The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1859-05-26
From The Peoria Transcript, May lsth.
TERI life Fight with a Rattlesnake.


We have hitherto supposed the day long
since passed for chronicliAg a big snake fight
in the vicinity of the Central City, but such
it appears is not the case, from a scene
watch recently transpired within short
drive from the Court House. Some of the
older residents win remember building
which formerly stood on Prospect Hill, about
six miles distant from Peoria, and which
was destroyed some seven or eight years
since. During the past season another house
was erected near the same location, and all
that has remained of the old hotel, was a
partially filled excavation for a cellar, and
two well preserved brick cisterns, which
had been kept covered up. Last week, the
proprietor of the place, while busy with his
wife in preparing their summer flower gar
den, found himself in the want of q few bricks
for the edge of the walks. Remembering
the cisterns, he uncovered one Of them, and
finding it dry at the bottom, and only about
six feet in depth, he jumped in, and COM
menced throwing out some of the best bricks
he could pick from the walls. II seems
there was piece of plank, with one end
partially imbedded in the earth, that some
what ncommoded him, so seizing il, with
some excrtion ne pulled il out and threw it
to tho top. What was his horror aud sur
prise, at the next moment, 10 find that he
had unearthed an enormous rattlesnake, and
himself without weapon in his hand As
the ciStern was round, and only about five
feet in diameter, he could not jump out, aud
tue snake, bristling with anger and rafting
defiance, was ready for battle
His screams brought his ife 10 the scene,
but she was so overcome with fright that
she became powerleSs To render any assist
ance. The snake, in the meantime, had
commenced the fight, msking repeated
springs at him, but fortunately he managed
on each occasion to hit him on the head
with his boet, without receiving bite, the
snake all the while becoming defiant and
enraged. During the whole scene, which
lasted several minutes, the man did not lose
his presence OF smind, but watching his
chance, made several frantic efforts to Jump
bodily from this seeming pit OF destruction.
At the last trial, he fortunately grasped a
brick, which gave way, with him, and re-
mained in his hand, as he again stood 'front.'
Ing his Kissing enemy. After few more
kicks, and watching his opportunity, he
fired it, making, probably, one of the best
shots on record, for it struck the snake on
the head, and between the one sent and the
wall, he became pretty well used up sar-
pent" Weak and exhausted, our hero, by
the assistance Of his wife, was enabled to
climb from the pit but when once more
upon the earth, he tainted away, and it was
some time before he could be recovered
For several succeeding days he was quite
unwell, owing, probably, to the poisonous
affluvia inhaled; while his desperate exer-
cises in the encounter, rendered him ex-
ceedingly lame. The snake was afterwards
taken from the cistern, when it was found
10 measure seven feet in length, and con-
tanned thirteen rattlesl The latter have
been preserved, and are placed in Shoaff'
| Museum for exhibition. s.E.r