped our supplies as
requested.
After a tiresome train journey from Chicago,
we arrived at Hermosillo, the capital of Sonora,
where we were met by q guide with an OK
and supplies over the mountains md desert
about sixty miles to the Yaqui.
Next day we began the Slowest trip I ever
took over the worst country ever saw. The
roads were terrible-sometimes invisible-and
the carts were so heavily loaded that the
drivers, or OK punchers, refused to make any
effort to hurry.
NTGHTFALL of the third day the Yaqui
came into view, miles away. Here the
tran became narrower until it was no more
than a path through the mesquite The guide
went first, then came my brother and I, and
then the OK teams and men.
Suddenly heard queer rafting sound.
looked down and saw big rattlesnake almost
under my feet Maybe didn't jumpl Friends,
don't know how many OF you have met a
rattlesnake face to face, but for one would
rather meet a wildcat.
I can safely say would rather climb the
highest smokestack five times than meet one
rattler. The canyon we were in was infested
with snakes. I distinguished rattlers and cop
perheads and two or three other kinds, which
the guide called by some Mexican name.
That was the most uncomfortable two miles
ever walked. There is something about the
noise RATHER makes that gives me the creeps,
and I heard 1t plenty that day. walked as
If were treading on eggs and my one idea
was to get out of that snake nest as soon as
possible, but that COMPOUNDED guide seemed to
pick out the very places where the snakes were
the thckest. Snakes didn't worry him at all.
Every shiny object made me jump. wished
had eyes in the back Of my head so could
see on all sides at once. Charlie, my brother,
didn't enjoy it any more than 1 did. Finally
I whispered to him:
Lets keep right behind the guide and let
lace the SHAKES. lie likes EN-.
Much to my surprise. not one of us was
bitten After what seemed hours we came to
the west bank of the Yaqui without mishap
and forded a shallow rifle. There was the
mining camp and the trestle we had come so
far to repair. We breathed sigh of relief.
My men were disguised by this time and
ready to quit, but I had them fast Not one
of them would have dared walk back alone
through that valley of rattlesnakes, even if
Chicago was at the other end of it. We all
had good nights rest in a long, one-story
dobie house, which served as the Office of the
mining company. Next morning we felt better.
The trestle was of peculiar construction, built
of heavy wood planks and beams and supported
by piles and braced by wood trusses From
the mine it ran level across the Yaqui the
highest point being about sixty feet directly
over the center of the stream On the opposite
side it sloped downward, winding down to a
loading dock on the west bank Of the river
The runway carried two narrow gauge tracks
equipped with endless chains driven by motors.
Ore cars, heavily laden, were constantly NOV
ing from the mine to the dock and empty cars
were returning to the mine. All in ALL this
trestie was very busy place. with cars pass