Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1855-11-17
A WoNDERFUL sNAKE STORY.

with the Editor of the Democrat in his reflections
on the subject. With him, we can readily believe
the boy " sees snake" and especially when about
the still-house; but how those tracks were made
why it spoke to him, as the first serpent did to
mother Eve, and why it is that gun, when point
ed at it, will s'explore" are indeed mysteries to us
unfathomable We may add that snax " are oc-
casionally seen in these parts and that they leave
their " mark too, like the Rockingham snake but
whether natural snakes" or only make-believe
snakes, or artificial snakes, is more than we can
"explore." We believe, however, that they are pro-
duced by species of stii-ooorm. We distinctly re-
member seeing man not long since to whom it was
given to behold a monstrous snake with four eyes,
with goggles on each eye, and fanned-for the air
was hot-by thirty-six bat wings at time, attached
to only four bats Just think of that. The same
man cat new. The inference we drew from
all this-with a charcoa-was, that the man " wore
clover in his hat and in the habit of smiling
privately and of observing things per consequence,
thus publicly. Alfred, it seems, tied, and
doubt with rope; but was tied with
maitland he saw best and most always when thus
tied. But OBTAINING readers from the
story. Mr. Stone speaks with much earnestness, and
doubt feels what he says. We ask hone of our
readers to form opinion on the subject, yet
bespeak for the story their "most distinguished
consideration"
A SNAKE STORY.
We publish the following letter from Mr.; Stone,
containing " Snake Story" The affair seems TO be
call the talk " over in that region. One of the
"neighbors" has since called in and substantiated
the facts in the letter Mr.. S. is reliable and
his son don't tell lies The latter is very much
alarmed, his health, learn is giving away under
the effects of the singular occular deluson. The
tracks of the snake, constitute exception to the
general of mental Authorizations We can read
lily believe the boy secs snake )" but that makes
track is rather hard to swallow, were it not attes
ted by men of veracity:
A CURIOUS SNAKE.
MEssRs. .EDIroRs We have a very mysterious
SNAKE which visits my Still House, and also 9TH
places about my farm The snake is invisible to
all persons who have been to see it. 1t has never
been discovered 10y no person except my son Alfred
and wherever he goes by himself the snake appears.
The snake first appeared to my son in the Still
House, and he ran up to my dwelling house in great
excitement and told me he very large rattle
snake lying in the fire in the Still House. And l
made all the haste l possibly could to the Still
House. and when got there found nothing Of the
snake at all and made considerable search for the
snake for was afraid to stay in the Still House of
nights, supposing that rattle snake lived in
about the Still House, l abandoned the idea of
sng Of nights and still altogether in daytime and
Alfred being my principal stilIer, sends him Oft to
still again the next day, and he saw the snake again.
And eXertcd all the power could in order to get
to the still house before the snake could get away,
and it had absconded again; and my son told Inc
where he it last, and then made all tke search
| could and found nothing of the snake, but still
thought it was natural Snake; and the excitement
brought out great many of my neighbors in order
to try to see, and to try to Kill the snake but none
OF them after all their searches could find it and it
kept appearing to my every time he went to
the still house. and some of my neighbors came with
their guns in order to watch for the snake, in order
that they mis- Int shoot it, but none of them could
ever discover it, and some of them left their guns in
the hands Of my son, for him to shoot it, and he in
varably tried to shoot it, but could not and with
guns too that never miss firing, but he could get
none of the guns to go OIL Some of them would fall
bent, and not particle of fire could be
even when he would pull the cock down, and after
my neighbors had been to my house from time to
time to snake, and none of them could ever see
it, they began conclude that it all lie
the part OF my son, and Geo. w. Lester and others,
and concluded shoot at the potwhere my told
them it was, and MIR. Lester went on to the place,
and my son seeing the snake all the While, and tell
ing him. Mr.. Lester,) that the snake was under his
feet, and that it would bite him, and MIR: Lester
standing all the while with his gun in his hand and
looking all the while, with all the eyes he had, and
could see nothing Of the snake ALL which scared
him prodigously. Then MIR. Lester left his gun for
Alfred to shoot the snake himself my some
time after went down to the still house, and sure
enough he found the snake again, and the gun of
Mr.. Lester in his (my sons hand well loaded,
primed, and believe there is not a better gun in
the State for it is said that his gun miss firing,
when tried, but my took good aim at the snake
particle of fire seen; he tried four times and
the gun would not explore; he was told to turn the
muzzie Of the gun i'll different direction, which he
did, and it fired clear as any gun you heard,
but still the neighbors said if snake it would
make track. But myself bound to believe
what my said, for l never knew my to tell
lie, under no circumstances whatever. And it so
happened that Of my neighbors in again
to the snake, and see if they could find any
mark it made, sprnkled ashes all the
still house, and in the hole where it always came in,
and tied my son, fast, so he could not make the
track HIMSELF in any way whatever, and then left
him tied, in the still house, by himself, and went
away, and it was but few moments before he let
know that the snake in the still house again,
and we went to see if there was any mark and be-
hold there mark as broad my hand where
it came in and went out, and then they were beat
and confirmed it something, then did not
suffer Alfred to stay about the still house but little,
for whenever he goes there he is to see it. and
it also appears to MIN in different parts of the farm,
but not much it does at the still house and
he told to talk to it, and it would tell him what
it wanted; and he says he asked it in the name of
the Lord what did it want, and he says it said to
him that it wanted to destroy the Stng," and
Sneaked Oft, then to be convinced tied Alfred in
the still house again, and he told clover
in his hat and then he could what it was and
while he tied in the still house he had clover in
his hat, and he saw the snake come and peep in the
house, having face, eyes, mouth, tongue and all,
precisely like he perfectly knew, and all bnt
the head was precisely like rattle snake; and it
scared him prodigously. Then Sunday last,
2Sth Oct, there was great many persons who came
tn III Htinh fpI The renlit w M fha ,opk