The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1880-07-09
A TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE.
Adventure with. Monster Rattle
snake i'm a Mine.
Tombstone (Arizona) Epitaph.

/
Tombstone (Arizona) Epitaph.l
DR.. Bartleson, Of this city, had quite
thrilling experience last week. While
at Secorro on business he thought he
would take look at the mines near
town. The object of interest is the old
mine have forgotten the name
worked ages ago for aught anyone now
living knows, and which has two shafts,
one recently reopened to a depth of
| fortyfve feet, where drifts indicate the
| first level. No explorations beyond a
few feet from the depth named have
been made, though it is evident that the
two shafts mentioned are connected at
this level. DESTROYS of jaunt under
ground, and at the same time expressing
astonishment that none of the miners of
the camp or owners of the mine had
worked up sufficient curiosity to extend
the discovery, the doctor was loweredinto
the shaft. Emerging from the bucket, a
taper was lighted, and the drift along
the vein entered upon. A chamber
10x12x8 was soon entered by crawling a
distance on all tours. after an examina-
ton of which and the selection of some
ores the tour of discovery was continued.
To proceed it was again necessary to
crawl, and the doctor once more as
sumed the infantile position of locomo-
ton. An advance of few feet had
been made, when a cold, clammy sub
stance was touched by the hand, and
two bright, glistening otbs gradually
rose in air and flashed back with in
tensifed brightness the feeble rays of
the taper Almost instantly kissing
the doctor realized that he had encoun-
tered rattlesnake. To retreat was the
work of a second, and the chamber just
left was soon regained. Assuming an
upright position, the doctor cast a
hasty glance at the aperture from
whence he had emerged, and 10! and
behold, there approached his adversary,
which, when seeing the disturber of his
quiet, coiled himself for spring. A
look was sufficient to satisfy the doctor
that the snake was one of the largest of
his species and determined foe I'm
mediate action was necessary. To re-
treat was to invite and hasten the at
tack, with the chances in favor of the
snake. To take the aggressive, then,
was the work of another second, and,
picking up chunk Of ore, the doctor
hurled it with all his might at the pro-
truded, vibrating head Of the snake just
| as he was in the act of springing. The
exertion Of throwing the ore extln-
guished the taper, and the horror of the
then situation can well be imagined but
never accurately described the dark
ness, the dread uncertainty of the To-
cality of the reptile the torturing ig-
norance of the success or failure of the
blow, the fear to move, all combined to
intensity the hair-raising, chilling ter
ror of the situation. To relight the
taper was determined upon, though not
without the realization OF the dread fact
that the snake would take advantage Of
the first ray of light and spring upon its
foe. With fear and trembling the doc
tor eagerly followed the advancing rays
of the taper as they lit up the chamber,
and his feelings of relief and Joy can well
be imagined as he saw stretched before
MIN, not three feet distant, the stunned
body of the snake-the aim with the
rock had been success. At this time
the doctor bethought himself of his re-
volver, and, placing it near the reptiles
head, efectually dispatched him. The
snake was six feet in length, very large
around, and numbered nineteen rattles.
The doctor had explored sufficiently, and
regained the surface as soon as possible.
We imagine his hair is a shade grayer
than before going to Secorro.