The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1876-01-06

ing, and declares that she will never
speak to him again. i q ;:-:.# 1 /
SNAKES FOR DRYING OUT RATS.
~" Toronto Globe a
Some months ago gentleman from
Dumfries paid visit to : friend Of his in
the town Of Beverly, Mr.. Henry, and
remained with him several days. During
his visit the Dumfries gentleman com.
planned that his house was literally infes.
ted with rats and mice. He. had tried
every device to get rid Of them and oil
had failed. He experimental with
poison, and his dog died next day. He
tried . snap trap. and caught his favoritc
child BY the ankle. T. s..'
He sent ferrets into their holes and
never saw them 1.-THE ferrets) again and
he expressed fear that if nothing could
be done with the vcrmin he would be
driven out of house and home. Mr.. Hen
ry, who is as ingenious as he is fond of
sport, declared that he would rattle the
rats out Of his friends cellar in less than
no time. to use his own expression. He
said he possessed something that was as
far ahead Of traps. poison, ferrets and oil
the other diseases to which rat flesh is
heir, as Martini.Henry rife is ahead Of
matchbox. -:
The next day the two gentlemen got
into a buggy and drove to the gentle
mans house I've are requested to sup.
press his name) in Dumfrics. Mr.. Henry
took with him q common quarter.gross
matchbox, pierced with 4 few holes,
which he placed carefully under the seat
of the buggy. The Dumfrics gentleman,
feeling that his friend was going to give
him surprise, probably with some i'm
provement on ferret, asked no ques.
tons, the better to enjoy the surprise
when it did come,
Arrived at the house they had dinner,
and, after the ladies had retired and the
table was cleared off, Mr.. Henry placed
his box very carefully under the stove
and commenced q lively discussion on the
virtues Of deep ploughing by the way of
keeping his friend cool. He, however,
became impatient that the fun should
commence, and limited as much to Mr..
Henry, who placed the box on the table
and rapidly removed the lid. In an in
slant from the box lcaped full grown
garter snake, measuring three feet and q
half in length.
The reptile, which was highly excited
with the heat, reared itself almost to the
extremity of its tail and glided about the
table with remarkable rapidity, licking
its CHASTITY jaws with its forkcd and nimble
tongue. The Dumfries gentleman al
most shrieked with fear and s2rang back
into the corner almost petrified with hor-
ror. Mr.. Henry showed how silly this
was by taking the snake upon his arm
and handling it much as hack driver
would his whip lash.
His fears were finally overcome, and
when he had composed himself he led his
friend into the cellar, where the snake was
set at liberty. The reptile Immediately
darted for the wall, and the next moment
discovered hole into which he glidcd
with the greatest case. An interested
terrier stood at their heels, and both gen.
tlemen held handful Of clubs, which
were trumps just about then.
The snake had not disappeared over a
minute before half dozen rats bounded
out Of the hole and met terrible fate at
the hands Of their enemies outside. But
the snake was not satisfied; it discovered
every rat hole in the cellar and glidcd in
and out among the rocks where even a
rat could not have gone. 1t was finally
taken up and placed in the box after
twenty rats and almost as many mice
lad been killed, wounded or taken pris-
orers.
The Dumfries gentleman said he never
saw his terrier cniOv himself so much be-
fore, and as for himself he hasn't had so
much fun since he ran for councilman.
The snake belongs to black garter fam.
lily, and are in reality the best friend the
farmer has got. They live exclusively on
field mice, worms, flies and other vermin,
and if they occasionally swallow frog
! or dine on a couple Of young ground
birds, or accidcntly glide across the path
of human being, their lives should be
preserved, as their good qualities coun-
terba]ance these defects.
The one possessed by Mr.. Henry was
captured by him last summer in = pea
field, and since he has had it no rats arc
to be seen or heard of in the neighbour
hood of his house. The reptile is kept in
box, as before stated, and is fed upon
liver. Next summer MIR. Henry intends
to capture all the snakes he possibly car
alive and train them up for the benefit oil
his neighbors.
HIS FIRST DUTY.
| From the Atlanta constitutional
Jake saw an old acquaintance by the
name Of Amos on the street, the otheJ
evening, and accosted him:
IVY, Amos, whar yon been so long
amt seed you fur long tilne?"
Else been down de country fur two
weeks, to my bruddcr's house.
| "Well. can't Won come down to nv