Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-11-14
A Man siaughters One Husdred
striped SNAKES Burroued In the
Banking of His HOuse

Last spring Will Moody moved ont Of bis Inc
house In Union Grove, and it stood unoccupied
And cesOlate for several weeks, but last Juiy
Ed Asher purchased the property and moved
into the old hOuse TO stop only while he could
build rev frame house
He had hardly settled his family in their new
quarters bt fore they had a practical demon
rtTstion that there were occupants there before
them, who evidently looked upon the new COM
eTs as lD'ruders and these Old settlers were
SEases. The little striped garter snakes
The first night in the house there WAS great
rustling On the floor like the pstteEing of Inyri-
ads Of mice, but it wasn't mice tn at made thu
noise; IL was the sound from dozens OF snakes As
hey dragged themselves across the floor. De-
lightful.
In the morning Mr.. a. used to get MP, shake
theTeptiles out OF his clothes grasp a pitch fork
and pitch the smy devils out of doors 1t was
10 uncommon thing to slaughter half a dozen
in the morning. The second and third day,
were worse than the first. At breakfast one
morning Mr.. a. felt something crawling up his
leg, and, RlaHcinG DOWN. Srd, found q beautiful
little striped fellow working his way up in the
world. Another time be found a Stout fslIow
in his OyeTcOat pocket, who greeted him ON bia
approaching with friendly hiss
The nuisance became ItolerabIe. The houae
was o'd, and the mortar in the clinking had Civ
en- way in many places, and in the evening no
sooner was the lamp lighted than a sereRade of
Kisses would bel gin, and nearly every one OF th =
holes would be- OInamentrd with a snakes head
Al the end OF the fourth day Mr.. Asher graspad
his shovel ard went TO the banking of the
bonse, mass Of straw and dirt that had not
been moved ior several years. aud here were
Their sDakeFhips IN all their glory. IL was a
perfect massacre, for in that banking he found
ana Killed an even hundred garter-sna kes
Thirty were found in one nest.
These is q scarcity of the serpent around Mr.
As fam now.-LitctfsId MIMI ledger.
A MODEL FOR Clerks OF CoURFs.-Commis-
siOner Matseil administering an oath to a wit
ness, Is thus described by an irreverent report
6r:
Commissioner tmourufulyl-YO1 do soIemnlv
before nd hat rIa
dence you are about 10 give before the Board OF
Police tOuchiDg-stop bit. Did you ever take
an oath before?
WItDess-Yrs sir.
COmmissiOner-Well, then, Won ought to know
better thtU tn told the book like that. Always
raise the Bible from the table, holding it In
ehd tbe M ger on the top. That's il. So.
N9~-Y'u do sO'emnly swear b.fore-
Witness lowers his hand little
Comm'>~'oEer-k, ep the book OFF the tahPe
FntyouI THUMB ontle Bible. That's it. Now.
Mr.. Ma'sen than al minister 81 tsso,,h v.-v
S""ft ava 'm' ess velv. The witness a little
/ 90 sturelv, r ises the book 10 kiSs IL
=, mmlss'aneT-Stop, stop, stop? Now stop
p Ell yO Of ,,ml ySnT got through yet There's
ten attentTely 70 what l say. You DO solemaIy
swear, etc; etc Now kiss the book.
Witness kisses IL audibly.
Commissioner T. xcitedly)-No. no, D,,,.
klss u ike that, What do you mean sirP no
YOU Know that u Is very solemn thing t. tase
a. oAtnF MISS Ihe book reverently, That's tt
Now. pat II down reverently Dom. slam H.
! That's II. Now, sir, 60 ahead and tell us What
you KNOW about this case.--NeU York Sun.
@Sad to think that, after to night, when a
man comes home about three hours too late. he
necessity M iovel"-Boston Globe.
sV"Desth is q sad thing remarked Sehe-
nectady woman, as she stood beside an Omen
grave. eyes, poor thing" replied another.
nsr when the pork was Just right"