Knoxville Whig and chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1875-1882, 1875-07-28
RURAL ITEMS
Snake Story-Th- wheat Crop-Corn-
&c. dc.

PowELL's STATION, July %, 1875.
TO the Editors Of the Chronicle!
Some days ago the committee ap-
pointed by the county court to isvesti-
gate the damages done to Bells bridge
across Beaver Creek, 10y the spring
flood, were examining the butment on
the south bank, when they were all Of
a sudden scared out Of their boots 10y
the appearance among the rocks, OF a
huge mud colored, spotted snake. All
were so startled that nothing definite
could be ascertained as to the exact
dimensions OF the monster, AS il ran
away into the rocks, but one man
states that it was as large rs his leg
above the knee. or course the size OF
the snake in that case would depend
altogether on the size of the leg, aud
as we have not seen the latter, we can
Just state the diameter. One or two more
of the committee state about the same.
Some supposed it to be n very old wa
ter-mockasin, while others conjecture
that it was rattle snake, as the point
of its tail was reported TO be as thick
as a mans thumb. Joe. Armstrong
guessed il was boa>constrictor, wait
ing for drove of cattle to cross the
bridge.
1t is our opinion that it is the head
man of the Rocky Mountain Rattle
Snake Club passing through on its
way to MOrristown to call on the
Gazette man about the snake story
published in his paper last year.
There is universal agitation on the
wheat threshing question in our dis
| trict just now. Every man wants his
crop threshed first, because it is either
heating in the rick or is standing wet
in the field, sprouting. molding, or
damaging in some way. Nearly every
crop yet threshed has been wet aud
! the grain swollen; some excepted. !
| think the yield is a little below gen
eral expectation, though not very
much.
The corn crop is humping to it,
straight up limb. Some fear 10 may
| over-shoot the mark, but some men
are always fearing some evil that new
er comes, like the man in our district
who was so fearful that his dog would
| kill his pigs that he dreamed the dog
was after one during the night, where.
| upon he began to kick at the dog in
against the wall.
The rain since harvest has greatly
damaged the berry crop, aud not 50
much of it has been saved as the PEG.
pie had hoped for. But the briar
| patches have been besieged very close
| ly each dry day. When the weather
has suited the full force have been put
on, generally. Sometimes the n en-
have helped pick berries, but they
make poor speed. II tokes women To
manage berries. Men love to eat them
too well. A man may take gallon
bucket and pick all day and not fill it.
He gets so absent-minded that he is
all the time putting the berries into
his mouth instead of the basket. A
good mother may send four of heI
grown boys out to pick berries to make
u family pie for dinner and they will
come in about 10 o'clock with pint
apiece, and their mouths looking like
the bung holes in so many indigo
kegs.
a report comes to me from Harbi
sons Cross Roads, to the effect that on
Monday the 18th, Mr.. Johnson's
threshing machine was strnck by
lightning while the driver was on it
and ten men and six horses around it,
| One mans eyes were put out while
all were shocked more or less. All the
horses were knocked down. A man
standing in a house near by was Sc
riously damaged. The fluid descended
a rod and went into the ground.
Roy.