The Plymouth Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1878-1901, 1879-04-17
The Latest Snake Story.


Last Friday Zebulon Martin and
his son. who lived about six miles
from Oil City, were engaged in
moving huge pile Of stones on their
farm when they suddenly unearthed
what seemed to be a large ball Of
black rope, knotted and curiously
interlaced. The mass was a large as
bushel basket. and was covered with
light, powdery substance. more re
sembling bran titan anything else.
The sun was shining brightly at the
time, and as the warm rays fell upon
ball the two men detected slight
movement in its many coils. Old
Martin Immediately yelled "snakesl"
aud jumped back TO u safe distance,
His son Charles, who was OF a more
iGqui,ing turn of mind. procured a
long pole and stirred up the yielding
mass. The touch aud warmth re-
vived tke dormant reptiles, and the
surface of the ball was seen covered
with rattles which swayed 10 and fro.
the sound resembling the blowing OF
wind through the dead leaves OF
tiee. What seemed at first to be
gordian knot began 10 unrayel.
The tails protruded more and more
as the snakes unlocked their intri-
cate coils, as they appeared TO be
packed with their heads in the center
of this living ball. Ii was curious,
yet disgusting sight, the squirmiDg Z
and contoriions OF tie Liieous SER
pants as they emerged from their
winters tap, and the two spectators
watched them with some feelings OF
/ apprehension One al the men
picked up ii small stone and tossed il
into the wrilhy mass in order To
stir them up" as he expressed it.
He succeeded most effectu lly. The
ball Of snakes fell apart and disclosed
some fifty or sixty ratllesnakes OF all
sizes, covered with whitish slime,
which had exuded from their bodies
aud perhaps served as means OF
protecting them from the severity OF
the winter. Thoroughly aroused. the
venomous reptiles lashed their tails
in fury and gliled over with sur.
prising agility, their bright eyes
shining with excitement, their mouth.
wide open and forkcd tongues pro.
truding as they Kissed defiance a
their prosecutors. One huge reptile
neatly six feet in length, with swolleI
body, raised itself half its length from
the center of the group, and turning
its laf, ugly head toward the intru
ders, opened wide its mouth an,
swuyed to and fro, Kissing angriiy
Another stone was thrown, this time
IA good sized one, crushing and MAIN
ing many ofthe reptiles in lis fall Tn,
scene was simply fiightful as describe,
by one or the spectators. In thei
agony the snakes writhel aud hisse,
with redoubled fary, twisting owe
and over in the blood and slime
while the uninj lret ones escapes
from their woun ted companions ant
eli led toward the Martins with head
upiifted and rattling ominously
Both men acknowledged that the,
were II little frightened when the.
saw the deadly reptiles going straiSh
for them with the evident purpose O
taking revenge on their enemie:
Percei,ing the situation looked de
cidedly unpleasant, the two ME
armed themselves with stout club
and began killing the serpent!
> Strange To say, the creeping foe
were so agile that this was accom-
: plishsd with great difficulty, and sew
;. eral times the men were obliged t
retreat to escape the deadly fang
At last the work was accomplishe,
and the battlefield was .strewn wit
. the dead bodies OF snakes OF all size
from the huge "king" 70 diminutiv
young ones. The largest sporte
u seventeen rattles, "a trophy which NJ
Martin cut off and took home viii
: him to convince disbelievers in h
4" marvellous exploit. Fifty-six snak,
y were laid low.-Ou City Derrick