The true northerner., 1880-05-14
WHOLE NO. 1872.
A LEADVILLE YARN.
RArrLEsNAxrs IN ARIZONA TERR1roR

Leadvllle Chronicle.
Talk about snakes, remarked an old 'front.'
iersman, In conversation with a Chronicle re-
porter few evenings ago, there are more
snakes in Arizona than ever existed in Ireland
before good old ST, Patrick came along and gave
them the grand bounce. Why, have been ey-
erywhere; waded Southern swamps when |
would have to stop minute. with the water up
to my chm, to allow OF a drove OF water -mocca-
SINS or cotton-mouths to SO by; up in tbs far
Northwest and British America have lived like
fighting cock, and to the Queens taste for
weeks at a time on snake steak, but saw more
rattlesnakes down in Arizona last summer was
year ago than ever before in my hfe, all put
together. Down there they don't go in pans,
clusters, or drove, but in columns, Just for the
world like the children OF Israel got up and
tramped ou; OF Egypt, with Moses and Aaron
IN the van, and Joseph, with hls circus coat,
bringing up the rear. and frend were over
ia the Tombstone country, among the hills, on
a prospecting tour. There were raitlesnakes
all around us, bat they did not seem 10 DO very
savage. We would scare them up riding along,
and they would sneak away from our track like
coyotes. One day, about two O'Clock in the az
terpoon, we were taking hill and as the as
cent was very steep, our horses would stop ev-
cry few minutes to blow. Long before we got
10 the summit we heard strange NOISE, or Jar
son OF noises apparently just on the other
side ami il we had been sho: the next minute
we could not have told from whence il eman-
ated. Why, il was worse than the average
church choir Well, we got 10 the top after a
while, the noise increasing every step we took
up. BY the ime we had got there il had be-
come little short OF terrific, and looking down
over the side we saw sight that took the cake.
On little plateau OF perhaps fifty yards d.
menslons, about seventy five feet below us, was
regular rattlesnake reunion and concert. The
ground and stones were just yellow with hem,
and If there was one there were al least 0.00O
snakes in the gang. They were OF all ages and
sizes, and how they enjoyed themselves The
two Oldest king pins or the crowd were N the
centre, and the other snakes were al gathered
about them. Each and every snake bad coded
himself up in such manner as 10 allow their
tails and ratties good play, and they were all
rafting away as II for wages, and their wicked
tongues were dartng oot and IN keeping up
accompaniment to their tails. We looked at the
racket for about minute and then With an sw
full flourish the rafting stopped. The two old
snakes reared their heads at least three feet Off
the ground and looked all around over the field
in manner indicative OF a general O battle
ground. After Surveying the situation and ap-
parently seeing that every member OF the snake
combination was ready for business, they sound
ed note by way OF tuning up, and then tbs
whcie crowd commenced their concert again.
X took them about ten minutes to finish one
tune. and we must have watched them through
al least half-dozen. After while got tued
Of the business anc rolled a rock down 10 The
crowd. This broke up the meeting without de
lay, and, as several of the snakes were crushed
% death, the others set up an avr1l rafting
and crowded away to their respective dens
have been among snakes ali NY life, but this
was the first snake concert ever bad the privi-
!ege Of attending