The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-08-26
Some Snake Stories That Can BE Re
lied Upon.

"Do you want some items about
snakes?" asked an agricultural-looking
gentleman of the Brooklyn On. -
Eagles city editor the other day..
eff they are fresh and true" re-
sponded the city editor.
Exactly" replied the farmer.
These items are both. Nobody knows
'em but me. I've got farm down on the
Island piece and there's lots OF snakes
on to it. Near the house is a pond
about six feet deep. A week ago my
little girl jumped into the pond and
would have drowned if it hadn't been
for a snake. The snake seen her and
went for her and brought her ashore.
The particular point about this item is
the way he did it,
How was it?'' asked the city editor.
at was a black-snake, about thirty
feet long and he just coiled the middle
of himself around her neck so she
couldn't swallow any water, and swan
ashore with his head and tail. Is that
a good item?'
First-class."
"You can spread it out you know.
After they got ashore the girl patted
the snake on the head and it went off
pleased as Punch. Ever since then he
comes to the house regular at meal
times and she feeds him on pie. He
likes pie, Think you can make any
thing out of that item?"
Certainly. Know any more"
"Yes. I've got baby six months old.
He's a boy. We generally set him out
on the grass of a morning and he hollers
like a bull all day, at least he used to,
but he don't any more. One morning
we noticed he wasn't hollering and
wondered what was up. When we
looked there was a rattlesnake coiled
up in front of him, scanning his feat
ures The boy was grinning and the
snake was grinning. Bimeby the snake
turned his tail to the baby and backed
his rattle right into the baby's fist
"What die the baby do?"
"Why, he Just ratified that tail so
1 you could hear it three-quarters of a
mile and the snake lay there and
grinned. Every morning we found the
snake there, until bigger snake came
and the baby played with his rattle just
/ the same till the first snake came back.
He looked thin and reckon he had
been sick and sent the other snake to
take his place. VIII that do for an
/ item?'
Immensely" replied the city editor.
"You can ill in about the confidence
of childhood and all that and you might
say something about the blue-eyed
! cherub. His name is Isaac. Put that
in to please my wife"
"I'll do it. Any more snake items?'
"Lemme see. You've heard of hoop
snakes?''
Eyes, often"
just so. Not long ago we heard a
fearful row in our cellar one night. 1t
sounded like a rock blast; and then
/ there was hiss, and then things was
quiet. When | looked in the morning
i found the cider barrel had busted.
But we didn't lose much cider
How did you save it?'
at seems that the slaves had busted
out, but before they could get away
four hoop snakes cOiled around the bar
rel and frightened it up and held it in
together until we drew the cider off in
bottles. That's the way we found 'em,
and we've kept them around the house
ever since. We're training 'em for
shawl-straps now. Does that strike
you favorably for an item?"
Enormously" responded the city
editor.
"You can fix it up so as to show how
quick they was to get there before the
slaves were blown off. You can work
in the details"
"Of course; IN attend to all that. DO
you think of any more?'
Il don't call any to mind Just at
present. Ny wife knows lot of snake
items, but | forget 'em. By the way,
though, I've got regular living curiosity
down on my place. One day my eldest
boy was sitting down on the back stoop
doing his sums and he couldn't get 'em
right. He felt something against his
face and there was little snake cOiled
up on his shoulder and looking at the
slate. In four minutes he had done all
them sums. We've tanned him so he
keeps all our accounts and he is the
lightningest cuss at figures you ever
seen. He'll run up a column eight
feet long in three seconds. | wouldn't
take a reaper for him.
"What kind of snake is hep in
quired the city editor, curiously.
1.-The neighbors call him an adder. ,
80, yes! yesr' said the city editor, {
little disconnected. "Pve heard of the
species. When did all these things hap
penn"
"Along in the fore part of the spring
but didn't say anything about EN-
cause it wasn't the season for snake
items. This is about the time for tina
sort of thing, isn't it?''
:" Yes" Clipped in the exchange ed
itor, 'you couldn't have picked out ;
hotter tine for snake stories =