The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1878-07-25
An Ohio Editor Tells Snake Story.

The Philadelphia Times says: The
Ohio editers visited the Geological Gar
den yesterday morning. The brown
bears, the moment they saw them,
plunged into the water and never came
out till the editors left. The chimpan-
ices appeared pleased, and frisked
about aud extended hands numerous
times in token of hearty welcome. The
editors didn't like their familiarity, and
withdrew to the snakes. There was
one man in the party who eyed the boa
constructor and other large reptiles that
are wont to arouse the wonder of spec
tators with such indifference that he at
tracted the attention of all who saw
him. He looked like q Deacon, and
sore thought his manner toward the
snakes was on account OF convictions
that disapproved of visiting such place
on Sunday. But among the other edi-
tors whisper went round that he was
the man who had the recent experience
with q large snake in Ohio. Some had
not heard Of the affair, and after they
got out in the shade and seated them
selves on benches near the sea-lions, by
dint of good deal of urging he was
prevailed on to relate the story, as fol-
lows;
"About month ago, feeling the deed
of relaxation, and knowing L had an
able substitute in my partner and. bust
ness manager, took brief vacation
from my editorial duties, and went down
to visit my brother on his farm on the
Sciota. The farmhouse stands on q
sloping piece of ground; below them
flows the Sciota River, clear and cool,
and above them the ground ascends to q
gentle knoll. 1t is very rocky in that
region, and rattlesnakes, black
snakes of the racer species,
and copperheads are said to
be thicker here than in any other part
of Ohio. l had never seen any myself,
and so went there thinking little or
nothing about them. My brothers. wife
is a great woman for raising chickens
At the Ohio State Fair, last year, her
chickens took the first and second prize
for choice of breed and for large size.
When got down to the farm l found
Mrs. - in great distress. All her
large chickens had disappeared but two
anu llOOOIN COOAL bOAA hesS W
came of them. Varmints were not
plenty about there, so The blame could
not lay on foxes. Neither could it be
put on persons, for all the folks about
there were honest farmers and belonged
to the church. One day l was up on the
hillside, seated in the shade, as we are
now, reading. Presently, l happened to
look up, and saw, not twenty yards
from me, one of Mrs. IS large
Shanghai roosters. 1t was almost as
large as a turkey, and remember, as
watched him strutting around, Won
dered whether it wasn't his great size
that had kept him from going with the
rest. l resumed my reading again, but
in less than q minute heard flutter of
wings and looked up. The rooster was
nowhere to be seem. The ground was
clear for an area Of half mile. l got
I'D, and noticed short distance away,
near where l had last seen the rooster,
what took to be feathers in the hollow
of black stump. l went to the spot.
They were feathers. The stump, as |
came closer, seemed to recede short
way into the ground, and the feathers
with it,"
Here the editor paused, and swept
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 his
breast pocket, elf live to be 900 years
old shall never forget the cold sensa
ton that seemed to creep through my
blood, when saw that stump had two
glittering eyes and white ring around
its neck. 1t was a racer, and saw the
tail of the rooster sticking out of its
yawning mouth. l got down to the
house and my legs seemed like Timber
pipe stems as l went. Half an hour
later my brother, myself and three or
four of the neighbors returned to the
scene with ropes and lOg-chain. We
knew it would only be waste of pow
der and lead to try to shoot the snake,
so we got above him and rolled stones
down the hill till he drew his head into
the ground. Then we quickly laid the
log-chain around the hole in q sort of
draw-loop. To the other end of the
chain we attached the rope. Then we
got down the hill with the end of the
rope and waited We did not have long
to wait. In less than thirty minutes he
came out. We waited till his neck pro-
truded for about half foot, and then
we jerked the rope. The next moment
we had MIN fast. Three of us pulled
the rope, while the other two got hand
spikes. Yard after yard we
drew out till we had him
tail and all. His body seemed foot in
diameter and his length" here the
crowd WITH one accord thrust their
heads so close that the narrator was OBJ
iiged to move back a. little for more
roomE'' his length was thirteen feet
and six or eight-let me see; | made a
note of it," and he fumbled for his note
book, but the crowd said never mind
they'd take his word for it. "I've left
it in my other coat-pocket," he said
s' But never mind. 1t was either thirteen
feet six or thirteen feet eight inches; my
is that it was thirteen feet
eight, but I want to be correct, and
we'll give veracity the benefit of doubt
and say thirteen six. We killed him
with handspikes, and afterward cut him
open. In his body we found the rooster
he had last swallowed, and every one of
the other chickens that so mysteriously
disappeared. There were nine, all told,
and every one living"
"Living!" calculated the crowd in
chorus.
Living" said the editor, calmly.
s' Before returned from my vacation
had the satisfaction of seeing three as
fine broods of chickens as ever expect
to see anywhere Matched by three of
these same hens that had been so long
imprisoned in that snakes body"
The party said no more, but sat in
deep silence for about one minute,
when somebody suggested that they be
going, and they arose and repaired
fhoughtfully to the place where they
keep polar bears.
There are many novel fancies in
fans, but the favorite one Just now is to