The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1876-11-29
A BIZ snake story.

On Saturday last we were asked
by Ar. Jonathan Fulford if VT bad
heard d about the snakes" We
hadn't, and be proceeded to tell US a
story that we had at FIRST thought in
credible, but which we were al last
fam TO believe, and which we know
nov 20 be true, having seen the borrid
sight, and can vOaeh with sworn af-
tdqvit, II necessary, as can others
who may have visited the scene with
in the past ta0 weeks. as to the truth
Of what We have 70 relate. On the
"a inst, toward evening, young
son Of Mr.. A. Thompson, who lives
about eight miles and hall south
ward, was passing over 3 biz on the
farm Of Gibbs Myers, neighbOr, in
quest of bis fathers catt'e, when be
accidentally stepped into a sman
hole. and drawing his leg out quickly
drew with it several serpents The
sight frightened the lad, and be ran
home with all speed and reported his
experience. lie soon returned, how
ever, With another lad, aud found
that the bill top was the home Of u
community Of crawling serpents, and
before they had left the spot they
had dispatched forty-six.
The matter was now reported
among the neighboss, and on the
following day Messrs. j. Fulford, T.
Graves, and 2 Bess, went to the
place indicated and began a war upon
the serpeDts. Ending that the hole ID
to which The boy bad stepped was
the resort Of hundreds of the snakes.
aud that the bill top was literally
alive With them" They dug down
to creyice between two upright
stones about Two feet below the sur
face, and then fought for hours, kill
ing hundreds, aud still apparently
making not the least diminution 10
their numbers.
Day after day this work went on.
until, last Sunday, the dead snakes
were picked up and eOBoted and
placed 10 heap near the mouth Of
the den The number Of LIS was
counted. and still the work Of killing
goes on from day to day. We went
20 the place on Monday, accompanied
bv l.. H. Smytb, and the astonishing
sight Of near 1000 snakes in one
pile met our gaze, with live ones IN
apparently Gndiminished numbers
upon the bill. We killed fifteen in as
many minutes and had enough,
while two little lads were aiI-be time
az work. And the work Of killing
has been going oG ever since, until
aow ne hear that about 3 900 have
been dispatched, and there are hun
dreds perhaps thousands lefi
The snakes are Of the species cali
ed the blue racer, With sprickling OF
adders. and vary in size from the
thickness Of = mans finger to that OF
bis wrist, aud in length from a fooa
90 foar or fve feet They Fuu With
remarkable speed, sad st first were
endsavoriDg 70 escape,
and not mush disposed to show 5gbt-
Thew are nov, however, becoming
vicious. and snow 6gbt, and az times
get startiingly aggressive
4 reasonable theory 10 thai the
hole leads 10 q cavern someg here IN
the depths Of the bill, wbsre Tiers
sre many thousands. possibly Of
ari.hicg serpents and thai tsey
have gathered acre from all sifsetio3s
f.,- 4 Uirfsr residence. SOEss think
that ;sey are poisonous; othsrs that
sbev are harmless. except the hiss
iog adders which are doubtless-
venemOas. At al events, Mr.. tiraTss
informs Us that three horses that had
grazed upon the bill during the rad
have had severe spells Of sIckness.--
f15.or,Fjq Kan } 4 m pare.