The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1859-08-18
"Snaix" Story--A Rattiesnake Twenty

10
"snaix" story--A Rattiesnake Twenty
4 M. one Feet Long.
The following snake story was told to
us by a gentleman in whom we have
every confidence, and we hope our rea.
ders will not reflect upon his veraci,y by
doubling its accuracy. although we will
not ourselves vouca for it further than, as
we said before that our informant has too
much respect for truth to endanger him
self in those "sulpherous flames" unto
which Hamlet and doubtless several 9TH
ers Eince have been committed, by rela-
ting itas a miserable canard. He was
called upon the latter part Of last week to
visit St. Louis, and on his return home
stopped at little station known as Ram
sey, about twenty miles west Of Terre
Haute, on the Terre Haute and Alton
railroad. The second day after his arrival
in the village a man who had been hun
ting brought in the news that he had
discovered huge snake but on discharg-
ing his gun att his snakeship Iretreated
to his abode within cliff ofrocks. This
statement confirms what had previously
been stated by an old settler in the vii
lage which was that while cunning near
this Identical spot, thirty years ago, he
also surprised an enormously large snake
which at his approach had sank away in
the same manner. IN 1s5ss5,a yI',
The latter story had been repeated SO
often, that tie villagers regarded it as a
fabulous narration, inasmuch as the rep
tile had never been seen but once, and
then by only one person. The second
time however, had its effect, and the
truth Of the matter the villagers resolved
TO settle. A detachment Of young men
accordingly visited the locality, and by
dividing ther forceinto squads they com
menced the work Of watching the hole,
out of which the snake. if snake
there was, chad, in case he wished to
enjoy the beauties OF the outer world, to
emerge. gEsa112 'HlH r'0et I
For three days and three nights---a
Biblical coincidence in,the case ofJonah-
did they keep their weary vgils and dis
heartened. they concluded that, unless
he should turn up or come out before the
evening ofthe 5th, to abandon the search
and credit themselves with being hoaxed
individuals. But ere the allotted time
had waued, they we're grati6ed by the
appearance Of the foul thing which they
had come in search off, a'g ef
Slowly it crept from its hiding place,
and as il aware that danger.wss lurking
near, thrust out his tongue in a defiant
manner, and in a language peculiar to
snakes, hissed a warning that he was
monarch Of all he surveyed; but a ball
sped from the rifle Of an -unerring marks
man, proved the superiority Of the hu-
man to the butte creation and without a
moments notice the monster was called
upon ogive up the ghost.
The excited detachment drew him forth,
and Judge Of their surprise at finding him
twenty one feetin length. The old far
mer'sstory was verified, and the snake now
dead and in captivity was without doubt
the same one he had seen thirty years
ago 1t was found to be rattlesnake,
and its extreme length from head 10 tail
was twenty one feet'six inches, and the
greater diameter Of body eighteen inches
1t had one hundred and eleven rattles.
I The snake was conveyed to town, and
has since been visited by tremendous
crowds, anxious 10 satisfy th emselves Of
what at first seemed to be an absurbity.
Our informant further stntes 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 ifthey chose to step on the
platform. - FromAe Northern lowan.
3 A CHILp EATEN BY HoGs--.We learn
that two gentlemen named HArt and Ny
ers, found an Infant child dead and part.
'ly devoured by hogs, near the inc Of
Hancock and Wyandot counties, on
Thursday of last week. When discover