Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1880-07-08
A SNIKEY STORY.
The Adventure efTvyO Pennsylvania
BARK PecIers.

Two bark peelers, Jason Oortright aud
Hiram Kirby, made a singular discovery
in the woods near High Knob, Peunsyl-
vania, recently. They had poen peeling
bark in Monroe county, Pennsylvania, and
were returning to their home in Delaware
county, New York. Between Monroe
county, where Lbey We're working, and
High Knob, the country Is an almost
unbroken wilderness, there beng few
clearipgs aid the road is a very lonely and
crooked one. They left tho bark woods
where they had been laboriug. curly
in the morning, and nothing marked their
progress for some time, when they were
startled by a fierce. rattliug noise, like
that made by rsttlesnaSe kirby, who
ii an old lumberman, having lived his
entire life among the mountains of Della
ware county, New York, appeared wholly
indiff 4rent, and told COrtright they wonld
hunt the RATHER ana despatch it. Stepping
to one side of the r6ud iuto the thick
underbrush, Kirby felt something strike
his bootleg Jumping back and casting his
eyes in front of him, he discovered a
monster rattlesnake cooled and ready to
spring, The man reiterated few steps,
and, picking up several missiles,
approached to within few feet of the
reptile, which was still basking i'll The sun
shine, and succeeded in killing it, 1t
measured nearly seven feet, and hud IL
rattles. Kirby it'd hickory withe about
| the reptile neck, and tho 1wo luubermen
continued on Their way toward home.
| They had gOue lass tpsu Il fourth of a
mile when they were again atarlled by a
rafting noise. Believing there was a
| rattlesuake den not far distant, they con.
| cluded to change their course somewhat.
| They went to rho left of the road aud iu
| the direction of the 'Knob" Every STEP
they took seemed to bring nearer to the
noise and they hailed and, being tired, sat
down upon an elevated piece of ground
to rest. While thus scented several rattle.
snakes passed through tie brush, few
feet in front of them. This aroused the
travellers, for they knew there was ne
longer any doubt that they were in cl1st
proximity to a snake deD. Stepping t.
the edge of the knoll and looking TOWARD
the bottom sight the like of which They
had never before met their gaze. CoileC
| upon STONES and sticks were scores o.
rattlesnakes. Cortrlght, who had bite
dislike for snakes, suggested to his com
panion that they retrace their steps ant
leave the snakes uudisturbed. Kirby
however, persuaded his companion t,
open warfare They gathered a heap 0
stones and opened the battle. With tn
dropping of the first stone among tt
reptiles the noise aud din that went u
was almost deafening. The two lumber
men continued TO pour volley of mi,
siles into the den until what snakes the
, had not killed had made their escape int
, | the rocks and underbush. The victor
! then gathered up the dead snakes TIL
killed numbered 10, measuring from 81 t
/ - feet in length. Cortright and Klrb
then proceeded on their way houe. rh
den is an old and noted one. being the Oh
+. at which the late Sam" Holms, Gel,
I brateG snake tanner, used to capture man
t of the reptiles he exhibited throughol
: the States. Many are killed at this de
0 every summer. .--4