Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 April 1893 — A Naturallst’s Experiences. [ARTICLE]

A Naturallst’s Experiences.

G. W. Dunn, the veteran California naturalist, has left for the Tehachapi and Cuyamaca mountains for the collection of the curious plants and insects of those regions for the World’s Fair. He may also go into the Whetsone mountains. Altogether he expects to be gone many weeks. “The-last time I was in the Whetstone and Rincon mountains,” said Mr. Dunn, “I had some gruesome experiences which I shall never forget. It was in 1837, at the time of General Miles’ campaign against the Apaches and I twenty miles north of Benson and forty from Tucson, in the Rincon mountains. 1 had a butterfly net in my hand and was just on the eve of making a catch when a big painted ludian, gun in hand, looked over my shoulder. He displayed the greatest interest and probably thought I was a medicine roan. I looked

as unconcerned as I coaid and finally worked my way cT in the brush. But I didn’t sleep in my usual place that night. I dragged my blankets off to a new place. Next morning two men who camped below me were found murdered. The same Indian had killed them. ‘‘l got out of there then and went to the Whetstones, ten miles west of Benson. One day I went to a little spring on the top of a mountain. It was concealed with brush, and when I got inside three old bucks and a squaw sat there. They had a cup. and, though I was much taken aback, I borrowed it and got a drink. While I was doing so the squaw came and looked me over ;md pulled at my white hair and whiskers to see if they would come off. I vacated that region, too, in short order. That same night, the same as in the other case, they killed two men,, woodchoppers, who were camped near by. “The Rincon and Whets’tone mountains are among the best fields for naturalists of any on this Coast. There are many rare plants and insects there, and 1 hope to secure a good many.” Mr. Dunn always goes as far into the wilds as possible and uniformly camps out. A snalfe or a tarantula country suits him immensely. He told • a story how on his last trip into the Lower California mountains J. J. Taylor of San Diego, fearful of the rattlesnakes, encased his legs in joints of stovepipe. 11c slipped on the mountain side, and, being unable to bend his legs and brace himself, he fell and was badly bruised on the rocks.—[San Francisco Examiner.