The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1882-06-01
Oobham's Rocks.
n Snake Story and a Love Story.

|
Pennsylvania, can be seon miles away.
In itself il is lonesome place, A great,
gloomy pile of ponderous rocks rising
grim and bold above waving branches
ot oak and hazel bushes; above stretches
the sky, blue rs the sky of June; below,
hundreds Of feet almost, straight down,
grand sweep Of water lies Graded be-
tween steep mountain sides. Far away
down the valley the river is dark with
the shadows of the great hills; and far
beyond in ha2y waves of grandeur the
outlines of the Alleghenes lose them
selves in broad belt Of crimson sunset
| To lend an additional adherence to
the gloomy pile in the minds of the peo-
pie, nature infested the rocks with rat
tlcsnakes Hundreds upon hundreds of
the reptiles swarm about the holes and
| hollows OF the sombre monument, null
tiplying year 10y year, until the number
is almost beyond conjecture. An effort
was once made to destroy the snakes by
burning the leaves and brush across the
mountain. A man who stood on the
| top of the rocks 10 watch the effect as
the flames swept up toward the summit,
said that years after the occurrence the
scene REQUIRED to him in his dreams, and
will waken him from the deepest sleep
| with thrills of horror. AS the fire was
borne upward hundreds of snakes,
driven from the bushes and shallow
holes by the smoke, rushed over the
| ground TO hole which seemed TO lead
directly into the center of the largest
rock of the pile The snakes, nearly
frantic from fright, darted into the
hole one after another with remarkable
rapidity, the big ones forcing the Others
aside and monopolizing the means of
escape. AS the fire drew nearer the
rush of snakes became greater. 1t was
perfect stampede of reptiles. The ut
most confusion took possession of the
escaping things; big snakes Kissed de-
tiancc at the approaching flames, but
did not stop moment; little snakes
darted under small stones and pieces of
fallen logs, only to be driven out again
by the heat. One monstrous serpent, in
trying to crawl through the hole in the
rock, stuck fast, half of his body hang
ing outside, The other snakes squirm-
cd about the struggling victim of his
own size ia frightful way, striking at
the detenseless tail and writing togeth-
er nearly foot deep as the fire crowd
ed them against the wall of stone The
fire swept up to the summit with rush
and as it came upon the living mass it
seemed as though thousand snakes
leaped high in the air and struck fierce
ly at the bursts of flame, only to fall,
writing and helpless, into the fire. The
sight of the air full of snakes and fire
proved too much for the lone spectator
and he rushed down the mountain in
breathless haste.
In the days when love was young at
the McWilliams homestead rattle
snake from Gotham Rocks led young
woman to choose husband from
among many Suitors. A party of young
people, retiring from basket picnic on
the island, stopped on the hillside to
gather wild flowers. Two young men
and young woman sat down on q
large rock to rest In reaching out his
hand to bed OF moss, one of the young
men touched something cold and clam
my Instinctively he knew that he had
placed his hand upon rattlesnake
At the same instant the snake was dis
covered by the other young man and
the young woman. Both screamed and
ran from the spot. 1t was critical mo-
ment, but the first young man proved
equal to the emergency. Knowing that
if he moved his hand the snake would
sting him to death he pressed his arm
downward with all his strength at the
same time reaching into his pocket for
a knife, Before he could open the knife
with his teeth the snake had wound it.
self about his arm.
Run and help him. screamed the
young woman to the young man by her
side. $50 Kill the snakcr
The young man, however, had really
no desire TO die but remained at a safe
distance and shouted Justify for help.
"Tll 60 myself" exclaimed the young
woman, springing forward
Her services were not needed. Pale
TO the hips with the pain caused by the
tightening folds Of the snake, the young
man coolly cut OIL the snakes head with
the knife which he had opened between
his teeth. The snake was nearly six
feet in length and was so strong that the
young mans arm was black and blue
for month afterward.
The sequel need not be detailed. The
young woman accepted the brave young
man and both have lived happily to-
gether ever since. The snakes skin,
cured and stuffed, occupies a shelf in
their parlor The other young man,
driven desperately the young woman's
choice wandered away westward. He
is now serving out term in the Kansas
Legislature Philadelphia Times.