The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1881-06-09
Some Snake Stories .

Mr.. Calkins, gentleman on his way
to La Crosse, from Sabula, had three
pets in box which he was taking home
as present to gentleman who has a
private museum. He had occasion to
stop off at Dubuque, and the pets were
placed in front OF Jaeger " Romberg's
store, where they We're viewed by hun
dreds of people. They consisted of three
species of snakes, the venomous RATHER,
the blue racer, and q garter. Mr.. Calkins
found all three coiled lovingly together
and in q comatose state. Their bodies
were as hard as rocks, and they appeared
as if all life had been frozen out OF them.
When the sun shone upon their bodies
life returned, and the warmer they be-
came the more frequent were their split
tongues exhibited. The rattlesnake was
the liveliest in the party, and kept NOV
ing about and darting his head against
the wire covering the cage. 1t could be
seen that he was just about to crawl out
of his old skin, as his new coat Of yellow
shone brightly through the dried and
worn one. Mr. Calkins stated that by
throwing a shovel of snow over them
they would straighten out and pass into
the spirit world, and apparently be as
dead as door nail. He has on several
occasions frozen them as stiff as bar Of
iron, and could bring them back to life
by the least bit of warmth. While view
ing the snakes, the spectators engaged in
snake stories which were highly inter-
esting. One gentleman claimed that
piece of mountain ash would do wonders
to knock the life out of any snake, and
not by pounding it either. To prove
this assertion he stated that several
years ago in Mayor Bush's field, Frank
Bush and himself saw large fat rattle
snake summing itself. At first they
wanted to club it to death, but having
heard that mountain ash placed upon n
snake would cause it to pass into dead
state, they wished to satisfy themselves.
Securing a large limb of ash they
poked the old fellow under the nose and
he died as slick as whistle. He
didn't seem to know what struck
HIM. Previous to the time he smelt of
the ash he was kissing, rafting, and
playing quite bluff game, but the ash
fixed him In few minutes after that
wood had been removed, the snake re-
turned to life, and was the same active
old fellow, and as saucy as ever. Hav-
ing satisfied their curiosity, they beat
the life out of the reptile and resumed
their work. Another gentleman said he
had been bitten three times by a blue
racer, but none of the bites proved fatal,
and he didn't believe a racer was a poi
sonous reptile. His hearers were well
aware that they didn't prove fatal, but
think that man is liable to say most any
thing.
A man with freckled face and SUM-
burnt nose told about the wonderful
joint-snakes he had killed on his farm
near Bellevue II tell you, gentlemen"
he said, "them's the snakes which am
snakes. Hit 'em with a stick, and every
hit makes dozen snakes. One day I
was walking in my field with a rake
thrown over my shOuldr. Lookin' down,
1 seed snake run between my legs. 1
came down with the old rake, and burned
if that old snake didn't unjoint itself and
run in fifty different directions. was
confused and didn't know what ter do.
BY and by seed all the jointers comm
toward me, and as they met. all hitched
together and pulled one way. They
came directly to me, and as 1 made an
other hit again they dissolved partner
snip anu each Iolnt pauuIeu its own
canoe. watched 'em again, and burned
if they didn't come to me again hitched
together. While was thinking, 1 felt
something under my shoe, and lookin'
down l seed one of the joints squirmin'
and trying to get away. l then knew
what was up, and hurried home to tell
my boys. We all came out, but the
snakes were gone, and we haven't seen
any since" He recently took the pledge.
For fear that an honest man might come
along, the party adjourned.-[ Dubuque
Timac