The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1878-08-21

hands numerous times 10 token o
hearty welcome. The editors didn'
ike their familiarity and withdrev
to the snakes. There was n maj
in the party who eyed the beacon
strictor and other large reptiles tina
are wont to arouse the wonder o
spectators with such indifference tha
be attracted the attention OF sill VIII
saw him. He looked like . deacon
and some thought bis manner towar'
the snakes was on account OF conyic
tons that disspproved of visiting
such q place on Sunday. But amonl
the other editors a whisper wen
round that be was the man who ha'
the recent experience with a larg'
snake In Ohio. Some had not hear'
of the affair, and after they got on
in the shade and seated ttemselveI
on benches near the sealions, b.
dint Of a good deal of urging he wa
prevailed on to relate the story, a
follows:
about a month ago, feeling th'
need of relaxation and knowing hat
an able substitute in my partaer ant
business manager, / took a brie
vacation from my editorial duties ant
went down to visit my brother OF
his farm on the Sciota. The house
stands on a sloping piece Of ground
below them flows the Sciota river
clear and cool, and above them Tho
ground rises to q gentle knoll. 1t is
very rocky in that region and ratti'
snakes. b~lacksnakes, of the racer
species, and copperheads are said &c
be thicker there than in any Other
part Of Ohio. / had never seen any
myself and so went there thinking
little or nothing about them. My
brothers. wife is a grea. woman foI
raising chickens. At the Ohio State
fair last year her chickens took the
FIRST and second prize for choice o.
breed and for large size. When
got down to the farm ! found Mrs
in great distress. All ben
chickens had disappeared but two oil
three, and nobody could tell what
became of them. Narmints were moi
plenty about there, SO the blame
could not lay on foxes. Neither
could it be put on persons, for every
BODY about there were honest farmers
and belonged to the church. One day
! was IN on the hillside, seated 10
the shade as we are now, reading.
Presently | looked up, and saw, moi
twenty yards from me, oae Of Mrs
large shanghai rOosters. II
was almost as large as q turkey, and
/ remember, as | watched him strut
ting around, | wondered whether il
wasn't his great size that had KEEP.
him from going with the rest.
resumed nv reading again, but IN
less than a minute l heard q finttel
of wings and looked up. The rooster
was nowhere TO be seen. The ground
was clear for an area of half a mile
/ got up and noticed o short distance
away, near where / had last seen thu
rooster, what | took to be feathers il
the hollow of a black stump. | wen
to the spot. They were feathers
The stump, as / came closer, seemed
10 recede a short way into the ground
and the feathers with it."
Here the editor paused aud swep
the perspiration from his brow with
red handkerchief, while the crowd
with horror depicted on their faces
as plainly as these words are printed
on paper, drew their seats up closer
and pushed their heads nearer.
Gentlemen" said the editor, care
fully placing his handkerchief in hi
breast pocket, eff l live to be Mint
hundred years old | shall never for
get the cold sensation that seemed Il
creep through my blood when | saw
that stump had two glittering eye
and a white ring around its neck
II was a racer, and | saw the tail o
the rooster sticking out of its yawn
ming mouth. | got down TO the hous'
and nv legs seemed like timber pipe
stems as | went. Half an hour late
nv brother, myself and three or foul
Of the neighbors returned TO The
scene with ropes and a log chain
We knew it would only be {
waste Of powder and lead TO try t.
shoot the snake, so We got above
him and rolled stones down the bill
till be drew his head into the ground
Then we quickly laid the log chain
around the hole in a sort of q draw
loop. To the other end Of the chair
we attached the rope. Then we go'
down the bill with the end of the
rope and waited. We didn't have
long to wait. In less than thirty
minutes he came out. We waited
till his neck ~protruded for about hal
a foot, and then we jerked the rope
The next moment we had him fast
Three of us pulled the rope while the
other two got handspikes. Yard
after yard we drew out, till We had
him tail and all. His body seemed
a foot in diameter, and his length
Here the crowd with one accord
thrust their heads so close that the
narrator was obliged TO move back a
little for more room, Ibis length
was thirteen feet and six or eight
let me see; | made q note of it :" aud
he fumbled for his note book, but the
crowd said never mind ; they'd take
his word for it. 1--WE left it 10 my
other coat pocket" he said. "Bui
never mind. 1t was either thirteen
feet six or thirteen feet eight. inches
nv impression is that il was thirteen
feet eight, but | want to be correct,
and wen give veracity the benefit Of
the doubt and say thirteen six. We
killed him with handspikes and after.
ward cut him open. In bis body we
found the rooster be had last swal-
lowed, and every one of the other
chickens that had so mysteriously
DISAPPEARED. There were nine all
told, and every one living"
Living !" calculated the crowd in
chorus.
Living" said the editor, calmly.
Before | returned from my vacation
1 bad the satisfaction of seeing three
as ine broods Of chickens as / ever
expect TO see anywhere hatched by
three Of these same hens that had
been so long imprisoned in the snakes
body"
The party said no more. but sat