The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-07-03

have been good while writing to you,
so Thought would write to you today. ]
like Kansas very much. The other day
our Sunday School Ind a picnic in the
woods on the banks OF the Bull creek. We
had splendid time. shot two snakes a
few days ago. Last Thursday rs / was
coming home with another boy snake
ran &C ross the path and killed 1t. have
not seen any rattle snakes yet. There Is a
snake here called the Bull snake. saw
one the other day. 1t is the largest snake
in this country. Sometimes they are
found seven and eight feet long. When
they arc struck and hurt they make a
noise like bull. There is another snake
called the King snake. 1t is about the
size of the prairie rattle snake and 1t is
speckeled with bright green spots. Some
people say they are called King snakes be
cause they can whip all other snakes
Other people say they are so called be-
cause they have spot on their head like
IL kings crown.
This is the greatest country for bugs and
insects ! ever saw. Also ants OF every
description, reaches and wood ticks. The
lastare abOuttlGsReo ola chintz bug, andare
mostly found in the timber. When they
yet on person they bury their heads in
the skin and suck blood till they swell up
to the size Of big bean and are as tough
rs rubber. When youpull them Off they
sometimes leave their heads in the skin,
which often makes very bad sore. The
lilies uIe awful bad and seem 10 be most OF
the blue bottle kind. There is another
insect, the chigger, the worst OF all. 1t is
alittle red mite that you can hardly see.
II is found on grass and weeds. When it
gets on person it goes right out OF sight
into the skin and raises welt like flea,
but unlike the latter, it keeps singing
away and hurts like u bee sting. There
are great many birds i'll this country that
never saw or heard of ut home, and
many Of them are very pretty, and some
Of them are splendid singers. There are
plenty OF wild knocking birds here.
know where there is nest, and am 60
ing to get the young ones il nobody else
does. | can get from one dollar up to five
for young singers. boy that lives across
the street IRON us has two. The largest
birds out here are eagles and buzz
yards. There are lots OF buzzards
and they don't seem to be much
afraid Of you, because nobody is allowed
TO shoot or disturb them. ] have seen
some prairie chickens, but not many.
There are lots OF cartridges, rabbits and
red squirrels. There is not much fruit
here this summer except grapes, and there
will be plenty Of them. Corn is out in
tassels, but not all Of it. ] expect there
will be plenty OF melons this year. Our
melons did not come up well. Most OF the
wheat about here has been cut and will
soon be ready to thresh.
There is going to be grand Fourth.
There will be q match game Of ball be-
tween the Paola boys and some other
boys. Almost every evening the young
men play ball and we have lots OF fun. Ii
don't get dark till eight o'clock. There
are splendid Fair grounds here; there is a
Fair every year; it has not come yet this
year. They are training horses here now
Tor the Fair next fall ltrainea here near
~ every night last week, md the creeks
are very high. The Wea creek having no
bridge asI knowof itwasimpossibet to ford
it, and nobody could get out to the farm.
Thecreek is lower now. Tho houseispretty
neardone. The plastererSa at work on it,
and We are going TO move as soon as the
house is done. The was q lot OF water in
the cellar but we got it nearly all out,
expect it is nearly full now. We have
lois Of fun fishing and swimming. have
Il good many chickens. One hen is set
ting on duck eggs, another will be off to-
morrow and one more issetting. My pup
got run over the other day by wagon
but was all right the next day. 1t only
run over his legs. guess you will be
tired reading my letter 50 will close.
Yours truly, 4, C,