Montgomery County sentinel., 1879-03-07

y
John Atkinson, who was railroad
builder, had contract for grading a
division of the Chicago, Rock Islaud u
Pacific Rail Road, lying between the
towns of Brooklyn and Grinnel, and in
order better to superintehd the work he
determined to build himself a small
house or shanty Of only one room, in-
tending to occupy it but temporarily. -.
He chose spot about equi-distant from
both stations. and upon a large fiat rock.
which he said wonld answer admirably
for floor, be built bis house.
The next day he moved some furni-
ture into his new house, and fetching
his young wife and infant daughter from
Grinnel. where they were boarding,
prepared to make themselves as COM
Portable as possible in their limited quar-
ters.
That night before retiring Mr.. At
kinson fastened the door and only shut
ter that the shanty could boast. and,
extinguishing the light jumped into
bed.
The young couple remained awake
longer time than was their custom, con-
versing upon their future prospects, when
John Atkinson, who was in the midst of
a new project for amassing wealth, was
interrupted by his wife. Mary, whisper
ing
"Hush, John! Listen to the queer
sounds in the ROOM"
John obeyed and heard plainly
peculiar, rasping, crawling noise on the
stone floor, which sounded like nothing
he had ever heard before.
II wonder what it can be ?" continued
Mary.
Il don't know, but I'll get up and
light the lamp and find out" replied
John, cheerily.
He accordingly, throwing the bed
clothes aside, sprang to the floor, when,
with scream of mortal agony he cried {:
Almighty God, Mary! Cover your
self and the child with the blankets. The
house is full of rattlesnakes, and I'm o
dead manw
The screams of the unfortunate man
as reptile after reptile fastened It's fangs
in his quivering flesh, were terrible to
hear, and the Kissing and rattling of the
horrible monsters as he vainly fought
them from him. added intensity to the
already heart-rending scene. Fortunate
ly it did not last long and his last words,
as he sank to the floor were "God bless
you and the child, dear Mary, and in
His name don't uncover your head
then the snakes can't harm you Some
of the men will release you tomorrow |!
Goodbye goodbye !"
Imagine the thoughts of the poor wife
compelled to listen to the agony of her
loyed one, helpless herself and unable to
render him any assistance, and her
child to save.
All that long night and the next
morning she lay, covered and half suffo-
Gated, afraid to move, and quieting her
child. whilst the scaly reptiles crawlled
over her and even coiled themselves to
sleep on and around her warm body,
projected from their deadly fangs only
by the bed clothes; and oh horrible
thought, if she should disarrange the
covering and they should crawl beneath.
Thus passed that night of horror to
that poor woman.
Ia the morning the men who worked
for Atkinson wondered at his prolonged
absence, he being generally the first to
make his appearance, until one of the
party mentioned that in passing the new
house late at night. on his way to town,
he thought he heard screams proceeding
from it, but when he got opposite aud
stopped to listen, he heard nothing and
SO concluded that he must have been
mistaken.
This was enough to alarm the work.
men who liked John Atkinson, and
proceeded to the house in body they
knocked on the door and were answered
by smothered voice, the only word of
which they could understand being
"Snakes p
just then one of the men, who had
been accommodating in the. rear of the
house, startled his comrades by exclaim-
ing: "My God, boys, come here |! This
house is built on rattlesnake den"
IL was only too true the reptiles
were crawling in and out Of small hole
under the rock and the truth at once
flashed upon their minds.
1t would be certain death to some Of
them if they dared to enter by the door
or window. But at suggestion from
one Of the party, some Immediately sealed
the low house and proceeded to tear the
boards from the roof, whilst one or two
others hastened in search of ropes. AZ
ter having demolished the roof sickcn-
ing sight was disclosed 10 their view
ln the centre of the roof lay the ghastly
skeleton of John Atkinson, the scrpents
having literally eaten every particle of
flesh from the bones, while they swarmed
in hundreds, writhing and darting hither
and thitber, Kissing and striking at every
thing 10 their way in their blind pas
sion, at being disturbed at their horrible
feast.
The men having by this time arrived
with the ropes, they succeeded, after
many failures, in fastening the rope TO
each bed post aud. while one Of the men
kept the snakes Of the bed with pole.
hoisted the bed aud its occupants bodily
out Of the room and lowered ii 10 the
ground.
When they uncovered poor Mary and
the child they found that she had tainted.
by this time several women bad appeared
on the scene aud these took charge Of