The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1881-05-27
Some Snake Stories.

Mr.. Calkins, a gentleman on his way
to La Crosse, from Sabula, had three
pets in a box which he was taking home
as a 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 were viewed by hun.
dreds of people. They consisted OF
three species of snakes, the venemous
rattler, the blue racer, and a garter.
Mr.. Calkins found all three coiled low
ingly together and in 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 became the more
frequent were their split tongues ex-
hibited. The rattlesnake was the live
liest in the party, and kept moving
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 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 a bar
of iron, and could bring them back to
life by the least bit of warmth. While
viewing the snakes the spectators en-
gagged in snake stories which were high
ly interesting. 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
rattlesnake summing itself. At first
they wanted to club it to death, but
having heard that mountain ash placed
upon a snake would cause it to pass into
a dead state, they wished to satisfy
themselves. Securing large limb of
ash they poked the old fellow under the
nose and he died as slick as a whistle
He didn't seem to know what struck
him. Previous to the time he smelt of
the ash he was kissing, rattling 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 q blue
racer, but none of the bites proved fatal,
and he didn't believe q racer was poi
sonous reptile. His hearers were well
aware that they didn't prove fatal, but
think that man Is liable to say most
anything.
A man with freckled face and sun
burnt nose told about the wonderful
joint-snakes he had killed on his farm
near bellevue. 81 tell you, gentlemen"
he said, "them's the snakes which am
snakes. Hit 'em with q stick, and every
hit makes a dozen snakes. One day |
was walking in my field with rake
thrown over my shoulder Loollin'
down, / seed snake run between my
legs. / come down with the old rake,
and burned if that old snake didn't un-
Joint 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 / made another hit again
they dissolved partnership and each
joint padded its own canoe. watched
'em again, and burned if they didn't
come to me again hitched together.
While / was thinking felt something
under my shoe, and loolsin' down / seed
one of the joints squirmin' and trying
to get away. / then knew what was up
and hurried home to tell my boys. We
all came out, but the snakes were gone
and 1 haven't seen any since" He re-
Gently took the pledge. For fear that
an honest man might come along the
party adjourned, Dubuque Times.
There is sort Of Lenten affinity be-
tween the haddock and the hassock.