The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1875-08-13
CORRESPONDENCE or THE EGIS.
That Snake.

For several weeks past We have seen reported
in the city papers accounts of O gigantic snake,
said to infest the neighborhood ofIlalls' Springs
on the Hartford turnpike. One day last week
your correspondent, impelled by, the curiosity
innate in mankind, girded up his loins and
started for the Springs, accompanied by West.
erp gentleman, who, although he has seen cat
fish tnurtepn feet long in the West, doubted that
here snake Of such slae could Obtain sRste-
nance.
Halls Springs are about three miles from the
city and communicate Herewith by line of
horsc.cars. On leaving the latter we walked n
quarter of a mile up the turnpike, and there
turned off to the left, entered u denscly wooded
valley, apd following for some distance IL road,
whose windings canonty h. compared to the
rived Lees Mill, the race of which is the head
quarters of his serpentine majesty.
This establishment is situated in a valley,
surrounded by thickly wooded hills, rising to the
height of $50 feet. This valley would be the
exact LOCATION for q temple of Bacchus, or rath-
er silurus,, suggestive ag IT is OF dcirium ire
mens-and snakes;
We interviewed Mr.. Ice ana his miller, Mr..
Leinhart, and from them gained the following
information. The snake has been seen on sever
al occasions, each time nearly soaring the seer
to death. lie is supposed to beg about Is feet
long, and inches in diameter. The latter di-
mension has been ascertalned by actual measure
meHt Of bis tracks, left in the muddy banks of
the mil! race,
Mr.. Lee has trap built for him. IT is about
Is feet long by 20 inches high and wide tie
sides and bottom are built of solid unbrokcn
oak planks, and the top formed of short pieces
of oak laid transversely. 1t is baited with live
chicken, and fitted with trap. door and trigger
of the style which every boy uses in his "ra66it-
gum 'fhp snake gat into the trap some time
ago, says Mr.. Lee, and after eating che CHICKEN,
broke off four of the top pieces and escaped
He is thought to be of the black variety.
The trap is situated on q small sandy island
below the breast of the dam. The race and
stream arc here bor9ered by thick under
growth of laurel and creeping shrubs, and il is
this thqt the snake hunters from the city, &c.,
fear to penetrate.
Having pumped Mr.. Lee dry, and desiring as
well to get out of this haunted country as to
pass through it, we started for the dam, intend.
ing to 60 up stream to tho next mill and thence
to the York Road. On reaching the dam we
saw sticking over its edge, pointing skyward,
pointed black object, which we Immediately
supposed TO be the tail of his snakeship. Our
first impulse was to advance and investigate,
but we suddenly remembered that our note
book had been left at the MILL and of course,
In our character of reporter we would be of no
use withoutit So we went back to the mill
and then returned, accompanied, contrary to
our wishes, by every man and boy on the place,
and discovered that the object which had SO
aroused our-curiosity, was q black bottle,
which had contained right Cognac, and which
our esteemed friend, Mr.. MEG, OF Baltimore,
had left behind him (empty) in the haste OF de-
parture. We can now readily understand the
magnitude of the snake stories which have APP
peared in the city Journals Of late.