The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-05-01
A Snake Concert The Old Frontiers.
mans Story.

"TALK about snakes,'' remarked an
old frontiersman in conversation with
Chronicle reporter a few evenings ago,
sthere are more snakes in Arizona than
ever existed in Ireland before good old
St. Patrick came along and gave them
the grand bounce. Why, have been
everywhere; waded Southern swamps
when would have to stop minute,
with the water up to my chin, to allow
of drove or school of water-moccasins
or cotton-mouths to go by; up in the
far Northwest and British America I
have lived like a fighting cock and to
the Queens taste for weeks at time on
snake steak; but saw more rattle
snakes down in Arizona last summer
than ever before in my life, all put to-
gether. Down there they don't go in
pairs, clusters or droves, butin columns,
just for the world like the children of
Israel got up and tramped out of Egypt
with Moses and Aaron in the van, and
Joseph, with his circus coat, bringing
up the rear. | and a friend were over
in the Tombstone country, among the
hills, on prospecting expedition. There
were rattlesnakes all around us, 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 two
O'Clock in the afternoon we were taking
a hill, and, as the ascent was very steep,
our horses would stop every few PAGES
to blow. Long before we got to the
summit we heard a strange noise, or
rather jargon of noises, apparently Just
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
awhile, the noise increasing every step
we took up. By the time we had got
there it had become 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-five feet below us, was
regular rattlesnake reunion
and concert. The ground and
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 en-
joyed themselves! The two oldest king
pins of the crowd were in the center,
and the other snakes were all gathered
about them. Each and every snake
had coiled himself up in such manner
as to allow their tails and rattles good
play, and they were all rafting away as
if for wages, and their wicked tongues
were darling out and in, keeping up an
accompaniment to their tails. We
looked at the racket for about minute,
and then 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 a
General on battle-ground. After sur
veying the situation and apparently see
ing that every member of the snake
combination was ready for business,
they sounded note by way of tuning
up and then the whole crowd com
menced their concert again. 1t took
them about ten minutes to finish one
tune, and we must have watched there
through at least q half dozen. After
while got tired of the business and
rolled a rock down in the crowd. This
broke up the meeting without delay,
and as several of the snakes were
crushed to death the others set up an
awful rafting and crowded away to
their respective dens. l have been
among snakes all my life, but that was
the first snake concert ever witnessed. ~
I-Leadnlle (CbL.) Chronicle.