Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1882-08-31
4 Delaware, Snake.

btidN tit NitN HIS sifIOtutI 81 u>dtipAi.
and this time it is one that is positively
startling if the story told is true. There
can be no doubt, however. of its correct
ness. inasmuch rs it is vouched for by
James Cheeseman. said TO be "a gentle
man beyond reproach and of unim-
peachable character" That gentleman
states that while driving leisurely along
the road from Delaware City to st.
Georges. on Tuesday morning last, he
was suddenly startled. while on the st.
Georges causeway near Dragon Greek.
by the appearance of large reptile
coming down the road directly toward
him nj rapid pace. As the moving
mass approached he discovered it was Il
huge black snake at least twenty feet
long and about foot in diameter, as
near as could be judged by the
hurried glance he gave the .'varmint."
Before the loathsome creature reached
him he gave his horse cut with whip
Just as the snake made a jump for the
animal The horse sprung to one side
and started on dead run, apparently
terribly frightened The snake missed
its aim. but struck the front wheel of
the carriage stunning blow, breaking
ont nearly every spoke and making the
vehicle tremble and cant dangerously TO
one side. Mr. Cheeseman did not sue
coed in stopping bis horse until it
had run about mile, when he looked
back. but saw nothing of the horrible
reptile. which he describes as being
covered with large scales.
Charles Brown and his wife, while
blackberrying in the same vicinity last
week. were chased by the same i'm
mense creature, but by dint of hard run
ming they succeeded in gaining place
of shelter
The existence of the snake is well
known. and gentleman who does not
care. from mOdesty. to have his name
appear, very reluctantly gives an eNpe-
rience he passed through about ten days
ago. He started out blackberrying in
the marshes along the bank OF Dragon
Creek, carrying with him also shot
gun. Feeling tired about noon he con-
Guided TO rest awhile and began to make
his way TO an old log. rs he thought,
about twenty feet distant, to take a seat.
Upon approaching what he believed TO
be fallen tree, the object moved slight
". when he discovered it was not log,
but an immense snake. on which were
scales about the size of soup plates. In
stinctively he fled as rapidly as the ma
ture of the ground would permit. leav-
ing his gun behind. Finding he was
not pursued he glanced back and saw
his snakeship moving slowly away, and
although he believes he saw the middle
of the creature first it was fully five min
utes before the tail passed through the
bushes
a cracking noise followed in the
wake of the snake. and small trees
shook as the creatures tail swayed from
side TO side. Gaining courage. the
Gazette informant secured his gun and
started after the snake, which had dis
appeared in the woods. After travel
ing about a mile the hunter came in
sight of the trunk of an old hollow oak.
about fifty feet high and two feet IL
diameter, from the top of which pro-
truded the head and almost ten feet OF
the awiullest thing | ever saw" as
our informant remarked. Its head was
about the size OF a nail-seg and of a
glossy black color. its forked tongue
shooting ont venomously fully a foot.
accompanied by Kissing sound re-
sembling escaping cam from n loco
motive. The hunter took aim and
fired, the load of shot striking the snake.
the shooter thinks. two feet from the
head. Tue lead failed TO make any
impression. but dropped to the ground
tlattened out. A shot from the second
barrel resulted the same way. The last
report. however. seemed to anee- the
snake. and il started out OF the top of
the tree, lis fire-like eyes g.eaminc in
the sunlight. The man al once let.
looking around when some distance of