American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1881-07-23
Thrilling Adventure With Snakes.

The Ballston Spa (N. " correspondent
of the Saratogian sends the following graphic
account of recent battle with black snakes
at Snake Hill. 1t would seem that the old
hill still deserves its name:
Gone day last week two farm laborers
were sent to cut poles for scaffolding near
the foot of Snake Hill, ON the eastern side of
Saratoga Lake, and while there had n narrow
escape from being poisoned from the bites OF
black snakes. As none of the parties wish to
have their names brought to the notice Of the
public, they will be omitted, and their ad-
Ventures only will be told.
"Wishing to get the best timber possible
for their purpose, they sought the southern
side of the hill, near the waters edge, where
the poles could be found the straightest and
tallcst. After telling number Of poles
they proceeded to pile of loose rocks, and
there sat down to eat their dinner. The
spot chosen was very much exposed to the
heat of very hot sun, and they were in the
act of stepping down from the stones to
seek a more shaded spot, and while doing
so some of the stones ratified from their rest
ing place and rolled down the bank and fell
with splash into the water. Hardly step
had been taken from the stone heap when
the head of black snake was seen to Oar,
stones. One of the men secured o
stout club and stepped up to dispatch
the serpent, while his friend rolled
the stone to one side with a pole which he
found at hand. While in the act of striking
| the snake, and as if by magic, the heads OF
snakes were seen to dart from every open
ing in the stone heap, followed by their
bodies, and, with heads erect, their eyes
flashing, and their tongues darting forth
from their extended jaws, they made hor-
rible sight to behold. In an instant the
ground was alive with the crawling, writh-
ing creatures, who, as II by human instinct,
surrounded the two men, who were nearly
paralyzed with terror, but, realizing that
something must instantly be done, with up
lifted clubs they showered blow after blow
upon the now thoroughly angered snakes,
which sent them flying in all directions,
as they were with every stroke of the
clubs caught up and thrown into the air.
"One of the unfortunate men, in his ex-
ecftement, had not noticed several of the
snakes which had crawled in his rear, and
not until he felt the cold and Shiny body OF
the reptile around his neck did he realize
his horrible position. Shrieking to his COM
panion for assistance, he struggled to tear
he coil from his neck, and did not succeed
in doing so until the snake had bitten him
once under the right ear. FIinging the
body from him and nearly fainting from
exhaustion, he again took up his
club and struck to the right and left,
killing a snake with every blow.
His companion, while stamping the
head of a snake, suddenly felt some
thing crawling up his left leg underneath
his pants, and. glancing down, he
discovered to his horror that a large black
snake had taken refuge there. Before he
could grab it by its tail the animal had Bit
ten him near the knee. With a fling the
serpent was flung far into the lake. The
snakes, finding the two brave men were one
too many for them, after about an hours
battle, and as If by preconcerted signal,
made for the rocks and disaI peared, not,
however, before several of them had been
killed. The men, finding themselves the
victors, proceeded to examine their wounds
and, after attending to them, proceeded to
count the dead snakes, which amounted in
numbers to eighty-seven, the longest of
which number measured seven feet and
eight inches in length.
"Among the number was found a blue
racer four feet in length, several large spot
ted adders, and one large white snake,
nearly five feet long, and some portions OF
its body as large round as a horse's knee.
This snake was shown to the writer, and was
found to be Of q snowy white color, with
several small blue spots near its head. Men
are going to cover the stone heap with
brush, and, after surrounding it with men
armed with shotguns, set fire to it and pro-
coed to exterminate the snakes. So far the
two have experienced no bad feelings from
the bites. Luckily they had on heavy coarse
boots, as several fangs of the snakes were
found imbedded in the thick leatherO