Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1870-06-16
SNAKES In MICHIGAN.
How wolverine Agriculturist
Avenged HIS Calf.
From the Detrois Free Press.

From the Detroit Free Press.
On the both ut. Mr. Snow missed calf
about two months old, which had been con-
fined in pen near the barn. The animal
had passed ont and gone to the woods after
the cattle All the stock came home after
shutdown, but the calf failed to appear.
The next morning Snow and one of his
sons took q tramp through the woods after
the missing calf, but failed to find it. Two
boys, next day, continued the hunt, going
all over the farm and woods but no trace
of the calf was found. On the 25th Snow
took his oxen and proceeded to the woods,
for the purpose OF hauling up the pan
and other utensils used in the bush last
spring to manufacture maple sugar.
On returning, the team was guided a
shorter route along an old road between
the two farms, in order to avoid crossing
the growing crops. Just after cross ng
little creek, Shows olfactories were greet
ed with a sickening stencil, and the oxen
snutfed the air time or two, and set Oft
on run, pans and buckets flying over the
ground. Snow looked around for the
cause OF the stencil, believing that it bad
something to do with the loss Of his calf.
Following up the little brook about thirty
feet, to higher ground, Snow found dip
in the soil, Just under rocky bank, with a
little grassy peninsula jutting out nm
til it made bend around which
the creek flowed, forming sunny,
secure spot. In the center of this spot
was the decaying body Of the calf and
over it, around il, and crawling in every di-
rection, were big snakes little snakes, old
and young, until, as young America has 1t,
Snow couldn't rest" He saw snakes
crawling toward the brook, others coming
back, others coming out and going into the
holes in the hedge below-and there was an
odor arising from the whole that fairly made
the air blue. Near the body Of the calf
were a dozen big snakes knotted together,
/ kissing and striking their ugly heads to-
gether until ones flesh chilled to behold
them. Snow counted full fifty large black
snakes, looked upon the sight as long as
his nostrils would permit and then started
! home for means Of revenge. He got sever
al old barrels filled them with straw, cobs
and light wood, with dozen bundles Of
straw to spare, and then returned to the
'roost'
! The snakes were as thick as ever, and, as
/ they heard and saw the preparations
making above them, they Kissed and raised
their heads with double venom. One of
the boys took straw and barrel around to
the opening, and the father and the other
son, at proper time, sent down their fire.
works from the sides OF the bank. The fire
vent off like fourth OF July, making noise
that prevented hearing any disparaging re-
marks from the reptiles, and in about half
an hour the farmer descended to find the
ground covered with the half consumed re-
mains of thirty or forty reptiles, while a
! large number had saved themselves by
getting into the banks. The skin exhibit
ed at the market was that of a seven-footer
who tried to escape across the creek, and
was killed by the boy. A spot was found
where the calf, in trying to work around
fallen tree, had fallen OFF the bank, prob.
ably being badly injured i'll the operation,
and the reptiles might not have had any
| thing to do with its death