The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1880-05-20
a SNAKE STORY.

+ ,AS}.$5gis q ONAh = O1Un1s $1 .5G.t5 /
Monsters Twenty Feet in Length in In
dana. Furious Attack Of Black
Snake on Yearling Colt. =. a,
"a. RS: Cinctnrati Commercial = II
= Large finds of snakes come about as
regularly in Indiana as does the epripg.
III other words, springtime seems to be
prolific of snake finds, and many rich
leads are struck. Of:all the turnouts of
aatheads, racers, rattle, water, and 9th
or species Of snakes reported from this
section of Indiana, there have been
none that have equaled the one report
ed to tho Commercial correspondent to-
day. And there never was q snake-find
anywhe 9 which caused a more dread.
full, dangerous hattie than did this one.
Mr.. joshua Mills, a farmer, lives in
the extreme northwestern part of this
or the southeastern part of Grant Coun.
ty, pesr the junction of Delaware,
Grant, aud Madison Counties, and about
fifteen to eighteen miles from this city.
Day before yesterday he was cleaning
up patch of deadening on bis farm.
The day was balmy and pleasant. At 10
o'clock in the forenoon he had ready for
burning three or four heaps of brush, and
when about ready for doing SO he con-
eeived the idea Of cremating an old log
hog-pen, which stood near by. a hum
dred feet distant was q we'll which was
uncovered. was operated by deep
bucket attached to. q pole, and was
used for watering stock. A hundred
feet or 50 further on was q large, shall
low pond OF stagnant water, surround
ed by willows, and dead flags, and
coarse grass. The surrounding coun-
try is low, wet, and swampy. The hog
pen was fair specimen of ye olden
time sty,-roomy, with log flooring laid
on the ground and the structure resting
on large logs imbedded in the earth.
After determining upon burning the
hog-pen, on account of many rats, liz
ards, etc. he had seen about it, and
because ofits having done duty 60 long
as to become a pest, he At once proceed
ed to carry brush and throw into it. He
worked an hour at this. When he had
almost com p1eted his work, and was in
the ACT of picking up the scattered
limbs and throwing them into the pen,
he VS. startled at seeing MONS
trous watersnake crawl out from under
the logs and start off toward the pond.
Mr.. Mills told the Commercial cores.
pondentis informant that this snake was
not less than fourteen or sixteen feet
long and about eight inches in diane.
ter. He wasso completely dumbfound-
ed that he could not move for q mo.
ment, but finally ran towards the ser.
pent, and with clubs succeeded in turn
ing its course away from the pond. He
then ran to the house for his gun. an
old-fashioned musket. When Mr.. Mills
returned the snake was not to be found.
He then fired the truck in the pen, and
started around firing the other heaps,
laying his gun on the ground not far
from the hog pen The burning of the
brush on the sly attracted to the scene
horse and colt, the latter q yearling,
which were runlrg loose in the clear
ing After q lapse of probably tweuty
minutes after placing fire to the hog
pen: Mr.. Mills heard disturbance
among the horses, which were standing
near the fire. He looked up. The ami
mails were $50 yards distant, The first
thing that attracted Mr.. Mills attention
WAS the old horse kicking upward with
his hind feet as if wild. The colt was
stamping, with his front feet. Finally
the old horse kicked high in the air and
ran, and at the same time something
like y long rope whirled into the air
and fell to the ground. Mr.. Mills saw
there was something wrong going on,
and ran with all possible speed to where
the trouble was. The horse which had
ran away stood off 100 yards distant,
''whickering." The colt paved the
ground terribly, and it was not until Mr..
Mills wss right at the place where stood
the colt that he comprehended the sit
uation. Around the body of the colt
were almost two coils of large snake
Its tail was three or four times wrapped
around one front leg, and it's head bad
moved its coils around the colts body.
The colts eyes protruded. it's breathing
was hard, it paved, prAnced, and cavort-
ed around as if in the very thoes of
death. Mr. Mills had no knife with
him of sufficient size to cut the rep:
tile in twain. He hadn't time to
60 and get one, for the colt would
die in q half.minute's time. The snake
was slowly tightening it's coils, on either
side of it the colts flesh protrouded,
showing the terrible strength of the
twist. Mr.. Mills took in the situation
at q glance. He must burst the reptile
with club, and to do it very quick,
too. He, sprang towards stake lying
on the ground, and just as he was pick
ing it up q whirr whirr was heard
from behind, and, looking up, the fork
ed tongue of q murderous rattlesneke
presented itself!
The FIRE was go intensely hot there
that it scared the rattleenake, and it
seed on and away. But then the col,