The weekly Butte record., 1867-10-26
THE BIG CANAAN SNAKE.

Inc latest intelligence OF the great
snake discovered a. South Canaan,
Conn.,, is given in the following letter
to the Poughkeepsie Eagle Of Septem-
Der 9th:
You were correct in doubling the
story of its being shot, as first publish
ed in the Armenia Times, for it was all
fiction. The great snake has not been
killed. nor has any one attempted to
shoot it. An ordinary slot gun would
have no more effect upon it than a pop
gun on an iron clad, and man would
be called crazy who would attempt it.
1t has been seen every Summer for the
last fifteen years in nearly the same
spot. 1t was seen but short time
ago by gentleman of the highest re-
spectability, who is we'll known, and
no one would think of doubling his
statements. His name is a q. Board
man, a skinful machinist, recently en-
ployed by Ames in the manufacture of
his celebrated wrought iron cannon at
Falls village. Boardman was passing
along the highway where the snake had
been generally seen, not thinking any
thing about it, when suddenly his eye
caught something lying under large
elm tree, which looked like the shadow
of large limb. Its shining brilliancy
and the real shadow of the tree being
opposite from where the object lay.
the thought instantly entered his mind
that it was nothing less than the big
snake be had heard so much about, and
so it proved to be, for it Immediately
started for the swamp. The animal
having to cross road, he had fair
view of his snakeship. A thrill of hor-
ror passed through his veins as the
monster crushed IFS way through the
brush with almost the speed of light
ming into the swamp and was imrnedi-
ately lost to sight. Boardman thinks
it would measure thirty inches around
its body in the largest place; in fact,
it appeared nearly to be of one size,
except three feet from the end of the
tail, which tapered considerably toward
the end. Its length he should Judge to
be not far from twenty eight to thirty
feet. Its skin was so black and bright
that it fairly dazzled.
The farmers in the vicinity complain
less Of the depredations of the animal
than formerly. On the borders of the
swamp where it lives, Craze large herds
Of COWS, and it is among these it gets its
living. The owners of these cows have
for some time past wondered why some
of their best mixers had failed to give
their usual quantity of milk. AS t is
only IN the morning the owners miss it,
they have come to the conclusion that
the snake sucks them, and thus gets its
living. 1t is well known that snakes
are fond of warm, new milk, and it is
this kind Of food no doubt that has
caused this one to grow to such immense
proportions.
There is reward of one hundred
dollars offered by a private citizen for
its capture alive, and fifty if killed.
There is strong pressure bearing on
the town authorities to offer reward
large enough to secure its capture or
destruction, and the subject will be
brought before our annual town meet
ing the first Monday in October. Hun
dreds who attended the camp meeting
lately held there, came more for the
purpose of seeing where this monster
snake lived than to seek for the straight
and narrow way. Few could be in
duced to stay on the ground nights for
fear that it might make them visit.
1t was this thing more than any other
that made the meeting almost failure.
One man has determened to sell his
farm and leave the place. His wife
has already left and says she will new
er live on the place again until the
snake is killed. There is a perfect
panic among the people, and what will
be the result time alone can determine.