Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-08-22
THE MONARCH OF TIE sWAMPs
A sfx-FOot Rstt1eEnake Caught
Doing and Brought 10 the Ledger
0mea

A sfx-FOot RattIeRnake Caught
Doing and Brought 10 the Ledger
once.
Two Arkansas hunters, about ten days
ago, came across a monster ra~ttlesnake
in the bottom at the cutoff 10 st. Francis
river, which ia about forty miles above
the mouth Of the river, where it empties
into the Mississippi. His suakeship was
asleep in the hot sun on the border OF
an impenetrable thicket, from whence he
had leisurely and alphabetically glided for
an airing aud an afternoon siesta. Like
the Turk in his guarded tent he lay
dreaming Of the hour z" when young rab
bits, squirrels aud mocking.birds should
kneel in suppiance, but dreamed not
Of a Bozarris exclaiming: Strike strikel
till the last fanged snake expires. If he
had been q common four-foot rattlesnake
or a seven.foot black the hunters would
have dispatched him at a blow or with q
load of buckshot and hung him up on o
limb, after the superstitious fashion, as u
sign of rain" They saw before them
no common prize, a monarch Of the
serpent kind-man's ancient and most
deadly foe worth capturing alive.
Without bruisiug his head, TO fulfill
scripture, or breaking his back, they cut
a forked stick and impaled him to the
ground by forcing it down across
his neck. When his lordship awoke and
realized the situation he squirmed and
dashed and fought ike a boa constructor,
but all in vain. His captors forced him
into a box, procured at the next house,
and nailed him up, fangs, rattles and all,
and he was detained a captive as a great
wonder, even in that region Of snakes.
Captain j. B. Randall, Of the steamer
Mark Twain, procured the snake (stilI
boxed up) and brought him wei on the
last trip of the boat as a present to the
LEDGER office. II was accepted with
many thanks, but, like the man who
drew the elephant, the next thing was
what to do with the venomous reptile
lie is thicker than a mans wrist, oyel
six feet long, has thirteen rattles and Q
button aud weighs between twenty
and twenty-five pounds. At the
slightest %provocstion he would col
up and make ready for a fight, CIV
ing notice by hostile motions OF his heaC
erect in the center of the cell and by {
shrill, peculiar rattle resembling the
singing Of a locust. Crowds came anC
went all day to see the monster in hi
box in a room adjoining the editoria
rooms. They all wanted to see and hear
him. One handsome youth, who insisted
on getting a good look, was aston
ished out Of at least one good year
counting strength, when the snake, by
powerful effsrt, forced his head out tire
or four inches through a small crack
half an inch wide. How be didit was
wonder, but how that crowd scattere
vas no wonder at all. They %adjourue
sine die, without q vote OF thanks TO AMI
body.
The stream Of people coming an
going, the activity and evident strengt
Of the royal prisoner, his unrest aad th
frequent use Of his shrill doath.rattl
began to tell on editorial nerves. 1t wa
Ltquently predicted hat his satanshi
would, when he chose, straighten bimse
out his full length as though the bo
were of tissue paper. This view Of tn
case fastened his removal.
In the afternoon Jake Leubrie had
box made with a wire cover, and too
the captive OFF our hands. The transfe
rom the box to the cage was safely mad
in the presence Of 3 large crowd, an
hundreds Of people called at Jake Leu
brie's cigar store on Main street to Sc
this wonderful pet, row securely cage
aud to be seen by all who call. Yer
few such rattlesnakes have ever bee
taken alive. 1t is well worth seeing.