The Tarantula of Taos; or, Giant George's Revenge

Museum Catalog Note This issue features "The Tarantula of Taos: Or, Giant George's Revenge," a Western serial by Buckskin Sam (Maj. Sam S. Hall), continuing the saga of Sardine-box City, Arizona. The narrative opens with the town's founding myth: bartender Hank Holbrook and his wife Marm arrive from Texas with supplies; their wagon wrecks near starving prospectors eating sardines from a final provisions box, inspiring the town's name. A mysterious stranger in black arrives at Holbrook's Nugget saloon and requests Hank's account of the settlement's history. The story is heavy with vernacular frontier dialogue, featuring miners, mining operations, Apache encounters, and the development of the "Slip-up Mine" quartz lode. The opening illustration depicts action involving "Hank" clearing a bar over a "tarantula," suggesting adventure and conflict ahead. The serial employs period-typical mining-camp setting and rough-hewn characterization.