The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1859-06-25
Snake Story--Probably the Largest Of its
6iud OH Record.

The following snake story was told to us
by gentleman IL whom we have every
confidence, and we IA )pe our readers will
not reflect upon his veracity 10y doubling
its accuracy, although We viii not our
selves vOuch for II farther than, as we said
before, that our informant has too much
respect for truth, TO endanger himself in
those "suiphurOus flames unto which
Hamlet. and doubtless several others
since, have been conmutei. 10y relating TO
Us a miserable cqnarA He was called upon
the latter part OF last week, h visit St
Louis, and on his return home stopped at
twenty miles west Of Terrc Haute, on the
Terre Haute and Alton railroad The Sc
cond day after his arrival in the village a
man who had been hunting brcu gil, in the
News that lie had discovered Il huge
snake. but on di>charging his gun a. 1t,
his snaheship retreated 10 MS abode with
in cliff OF rocks This statement con-
tlrned what had previously been related
10y an old settler in the village which was,
that while cunning near this identical
spot, thirty years ago, he also surprised an
enormously large snake. which IT his ap-
proach had sank away in the same man
ner The latter story had been repeated
so often that the villagers regarded It as
fabulous narration, inasmuch as the reptile
had never been seen but once, and then by
only one person. The second time, how
ever, had Its effect, and the truth OF the
matter the villagers resolved to settle. \
detachment OF youn- men accordingly Vi
sited the locality, and by dividing their
force into squads they commenced the
work of watching the hole out Of which
the snake, II snake there was, had, in case
he wished TO e:joy the beauties Of the
outer world, TO emerge.
For three day. and three nj chts-a Bib
lical co;nciderca i'll the else of Jonah-did
they keep their wc,Iy vigils, and diSheart-
ened, they concluded that unless some
thing should turn up or come out by the
evening Of the fourth, to abandon the
search and credit Themselves with being
hoaxed individuals But ere the allotted
time had waned, they were gratifed by
the appearance of the foul thing which
they had come in search Of Slowly it
crept from its hiding place, and as if aware
that danger was lurking near, thrust out
his tongue in a defiant manner, and in q
language peculiar to snakes, Kissed a warn
ing that he was monarch of all he survey
ed; but a ball sped from the rifle of an I'M
erring marksman proved the superiority
OF the human to the brute creation, and
without a moments notice the monster
was called upon to give up the ghost
The excited detachment drew him forth
and judge of their surprise at finding him
twenty-one feet in length The old farm
er's story was verified, and the snake now
dead and in captivity was without doubt
the same he had seen thirty years ago. 1t
was found to be rattlesnake and its ex-
treme length from head to tail was TWEEN
ty-one feet six inches. and the greatest di
ameter of body eighteen inches. 1t had
one hundred and eleven rattles which
would make its age one hundred and eight
years, rs they get rattle annually after
attaining three years. The snake was con-
veyed to town, and has since been visited
by tremendous crowds, anxious to sati,fy
themselves Of what at first seemed to be an
absurdity Our informant further states
that after being skinned and stuffed, it was
eighteen feet three inches in length, and
can be seen by any of the passengers on
the above road, if they choose to step on
the platform at the station.-C.ncianati
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