Morris tribune., 1880-11-18
Nothing but Snakes.

"Do you want some items about |
snakes9" asked an agriculturally rural
locking gentleman of the Eagles city
editor the other day. r...-....
''It they are tresh. and true" respond
ed the city editor.
Exactly, replied the farmer, .sThese
items are both. Nobody knows 'em but
me. I've got farm down on the island
Near the house is pond about six feet
deep. A week ago my little girl jumped
into the pond, and would have heen
drowned if it hadn't been for snake.
The snake seen her, went for her, and
brought her ashore. The particular point
about this story is the way he did it,"
"How was it2" asked the city editor.
at was 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 swum ashore
with his head and tail. Is that good
item9" .3 4
"First Glass;
"You can spread it out, you know.
After they got ashore the girl pstted the
snake on the head, and it went OF pleased
as Punch. Every since then he comes to
the house regular at meal t1Aes, and she
feeds him on pie. Think yoh can make
anything out Of that itemG' nr
"Certa.nly. Know any more9"
"Yes. I've got baby six months old.
He's boy. We generally sit HIM out on
the grass of morning and he hollers
like bull all day; at least he used to,
but he don't any more. One morning
We noticed he wasn't holler1ng, and won
dered what was up. When we looked,
there was rattlesnake coiled up in
front of him scanning his features. 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 did the baby do9"
"Why, he just ratified that tail so you
could hear it three quarters of mile,
and the snake lay there and grinned.
Every morning we found the snake there,
until one day bigger snake came, and
the baby played with his rattle just the
same till the first snake came back. He
looked thin and I reckon he had been
sick and sent the other to take his place.
Will that do for an item9''
Immensely" said the city editor.
"You can fill in about the confidence
of childhood and all that, and you might
say something about the blue-eyed cher
ub. His name is Isaac. Put that in to
please my wife,"
81 will do it; Any more snake
ltems9'' .sa.rs.
"Lemme see. You've heard of hoop
snakes9"
eyes, often.'' .
''Just so. Not long ago we heard an
awful row in our cellar one night. 1t
sounded like a rock blast, and then there
was hiss and things were quiet. When
looked in the morning the cider barrel
had busted. But we didn't lose much
cider"
"How did you save it9"
sit seems that the slaves had busted
} out, but before they could get away four
hoop snakes coiled themselves around
} the barrel and frightened 1t up and held
| it together until we Grew 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 them fol
shawl straps. Does that strike you favor.
ably for an item9"
Enormously" responded the city ed
itor.
"You can fix it up so as to show how
J quick they were to get there before the
slaves were blown off. You can work in
: the details"
"Of course. TIL attend to that. Do
I you think of any moreS"
81 don't call any to mind just at present
. Ny wife knows lot of snake items, but
l forget EN-. By the way though, I've
, got regular living curiosity down al
my place. One day my Oldest boy wal
| sitting OF the back stoop doing his sums
: and he couldn't get 'em right. He fell
something against his face, and there
/ was little snake coiled up on his shoul
der looking at the slate. In foul
, minutes he had done all them sums
We've tanned him 80 that he keeps all o.
our accounts, and he is the lighteninges
Teller at figures you ever seen. He'll rur
up column eight feet long in three
seconds. / wouldn't take reaper fo
: him."
t "What kind of snake is herr inquired
} the editor, curiously.
/ "The neighbors call HIM an adder
80 yes, yes, -" said the city editor, {
, little disconnected. give heard of thu
: species. When did all these things happen
) Along in the fore part of the spring
but I didn't say anything about 'cn
| cause it wasn't the season for snake item
"This is about the time for that sort o.
thing, isn't it."
: EYES," Clipped in the exchange editor
> "you couldn't have picked out bette
time for snake stories" Brooklyn Eagle