East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1859-11-03
EAST SAGINAW, MICHIGAN, NOVEMBER g. 1859
SNAKES IN TEXAS.

A correspondent of the Boston Aduer-
tiser writes from San Antonio:
Allowing, however, that San Antonio
is comparatively healthy place, yet the
venomous reptiles which abound consti-
tute literally the presence of death in our
walks, our houses and beds. The cent?
pede, the tarantula, the spotted spider,
the rattle-snake and the -moccasin, are
found everywhere, in the city as in the
country. Around the Mexican huts,
and in their matched roofs, they live al
most unmOlested, under the compact, it
would seem, "let us alone and we will let
you alone;" but with the whites they are
often brought to battle. We know of
several deaths in this immediate vicinity,
from the bite Of the rattlesnakes during
the past year. Our blood ran cold with
horror, as we listened to the account by
a mother, of the death of her only daugh-
ter last spring. The lady lived within a
mile of the city, and kept hens and pigs
to drive away the snakes. Her son, a
child of seven years, with his sister of
three, had been out gathering flowers,
and were arranging them upon the door
step--lcvely, happy children, fragrant,
beautiful aowers-aptly and sweetly as
sociated.
1t would seem that everything evil
must retire from so charming scene;
but huge rattlesnake, supposed to have
followed the children from the prairie,
suddenly attacked the boy, and as he
fled, after receiving one deadly wound,
it sprang at the little girl, striking its
fangs three times into her little leg. No
one was near to administer the proper
remedies, but boy of fourteen. He
was sick, but springing from the bed, he
seized pair of scissors, cut the flesh
from the wounds of the children, gave
them large draughts of whskey and then
commenced sucking the virus from the
blood. In this work he was found by
his mother. No physician could have
done more, but the little girl was soon q
corpse, and the boy suffered long before
recovery. When the life of the patient
is saved, he is sometimes but the wreck
of his former self.
Once our next door neighbor sent the
hasty message, "Come over-snake bitel"
We seized bottle of brandy and ran to
the house. One of the negro girls, had
been bitten and her master was sucking
the wound on the arm, which was ban
daged tightly. We administered large
draughts of brandy, and gave alum con-
stantly. Three physicians were subse-
quently called, who cupped the arm, and
for twelve hours she was not considered
out of danger. Four rattlesnakes were
subsequently, killed in the corn crib,
where the child was playing when bit
ten.
One morning, as we were having fine
frolic with the babies, sharp whizzing
sound, between squeal and scream,
rose above our laughter We turned,
and were spell bound for moment, by
the terrible creature at our feet glaring
into our eyes. Recovering presence of
mind, as it sprang we narrowly escaped
the fatal bite. But time would fail to
tell the chilling stories of snakes, cent?
pedes, &C., which daily fill our ears and
CONCEAL our blood.
have written at this length in order
to disprove the careless assertion of Olm-
stead, that the old Texan settlers ignore
the presence of snakes, and are perfectly
rights in doing so. These reptiles should,
on the contrary, be watched against, 40
constantly and ;n,nIiuently dangerous to
life, they seek the warmth of your bed,
the comfort Of your hearthstone, the
companionship of your walks, and your
life-blood every where. Aside from the
danger, wholesome dread of them must
be common to all Christian souls, from
association.