Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1879-08-13

Il see, said Judge Smith Acker, as he
mopped his bald head with a red and black
silk handkerchief, THAT some papers de
vote good deal of space TO snake stories.
It's good plan, for people like to read
about snakes. There is curious fascina-
tion about the creatures. whether in the
body or in print Now, | have had some
experience with snakes, principally rattle
snakes, and it was not in Pike county, Pa,
either. Iowa used to be no bad place for
snakes, and I'll tel. you little experience
| had one summer and fall, a good many
wears ago. in Iowa. | went out to Milleray,
late in August, to shoot prairie chickens
Ten or twelve miles from Dubuque is a
regular Young Ireland. The towns are
called Garryowen, and Terry, and Bally-
clough. and Milleray. The people are,
most of them, Irish, and in Milleray there
is big monastery, where an Irish order OF
the monks OF La Trappe have a colony.
They own thousands of acres of land, and
are receiving as inmates or Brothers, rs
they call them, great many of the young
men around there Well, to get back to
NV snakes. went out TO shoot chickens
and put up at the Twelve-mile house. II
was then a well-known inn, right on the
road to Pixies Peak, and kept in good style
by Lem Litton, mighty good fellow. /
remember he had couple of pretty daugh-
tiers and bright son, and | hear one Of the
girls has become a nun and the boy is a
Brother Well-snakes oh, yes. 1t
was nv first season there, and Litton said
to me, Judge, you must look cut for snakes
on the prarie. Wear boots always, keep
your flask filed with whisky; and, look
here: See this weed, and he pointed to a
small plant about ten inches high, of pale
green color. and evidently species Of cac-
tus. for the leaves were smooth, with little
thorns on the edges. That is the snake
weed, and if a rattler does get his tooth in
to YOU, Just fill up with whisky, chew some
of that weed, swallow the juice, and put
the pulp on the bite That II fix you.
sTWell, sir, did find snakes, rattlesnakes,
lots of 'em. My pointer usually let me
know where they were. and sometimes
they'd let me know by their shrill rattle.
I'd seen snakes in Steuben county, Ohio,
spotted fellows. but these were unlike any
I'd seen, being almost perfectly black, moi
very large. but very active. | killed seven
teen snakes and three chickens the first day
I | was Out-not that the chickens weren
thick. but the snakes were thicker and at
tracted more attention.
1.-The next day, while working over 1
wheat stubble where gang OF men wer'
shocking wheat that had Just been bound,
I heard A veil. One of the irishmen had beer
bitten bv a rattler that was under a shea
: of wheat, and had fastened in his arm as h'
picked it up. The poor fellow was scarce
10 death most. out with my flask Ii
held plump pint), and he put it to his lips
and when ne took it down it was empty
Then we started him on run fer the hotel
| | looked for snake weed, but not blad'
could | find. believe that's usually th'
way-you can't find ii when you want 1t
We got the man. whose name was Martin
something or other, to the house, and ther
filed him UP with more whisky. At mrs
il didn't seem to affect him, and tbs arm
kept swelling and got black. But by NIB,
Martin began to get happy; then he go
hilarious; then fighting drunk, and final
w he fell off his chair, dead drunk. III
was saved. The next day he was out witt
his arm in a sling, and found him over i
that same wheat stubble slowly waiklnl
around, and gazing intently at the ground
What are you looking for, Mart : asked
He looked up, winked slylY, and drawle,
out Faith, sur, Dim looking for the boi
of a shnake.' / took the hint, and CAV
him a good swig of whisky, without putin
him to the trouble of getting bitten by
rattlesnake in order to secure it.
The children around there used to kl
the snakes and pull off their rattles. b
tying a thread around the centre OF the rat
ties, making loop at each end OF tn
thread. and twisting it slowly around tn
fingers. so that the thread would rub har
against the flesh, the rattles would vibrat
and sound a remarkably natural manner
In the district school on the prairie ther
, was young woman just from the east VIII
, was dreadfully afraid of snakes, and it wa
| cheerful habit of the young ones, whe
r thev wanted holiday, to get out their raj
: ties behind their desks and set them whil
: ring. Why, they used to scare the life OF
; of that poor girl, who would gather up h'
: skirts and scoot for home at the first RATTLE
The little devils used TO vary their perform
ance and render it more realistic by leavir