The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-09-22
WHERE SNAKES ARE PLENTY.
Numerous Stories about the Reptile
Gathered from Many Sources.

Gathered from Many Sources.
At Alma, Kansas, a man named
Schultz fell dead of heart disease, caused
by fright at O snake.
The little son of Henry Leafs, of Pat
tersburg, Kansas, died recently from
the bite of q r~attlesnake.
Willie Archibald, ofBrook6eldTown-
ship. Ohio, ten years of age, died from
the bite of a oopperhead snake.
A son of Joseph Thompson, of Butler
county, Kansas, died a horrible death
from the bite of a copperhead snake.
Five Italian w~oodcutters near Chero-
kee, New Mexico, set a lot of wire
nooses to catch squirrels, and found in
one trap an immense rattlesnske with
sixteen rattles.
When Lizzie Haefer, sixteen years of
age, ,'of Fountain City, Mimi, was bitten
by q rattlesnake, they killed a chicken
and bound it upon the wound, but it
did not save her life.
In Reading, Pa, a copperhead snake
thirty seven inches long was found to
contain Lightweight young snakes, all
alive, and four to six inches in length,
when it was killed by james F. Hinkle.
Mrs. Wistman, of Walkerton, Ind.
while picking huckleberries, was at
tackled by an enormous b~lacksnake,
She seized the reptile tightly about the
neck and screamed for help. The snake
was seven feet in length.
Zach Mansfield, Of Hart county, KY,
while moving in a wheat field came
upon a huge yellow and spotted snake
some ten feet long aud six inches in
diameter. The snake chased him, and
he had lively work to save himself.
There is or exhibition at Dallas,
Texas, the photograph of a rattlesnake
recently killed in a garden at Farmers
vile. 1t has the counterfeit present.
ment of a child's face clearly traceable
in the hide of the snakes head.
A lively fight between a blacksnake
and q rabbit, at Blue Ridge, Va, grew
out of the snakes attempting to dine
upon the rabbits young. She bit the
reptile until it was compelled to release
its prey and crawl into its den.
a. L. Patty, while riding On horse
back in the Santiago canon, came upon
a rattlesnake in the road, and had just
taken his foot from the stirrup when
the snake struck, Embedding its fangs in
the stirrup leather. Mr.. Patty killed
the snake. which was one of the largest
of its species, its body being as thick as
a mans leg.
William Drake, of Marlborough, N.
Y, while in the mountain near the viii
lage, came upon a rattlesnake, who i'm
mediately showed fight. There was no
chance of escape for Mr. Drake. Keep
ing up an incessant rafting, the snake
struck at Drake repeatedly, but in every
instance he managed to avoid its stroke,
and in halt an hour killed tbs reptile.
It measured six feet five and .one-half
inches in length.
Bowling Green, Ky, has the cham
pion spotted snake. II. B. Wilkins
killed it while cutting grass. 1t mea-
sured nine feet seven inches in length
by eighteen inches in circumference.
Dissection revealed twenty-three eggs,
two full grown and eight half grown
rats, two young rabbits. four chickens
and six partridges. The snake was
skinned and stuffed. Four and a quar-
ter bushels of bran were required for
the operation.
John Geer, of Basket Station, Pa, has
killed over one hundred mathematics
within the past three months. He al
ways carries a crotched stick. When
he comes upon a snake, be carefully
places the crotch over the reptiles neck,
Just back of the head. Then, if he de-
slres to keep the snake alive, he removes
the poison by the aid of instruments
made tor the purpose. He has a regu-
lar process for abstracting the oil from
the bodies. The oil is very valuable,
and sells readily for 81 per ounce. 1t is
said to have great curative powers.