Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-08-12
SN Az Il 8.
First.Class Stories.

DO you want some items about snakes?'
asked an agriculturaliy rural looking gentle
man OF the Eagles city editor the other day.
city editor.
Exactly" replied the farmer. ''These items
are both. Nobody knows 'em but me. got
farm down en- the island a piece and there's
lois of Snakes On 1t. Near the house is a pond
about six feet deep. A week ago my little girl
jumped into the pond, and would have drowned
Il 1t hadn't been for snake The snake seen
her and went for her and brought her ashore
The particular point about this Item is the way
How was IT." asked the city editor
IL was black snake, about thirty feet long.
ard he Just coi!ed the middle Of himself around
her neck so she couldn't swallow any water
and sWum ashore with his head and tail Is that
good itenl?"
- First Glass;
-" You can spread 1t out, you know After
The mead, and 1t went Off pleased as Punch.
Ever since then he comes to the house regular
as meal tines, and she feeds him on pie
inlbk you can make anything out OF that
Certainly. Know any more?r
." Yes; l got baby SIX months old He's
morning, and he holers Ike a bull all day: at
Il ast lie used TO. but he don't any more. one
mo- nil We Noticed he wasn't hoilering, and
wondered what was up. When we looked. there
was rattlesnake coiled up in front OF him
scanning bis features. The boy was grinning
al q The snake was grinning. Bimeby the snake
,ufhed MS tan TO the baby and backed his rattle
rig ht into the baby IS fist
What cid the baby do?'
why, he Just ratified that tail so you could
lay there and gfinned. Every morning we
found the snake there. until one day bigger
snake came. and the baby played with his rattle
looked thin ana reckon he mad been sick, and
sent the other TO take his place. viii that do
Tor an item?"
"Immensely,'' replied the city editor.
80 You can fill in about he confidence n child
hood, and all that, and you might say some
thing about the blue-eyed cherub. His name is
Isaac. Tut that in to please my wife"
IN do IL. Any more snake items?"
g L. mme see. You've heard OF hoopsnakes ?"
Yes, often"
Just So Not long ago we heard fearful
row in cur cellar one hight. 1t sounded like a
ROCK bIaSt, and then there was hiss ana things
was quiet. When looked III the morning the
cider-bsrfel had oursted. But we didn't lose
much cider"
How did you save 1t?"
1T seems that the slaves had bursted out
but before they could get away four hoop
snakes coited around the barrel and tIghtened
1t up ard held ii together until we drew the
CiGer off in bottles. That's the way We found
EN-, and we've kept EN- around the house ever
stree. Were Training 'em Tor shawl-strapS
ncW. Does that strike you favorably for an
item?"
- Enormously" responded the city editor.
" GU can flN 1t up so as to show how quick
they was to get there before the slaves we're
blown off. You can work in the details"
"Of course; I'll attend to all that Do y0u
think OF any MOre?"
Amt you got enough? Lemme think. O.
yes! one sunday me and my wife was going
10 chulch and she dropped her garter some
Where. She told me abOuJ It, ard noticed
little stripped snake running alongside and lis
tering 10 her. Bmeby he made a spring and
just wound himself around her stocking or tiled
10, but he didn't fetch It,"
why n0t?"
lie wasn't quite long enough. he tumppa
Gown and shock his head and started OF. We
hadn't gone more,n quarter OF mile when We
see him coming out OF the woods just ahead OF
US. He was awful hot and tired and he had ar.
other snake With him, twice as big as he was.
they locked at ms wife minute and said some
went right to the place where the garter be-
ionged. BE wrapped right around it, put his
tail IN his mouth and Went to sleep. We got
him yet. We use him to hold the stovepipe To-
getler When we put the stove up Is that any
use as an temp
"Certainly,' said the city editor
snakes eyes for distances and his Intellectual
tty, when he found he wouldn't 60 round. You
know how TO do that better than me-"
III give him all the credit he deserves. Can
you tell us any more?"
81 don't call any to mind just at present. MY
wife knows lot OF snake items, but forget 'en.
BY the way, though, I've got regular living
curiosity down at my place. One day my Oldest
boy was sitting on the back stoop doing his
sums. and he couldn't get 'em right. He felt
something against his face, and there was
Ing at the slate. In four minutes he had done
all them sums. We've tanned him so he keeps
al our accounts, and he is the lightningest cuss
at figures you ever seen. He'll run up column
eight feet long in three seconds / wouldn't
take reaper for him.
o. What kind of snake Is he?" inquired the
City editor, curiously.
1.-The Helghbors call him an adder"
o yes! yes.' said the city editor, little dis
coLcerted I've heard OF the species. When
did all these things happen?'
AloIg in the fore part Of the spring. but
dent say anything about en-. cause il wasn't
tie st ason for snake items. This is about the
tine for that sort OF thing Isn't it,"
Yes, Clipped in the exchange editor; You
ccul1n't have picked out a better time for snake
Stories"
Alvin Dexter Vert, aged GO years, committed