Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-05-07

A Taylor county, Ca, negro killed q rattle =
snake last week which sported Is rattles and
button.
In Blue Ridge. Va, recently. a black snake
secured In It's coil a young rabbit, but the
mother rabbit attacked the reptile with such
persistency that he sought safety Ia hight and
the loss OF a dinner.
A man IS years OF age OF Evergreen. Ala IA
IN pitiaole condition and slowly dying of
raltesnake bite received while he was herding
cattle on the Texas plains In August last. Be
my hlg lar rom medical AID, the poison permested
Els entire system.
Already this season u black snakes have
netn Killed on the farm OF stephen Coonradt az
hoogs Corner. Rensselaer,. county, n. ", ana
the Iocks appear 10 be alive with them. on
Sunday So heads were counted, proiarttnS
through the cracks. Last year Jog snskes we're
Killed on the same spot.
To avoid rattle snakes supply yourself when
going iuto the hills with piece OF moautain
ash. gentleman or yeracity unauestioned
says that while crossing fed last summer he
saw very large snake Stunning himself. He
pokt d the old fellow under the nose with his
ash stioS and IL apparently died short time
after the removal OF The stick the snake re-
turn ed 10 lie ard began vigorously TO Rattle,
squirt aud hiss Another dose OF the Rsh
Strengthened It out apparently nfeless as be
fore
A gentleman at Dubuque, Iowa. had rattle
Sne he. blue rsCef. and garter snake Ia
toX, all three coiled ovinyy together aud In a
G matose state. Their bodies were as hard as
rocks and they appear, d as though all life had
Uetu lltL-b OUT Cl lnpm. Inc warm SuuSnlne
soon revived them, and the rat Ter showed signs
or crawling out OF his old coat the new dress OF
yellow Shining through the dried and worn
one The gentleman threw q shoyelfui or
snow over the reptiles, and they Instantly
Strengthened out as S.r and apparently as
dead % any other oeuuct snakes By apply
ing some warmth again they became as anil
mated and dangerous as ever.
A cat belonging TO a Mr.. Willis, or oldham
county, KY, remained away from home erM
hours at time daily, and uron search being
made II was seen sitting ia kind CT recess
under rock In the woods II would sit sun
for time, then walk over 10 strae objeI near
IL In the hole and rub its head against II. puT-
ring most contentedly. This object was Il und
TO be large black snake. IL was curled uI IN
ring, and when the Cat would approach IL the
snake would thrust up Its head 10 receive the
cats caresses- This continued for about half
an hour, when the cat evidently grew weary,
and, after turning around several times 10
insure comfortable position, lay down beside
the snake and was soon fast asleep. Tue next
him TO witness the strane spectacle. The
maneuyers were repeated. Al ength they re-
solved TO Kill the snake, ana did So This seemed
to completely overwhelm the Cat Wit grief, and
1t us y to VISIT the rock daily, as usual or sew
eral Jays, without, however, finding on, what
had oscome OF Its companion.
The driver OF the Virginia and Bodle stage
coach, George FinDey. tells some very clever
snake stories, but the following. OF his expe-
rleDce last season, must be taken with some
degree OF allowance. He says that hoops ana
II
is dangerous 10 leave the coach, and he thinks
II wonder that he has not lost his team before
this. In coming In one day last summer he
drove into lot OF snakes that literally covered
the center OF the road for aoouL five
hundred yards He could not turn out,
so he sent the silk into the horses
and dashed through on a dead run. How
the team escaped Injury puzzled Lin. one dig
hoop snake about ten feet long that was lying
In the road, as soon as IL heard the coach com
Ing, uncoiled itself Just as the team was passing
a Ep wifi IT,
spiked, bony tan at the body or the nigh
wheeler, but missed him and struck the pole.
The force OF the blow was so sudden that the
tail was driven into the hard wood some three
inches The snake. being unable TO withdraw
II, was dragged along for about 100 yards, when
II was killed by one OF the wheelers stepping
on IL and breaking OF the spike. The venom
Gus reptile gave frlghtful yell, denoting pain
mingled with rage, as IL expired, and before
reaching the next station the wagon pole was
swollen up as big an ordinary saw log while
poison was dripping out from under the irons
at each end like green sap from a freshly cut
sapling.