Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-10-24
THE LAST SNAKE STORY.

III GHS LOWu VI Ou LuG onuho Va
Lake George, opposite Huletts Landing, N.
Y, has lived, for long time, a man and his
wife, by the name of Mr.. and Mrs. Reuben
Davis. This couple have occupied log cab
in, which has been situated near the waters
edge. The place has been known as the "Rat
tlesnake mans house" and many visitors have
made excursions to the spot TO see this singu
lar-looking couple. They have made liv-
ing from rattlesnakes, capturing many of the
reptiles, and obtaining the oil, which always
commands high price. At this cabin might
always have been seen large numbers of these
reptiles. The old man, who is now about
sixty.6ve years of age, catches them with a
long pair of wooden tsngs which he quickly
and dexterously grasps them with just below
the head. He then either killed them out
right or else removed their fsngs, and thus
rendered them harmless. He possessed pow
er to charm them also, it is said. In fact, he
once informed the writer, who visited his cab.
in, that "thar warn't a varmint that crawled
but wot ken make 'em lay down as quiet as
lamb"
The old man had about his premises large
number of snakes, which he exhibited to Wis
itors, expecting and receiving many nickel
or dime in return. He never visited a village
without carrying several of his odious speci-
mems with him, which he will draw from his
pockets and place about his neck, or tondle
and handle them as if they we're kittens. By
these exhibitions he picks up good many
coppers.
Many wonderful stories are told about "old
Rube" and his wife, the latter being as much
of curiosity as her husband. We have been
told that the very shanty swarmed with rat
tlesnakes, the occupants not having any fears
whatever of them.
The land on which the shanty stood was
lately purchased by Bishop Seymour, of 1li-
nois, who succeeded Bishop McCoskry. The
owner has tried repeatedly to get the Davis
family to move of, but the old couple have
refused until lately, when the bishop threat
ened to eject them by legal process He final
ly offered Davis $40 to leave peaceably, and
the old man, his wife and boat load ofsnakes
left one day for Harbor leland, about a mile
south of where the cottage was situated.
On the following Friday the torch was ap-
piled to the premises. When the fire began
to spread, a terrible sight met the eyes Of those
present 1t was sight that caused the be-
holders to flee up trees for safety. Kissing
rattlesnakes and squealng rats poured out of
the building from all directions. As the hot
flames sprang toward the roof, the cracking
of the dry boards was mingled with the rattle
of scores of maddened serpents, and unearth-
ly yells of rodents The very roof seemed to
be alive with venomous reptiles, and the bright
green and white of their outside covering
shone with glare as the flames lit upon them.
One of the men who was close eyewitness
of the scene, says: "One large snake, about
seven feet long, opened its mouth, and out
came at least two score of little reptiles, whose
tails shook in the air as if they, too, were
frenzied at the destruction the flames made of
their home. Several snakes charged madly
upon the flames, only to fall back burned to
death while the rats that could get away took
to the woods In one place a projecting log
was made the object of attack by three large
reptiles. As the trio charged madly upon it,
a great sheet of fire, whose forked tongues
were even more poisonous than those of the
snakes, rolled around and seized the reptiles,
causing them to cease rattling, as each one