Columbia gazette., 1854-12-16
COLUMBIA TUoLUMNE COUNTY CALIFORNIA SATURDAY DEC 49, 1884,

haps for the last time, cut. together. >
For a few seconds Hortense was
specchless with grief. Rising from the
messy bank, she gasped out "Eloiese,
as you love let us hurry home I shall
die if We -emain here"
| s'And the fritsers 2" inquired the
gentle Eloiese. m II
''They were excellent continued
Hortense, in calmer tone. ''That
evening he presented me with the re-
ceipt for making them, together with .
lock Of his hair, which however, formed
no part of the receipt. Two hours af-
terward he was on his way to London
and the Reform Club. But to this day
even to this day the sight Of an apple
makes me tremble. Alas ! such is the
love of poor fond woman -
That night Eloiese slept but little.
She was thinking over the story Of the
"Apple Fritters. "-Lomdox Diogsnes.
The California Snake Bird.-ALEx-
AMBER S. TArtoR, of Monterey, in his
"Familiar Sketches of the Natural His
tory of California" says that in the
coast countries of Southern California,
there exists singular species of bird,
generally called, on account Of his we'll
known mortal aversion to all members
of the snake tribe, the I" snake Bird"
It is not a bird Of prey, but lives en-
tirely on grain, like the gallnaeia
When full grown it measures two feet
from the tip Of its tail to the tip Of its
beak. The tail has four or five long
feathers tipped with white. Its feet
are furnished with four toes, tRo in
front and two behind, and all are guard
ed with sharp needle-like claws. The
color Of the bird is mottled, yellcwish
gray, and it rarely attains the weight
Of a pound. Its beak is two and a half
inches long, and hard and sharp
When the bird finds rattlesnake-and
rattlesnakes are to be found in great
numbers Ia Southern California, where
ever the ground is covered by the cac-
tus plant-it Immediately proceeds,
with the greatest caution and despatch,
to gather the fallen cactus fruit and dry
lobes, and quietly corral him to the
height of a foot or more-the spikes
and spines Of the plant, strong and sharp
as neealss, serving as an insurinounta-
BILE barrier to the escape Of the snake.
This being accomplished the bird gath
ers with his feet and, claws the, young
cones Of the pine, which are as hard
and heavy as stones, and lowering over
its enemy, lets them fall, one by one,
from height Of Eve or six feet, upon
the Infatuated viper, who, surrounded
by prickles aud points whatever he
turns, is soon fully aroused to the dang
er Of bis position. The bird, with mali
cious screams, continues to drop cone
after cone, until his foe is exhausted,
and then, demolishing the corral, picks
the snake to death with his iron beak.
@" Who made you" inquired a
lady teacher Of a lubberly boy, who had
lately joined her class. oFaa 57
81 dent know" -said he. f
:" Don't know - You ought to be
ashamed Of yourself; boy fourteen
years old. There is little Dick Fulton;
he is only three, and he can tell, L dare,
say Come here, Dick; who made you'"
y" Dod," lsped the Infant prodigy.
81 knew he would remember
"Well, be ougLter." said the stupid
boy, it amt. but little while ago.
since lie Eas nade.n
'-QUARTz CLAIM.-The Ealaveras
Chronicle says: "We have been inform.
ed that the South Carolina Company