Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1880-05-06
A RattleSnake Concert.

"Talk about snakes" remarked an
old frontiersman in conversation with
a Chronicle reporter 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, l have
been everywhere; waded southern
swamps when / would have to stop a
minute, with the water up to my chin,
to allow of drove or school of water
moccasins or cotton-mouths to 90 by;
up in the far northwest and British
America [ have lived like fighting
cock and to the queens taste for weeks
at time on snake steak, but saw
more rattlesnakes down in Arizona, last
| summer was year ago than ever be-
fore in my life, all put together. Down
there they don't GO in pairs, cluster or
droves, but in columns, just for the
world like the Children of Israel got up
and tramped out of Egypt with Moses,
and ArOn in the van, and Joseph, with
his circus coat, bringing up the rear.
/ and friend were over an the
Tombstone country, among the hills on
prospecting expedition. There were
rattlesnakes all around but they did not
seem to be very savage. We would
scare them up riding along, and they
would sneak away from our track like
coyotes. One day about 2 o'clock in
the afternoon we were taking hill, and
as the ascent was very sharp, our
horses would stop every few minutes
to blow. Long before we got to the
summit we heard a noise, or rather jar
gon of noises, apparently on the other
side, and If we had been shot the next
minute, could not have told from
whence it emanated. Why, it was
worse than the average church choir.
Well, we got to the top after while, the
noise increasing every step we took up.
By the time we had got there it 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 dimensions, about
seventy-fve feet below us, was regular
rattlesnake reunion and concert. The
ground and stones were just yellow
with them, and If there was one there
were at least ten thousand snakes in
the gang. They were of all ages and
sizes, and how they enjoyed themselves.
The two Oldest king-pins of the crowd
were in the centre, and the Otner
snakes were all gathered about them.
Each and every snake had coiled him
self up in such a manner as to allow
their tails and rattles good play, and
they were all rattling away as if for
wages, and their wicked tongues were
darting out and in. keeping up an ac-
companim ent to their tails. We looked
at the racket for about minute, and
than with an awful 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 gen.
eral on battle-ground. After survey
ing the situation and apparently seeing
that every member Of the snake COM
bination was ready for business, they
sounded note by way of tuning up. and
the whole crowd commenced their con-
cert again. 1t took them about ten
minutes to finish one tune, and we
must have watched them there through
at least half dozen. After while |
got tired of the business, and rolled
rock down into the GRO Rd. This broke
up the meeting without delay, and, as
several of the snakes were crushed to
death, the others set MP an awful rattl-
ing, and crowded away to their respec.
tive dens. l have been among snakes
all my life but that was the first snake
concert / ever witnessed"