Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1879-08-29
FROM OUR EXCHANGES.

From the Reporter.
On Friday, Mr.. Crozer, aged 81 years,
while coupling cars in Erie, was caught
between two cars and so terribly mangled
that he died almost instantly.
Mr. C. ]. Ryder, of Oberlin Theological
Seminary, will occupy the pulpit of the
Congregational Church in Kellogsville,
next Sunday morning, speaking upon
'The Needs of Higher Christian Educa-
tion.''
From the Sentinel.
Treasurer Cook is now at Columbus set
tling with the Treasurer of State. The
August settlement shows the following:
Collections for the half year ending August
21st
For State debt or sinking fund, So, 726.12
General revenue fund, 2,980.S1
Asylum fund, 7,452.O0
State common school fund 1851
Total State tax for 1878, 21.617.13
County tax, 9,688.46
Poor tax, 5,961.41
Bridge tax, %, 356.55
Building tax, 3,72615
Town hall hall, cemetery monumont,4 1854
Township tax, 2.915.42
School houses & sch1 purposes, 90, 3,93493
Other special taxes, 2,344.31
Town and village tax, S,964.18
Total county and local taxes, 106, 9078i
The total for the grand duplicate for the
year 1878 footed up to $23S, 039.S6
We understand that Mr.. Bieder finds
that the baking business is not one of prof
it, aud will probably abandon it.
Last Monday-the day of the convention
Landlord Baldwin fed more people than
on any day he has been in the business, ex-
cept one. The Republicans were good ma
tured but mighty hungry.
Mr.. D. A. Crum, the Depot Agent at
Eagleville, proposes to open u telegraph
and express Office at that place.
The residence of Tr. A. E. BealS, at
West Andover, was entered on last Satur-
day, and a number Of articles Of small
value were taken.
COUNTY FA1Rs.-The Annual Fair of the
Orwell Agricultural Society will be held
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of next
week. Sept. Sd, 4th and 9TH. The Ando-
yer Fair will be held the same days Sept.
18th, 18th and 18th; aud the county fair
will be held at jefferson Tuesday, Wednes-
day, Thursday and Friday, Sept. 23d, 24th,
25th and 26th.
From the Jefferson Gazette.
1t is said that upwards Of forty rattle
snakes have been killed on a single square
mile IN Rome township this year.
The only races we were favored with last
Saturday were the human races. The CO.
pious rain made the track too heavy for
successful trotting.
A STRANGE SNAKE SCENE. John D.
Merton, a well-known travelling salesman,
had occasion to drive from Conneautville,
Pa, 10 Ashtabula, via jefferson, on Thurs
day of last week. While driving lelsurely
along through east or southeast Denmark,
Mr.. Merton heard strange sound issuing
from dense underground at the side of
the road. The gentleman got out of the
buggy to investigate the cause of the noise,
being of curious turn of mind. Hitch
ing his horse, he cautiously parted the
bushes, and stealthily made his way into
the thicket some hundred feet; here was a |
spot Of ground about twenty feet in diam
eter, which was such place as one would |
imagine for a fairy's ball room. The sticks |
and brush were all cleared away in the |
space. All sounds were hushed at his ap- !
proach. Mr.. Merton, not to be nOnplused, |
sat down upon log in full view OF this |
arena, and awaited developments. He had |
but short time to wait ere a small striped |
snake darted out Of bunch of grass at the |
side Of the arena, and commenced running |
apn md hng nap T1n "a
little larger soon followed, and then a |
rattlesnake about two feet in length Joined |
in what seemed to be sort of snake jubi- |
lee; every second after that seemed to bring !
a new conner of some kind. 1t was no.
tieeable fact that striped snakes, milk |
snakes, rattlesnakes, blacksnakes, and wa |
ter snakes all joined the LhrOng in the |
greatest harmony. When perhaps 70 or |
80 snakes had entered the space, Il curious |
combination of purring, rattling sounds, |
arose at one side of the circle. A glance |
in that direction diclosed five large snakes |
two rattlesnakes, striped snake, and |
two blacksnakes-laying stretched upon a |
log. The rattlesnakes were shaking their |
ratTles violently, apparently for the amuse- |
ment of the snakes in the ring below. The |
rattles and croaking frogs, which three of
the snakes were trying to swallow, made |
rude music, which furnished very fair |
marching time to the squirming mass of
serpents, and our informant says they kept |
very fair time with the music, their heads |
all swaying in unison from one side to the |
other. The gentleman was thunderstruck |
at the wonderful sight, and could scarcely |
believe il was not a dream. He said to us:
"0f course you will think it an improba-
ble, ridiculous story, as | would myself, |
but my own eyesight is all the evidence | |
want" After watching this scene for per-
haps a quarter of an hour, Mr.. Merton |
thought It would be much safer place cut |
on the road and started 10 move in that di-
rection. No sooner had he made stir /
than the MUSIC uSased, and every serpent
disappearss