The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1879-11-07
4 REIGN OF sNAHES.
4 RAILROAD BLCCKADFD WITH THEY
4 TRAIN HALTED.

a communication in tle ri. Louis
GloJe-DsDlC"~It says:
In Northwest Missouri. whore ex- Governor
r. n. Stewart resided years before and after
MS political career, up 20 the time IF his
death. many of the old citizens love % tell Of
his brilliant canyerS7 7'iruEl powers and mex
hauSti1Ir fund Of anecdotes The Governor
often tod Of the difficulties he had to sur
mount. and in one of h.s manifest moods Do
related q snake story which I have never
seen IU print. In those davS said the Gov
eTnoT. snakes were uucoumuuIv numerous
and infested certain portions cf the State 20
such an extent that farmers would often
pack up their household ware ana rerIaFe
elsewhere.
During the hui,iin-cf The road 7 have seen
them so troublesome and numerous that the
hands would sometimes stau work and f--
auEurate q short ra,iIpai Lu -ain-t them with
shovels, axes and rrpwhsTs- The -ser0euts
were NOT vicious, the men being hardly ever
bitten, but the great vTNatioD consisted ia
their sCnlaai.l-E and perfect Indifference -
danger. They apparently were utterly de-
void % that instinct OF self-ur preservation with
which the almighty endows every creature.
A. night they would sometimes make sieen
Impossible lE kissing ana -4UlTuiuE in and
about the tents, and during the fa- they
would EeE the men beyond endurance ny
running between their legs and otherwise
annoying them. They were not considered
dangerous being "t that 81 s1In@ known as
prairie LiS=aTs. II was only now and then
that q RATHER was discovered among them
and death was sure 70 follow. for the inpn
would always stop and find time TO chase one
until he was UVeItsEen aud his head chop
ped of
The men always dreaded a shower. for
then the snakes were the worst. They
would literally swarm cut ou she 7TsirisS
and travel .n schools ON one occasion u
construction IN L-glEC C5tlue county. tI- con-
StTuctlun engine with tlre= fla. cars was =
the last camping place, about zen miles In
the -el-Eu1 tine track builders, I F-.-s there
awaiting the landing nl tools all spikes
which u was intended 60 convey @ tie end
of the road. 1t had been raining all morn
l1-. but cleared UD =Haat lnaE. AMI when
We pulled clt after dinner The raEIh.- was
PHEASANT but q i.t-Ie hazv
We had Travelled about half the distance
when The engineer was riding OK tie en-
CiuP-caiieI my attention 60 hundreds Of
iIuut ut u.s. Inc track Tor . short distance
being black wilh tueu and entirely Lu7t 80
sight The eu-.ue-t-iver opened the throttle
and in few moments we were crushing
through them The drivers had not made
more than two or three revolutions when
they began % Is around Et ij j-ltul-E ia pidi-
Is, and the speed Of the train was slsckcned.
The wheels OF tile engine were almost clog
ge1 with crushed snakes and still the track
was actually buried beneath them for one
hundred yards I'm front Cf Us. We did not
succeed in getting much more headwav,
when lie train came TO q stlua5tII. We
were unable 20 make 0l- way through them
and amused ourselves by kuoaf-iu- them or
the engine. We were detained nearly an
had crossed and we were enabled to proceed.
They seemed 20 be moving that day, and tlG
earth seemed 90 be alive with them indeed
they seemed 10 cover the earth.