The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1873-08-21


A recent number of the Salt Lake
NetcS says, Edward r.. Walker. a
young man well used to mountain life,
aud resident of that city. was telling
timber in company with his brother
Sylvester and John Coon, on the right
hand fork of Coon's CANYON, about
three-fOurths of mile from the point
of the mountain west from this city,
on the highpeak south of Black Rock.
Between ten and eleven o'clock in the
morning a deer ran by where they
were working, and Walker snatched
up a Sharp's rifle and started in pur-
suit. When ne had continued the
race for about mile due north, he
was startled by a loud, shrill whistle
and hiss, which he thought was ia
signal from an Indian. He came to a
halt and looked around him, and
heard the noise of rocks rafting
southeast from where he stood. He
turned, when to his horror he. saw
approaching him, at a very rapid rate,
a serpent, which he judged was be-
tween thirty and forty feet long, and
ten inchesl through the body. (The
reptiles head was raised fnlly six feet
from the ground, and its jaws were
open fifteen or eighteen inches wide,
with large fangs growing from both
upper and lower Jaws. Walker was
almost petrifieds s5With fear; dbut the
hope of flsaYipg his life made him start
to run. The, serpent. however, was
too quick for him, and jumped at and
knocked him down, striking him on
the left shoulder just beloWthe Shout
der-blade, going over him and down
the, mountain :. for q short distance,
when it thrned and pursued Walker,
who had risen and, inspired with the
deadliest fear ,JWas making his way to
the top of the, RIDGE Unfortunately
for our infoFmant,Ihe stumbled, land
immediately he felt the weight of his
monstrous pursuer gliding over his
body. He gave shimsef up for lost
then. but it seemso hard tOstell which
was the. most frightened, the man OR
the suake, for the latter did not seem
disposed to run the risk of a contest,
but after gliding acfoss the body Of
the prostTate man, lit slid off at a tFe-
mendous rate toward the ridge of the
mountain and across It to the east side.
Walker arose and watched its move
ments, and says that after crossing to
the east side, the snake turned and re-
erossedl, to the west side, and went
down the, mountain Q few yards, and
then tWined itself around a large ma
hogany tree, where it remained, wav-
ing its head to and fro, and tapping
its tail 1.-THE rocks, and whistling and
Kissing defiance. That was the last
he saw of the snake, for he made his
way back to his companions as quick
ly as he could. They wanted to re-
turn and hunt for the serpent, butlthe
hero of the adventure was too weak
from fright and excitement to do SO,
but says they intend to 60 on an ex-
pedition to hunt that snake in very
short time. The color of the reptile
was yellow, with a black mark on
each side of its eyes; it had beard
or fuzz around its mouth, and what
appeared to our informant to be a
crown shaped mass on the top of
IT'S head. The latter was about six
inches high, and varied in color, be-
ing green, blue, white, yellow and
red. The haed of the creature was
about as large as that of a full grown
bull dog or monkey. Its body was
covered with hard scales, six or eight
inches long. Mr.. Walker says he has
been used to mountain life for years,
and was never afraid of anything but
could persuade him to go
alone again into the right hand fork
of Coon's Canyon.