The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-09-30

One of the characters of this village -
a venerable man named Uncle Jonn
Hurr, who settled here more than lily
years ago, and he takes great pleasure
in relating incidents and stories of pioneer
times. Last evening there was quite a
large party assembled under the naples
and the conversation turning on snake
stories, ex-Sheritf Piatt, the proprietor
of the hotel, asked Uncle John to tell
the strangers something about how
plenty rattlesnakes were fifty years ago:
Il fear you would not b'leeve me,
said the veteran, ''if | was to tell you
what | have seen the snakes do"
SIS it true that rattlesnakes were so
plenty on these mountains once that the
settlers had to fire guns in the evening to
brighten them away and prevent them
from swimming the creek?"
That fact" replied Uncle John,
''but | can tell you something stranger
than that about the pesky varmints."
Lets have it, all hands exclaimed
at once.
"Jist keep quiet an I'll tell how a big
blacksnake once treated me-"
"Well, once, about forty-nine years
ago, l went up on that mountain one
afternoon for huckleberrieS. They were
very plenty in those days, and SO were
the snakes. l carried q small basket,
and it was not long before | bad it well
filled with very choice berries. l sot the
basket down by big stone and was jist
reachin, for some more berries when
heerd terrible trashin' in the bushes,
an soon | seen the head of a snake
comm toward me. | knew it was a big
black racer at once, an as l always car
ried stout hickory stick | prepared to
give battle if it tackled me;' and Uncle
John took off his spectacles and wiped
the glasses,
"What did it do?n inquired Judd, the
miller.
"What did it do? Why, it jist sailed
up to my basket, and seizin' it in its
mouth sailed off through the bushes
holdin' it as proudly as if it had gath
cred every berry"
Now, Uncle John, you don't mean
that the snake carried off your basket of
huckleberries in its mouth?" said Billy
Sweatman, the minstrel, who was one
of the summer visitors.
Il jist mean that" replied the pio-
neer, as he brought his stout cane down
on the platform with a thwack that
made the boards crack. ''An' that's not
all; Pm not done with that snake yet. y"
Lets have the whole story" said
Billy.
"Well, l didn't like the idea of losin'
my basket, an so [ gave chase to the
racer; an the way we thrashed around
among the bushes for half an hour was
a caution, the snake holdin' my basket
all the time in its mouth. Finally | got
near enough to hit it blow on the back
as it was crawlin' over log, and that
settled it."
did you get the basket?' they all
asked
Yes, Stree; but had to pry its jaws
open with stick before it would let 90
of the handler
"Was it big snake?" inquired the
village blacksmith.
"A big snake! 1t Just measured nine
feet long, and was as thick as young
saplin',' said Uncle John, as he pointed
to maple about four inches in thick
ness. And then he removed his specta-
Giles and leaned back in his chair like a
Congressman after voting for some big
bill.
General H. w. Farley, a candidate for
Congress in this district, happened along
before Uncle John had finished his snake
story, and became an interested listener.
Everybody knew him, and they all de-
manded that he should tell a story.
The General took a seat, and, remov-
ing his spectacles, began by saying:
''When | was up the Sinnemaponing
Greek last Hinter, lOokin' for timber,
discovered 3 black bear coming down
the mountain pretty fast not far from
where | was standing, and, supposing
that something had frightened him | did
not attempt to hide or climb o tree, as
thought he would keep on. But | soon
discovered that he was mad, and that |
had made a mistake, for tbs moment
that he discovered me he gave a growl.
and opening his mouth very wide, rushed
at me. | had no weapon with me but a
stout pOcket-knife with long blade,
and hurriedly opened it, determined to
sell my life dearly if the ferocious beast
attacked me. | didn't have towait long
before bruin came up in front of me,
and, rearing on his hind legs, prepared
to embrace me. As he reached out his
paws and undertook to hug me. jumped
around to his back, and, showing the
knife-blade into his neck, drew it clear
down to his tail, cutting him so COM
plete!y in two that he fell apart at my
feet. There was powerful pressure on
that knife-blade, boys, but it saved mer'
Fruit Run Cor. Philadelphia Times.