The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-08-12
SNAKE STORIES.
Some Of tne Summer Crop.

Gathered by the PhlladcIpha Iln's'
John Clarkson, while hunting few days
since on the dividing line between Lebanon
and Schuylkili counties, Pennsylvania, shot a
hacksnAke measuring ten feet IN length
joseph c. Smith ii harvest hand Of Lower
Mount Bethel, Northampton county, Penn, a
few days ago, stumbled over backsnake in
a wheat field which measured over eleven
feet.
A st Paul man has seen serpant "as big
rs l2-ycar old boy"
The Holldaysburg Pa) .Stdhdard says that
IN Sinking Valley, Blair county, snakes are
very plentiful this year. and acres Of them
nave been killed, averaging from three to six
feet in length.
Mrs Samuel Patterson, Of Lettcrkeny,
Franklin county, Penn, was confronted few
days ago by big RATHER. She ana not scream
once, but went to work with biz stick aud
soon had the reptile killed. He had four
raltles.
In the Office Of the Brady CreX) Sentinel are
eleven rattles, taken from Il snake that at.
tackled lady who was riding horseback over
the prairie, As 1t sprang at her she rclned
her horse to one side, and drawing her rcvolv-
cr mt the same time shot the snakes head oil.
Frank Stailer, Of Chester Springs, Chester
county Pa, came across "a monster black
snake IN mis- wheat field last week. 1t was
about ten feet long and rs thick as mans
arm. Mr.. Satler was afraid to singly attack
the monster, So he drove the reaper over 1t at
4 rapid pace and cut 1t to pieces.
Margaret Kane little girl Of Mauch
Chunk, Pa, stepped upon copperhead while
IN her bare feet, and in an instant lis tangs were
driven into the calf OF her leg She was stu
pei,d with liquor, and u live toad MAS bound
on the wound for the night. In The morning
the toad WAS dead, having absorbed all the
poison from the wound, and the HE OF the
little girl was saved.
Mrs Benjamin Ritter, of Srasburg Frank
In county, Pa, heard strange noise like
Kissing from what she supposed to be her
hair switch she was about adjusting. 1t was
a small blaCksnakc, and her pressure upon it
caused 1t to lightly coil about her arm. BY a
desperate effort she threw il to the floor with
such force as TO stun II, and then taking q
poker she beat It's life out
John Bossler, OF Donegal, Lancaster county,
Pa heard the warning rattle OF a rattlesnake
while working in his harvest,tield, but paid
no attention to 1t. A moment afterwards he
stopped down to pick up sheaf of wheat
when an immense RATHER struck HIM on the
hand He sucked the poison from the wound,
drank three pnts of whisky, and took a pow.
criul emetic, and at last accounts was doing
well.
Mr.. Fronaberger, q sectlOnmaster on the NJ
& &. railroad, living near Troy, Ga, had tor
some time noticed signs of large snake
along the road, and finally concluded to carry
his gun along. He followed up the plan for
some time, and one day discovered what he
supposed to be a bunch of snakes summing
themselves on a log lie up with his gun and
fired and monster about ten feet alghtened
himself out and made tor the swamp gobbling
like a turkey.
Squire Clouser, of New Bloomfield Perry
county, Pa, set a box trap for squirrels at the
foot of his cherry tree. A squirrel sprang the
trap aud left room for mouse to enter. A
coppernead snake followed the mouse H. and
after swallowing the mouse and squirrel was
so much increased In size that 1t could not get
out The consequence was that the Squire
was exceedingly surprised to see the Kind OF
game he had captured, and narrowly escaped
being bitten by the snake
Jury Commissioner Chambers, of Franklin
township, Westmoreland county, Pa, Is an
old church member, and has long enjoyed an
unblemished reputation for veracny. The
commissioner says that while he was on his
way to Greensburg last Saturday to draw a
Jury for the August term of court, accOmpa-
MED by Deputy sheriff Sarver, they saw some
thing black lying acrossi the road that they
thought at first was black stick, but, noticing
that it moved, they bounced upon 1t with their
walking sticks, and after a brisk fight of five
minutes were victors over blacksnake meas.
uring ten feet SIX inches in length.
Mr. Reuben Lcngle, of West Hanover, Dau
phin county, Pa, one DAY last week while on
the Blue Mountains, north OF Granville, hunt
ing young squirrels, saw squirrel on tree
IN which there was a hole, and very soon
large blacksnake came from the hole, and he
promptly shot it.. 1t measured seven feet
three inches IN length and contained fifteen
eggs BY the time this was disposed OF an
other one came suddedly from the hole showed
a disposition tor a combat, but Mr.. Lengle
with the rifle barrel Of his gun, took Its head
off. This one measured six feet five inches
Mr.. Lengle thinks it he had not killed it 1t
would have attacked him anu his companions
The snakes were skinned and the SKINS pre-.
served These large hlacksnakes seem TO be
f, d of squirrel hunting.
The Engineer Corps on the OIL City and
Chicago road have met with singular OBJ
struction that have delayed their works con
sit,erably, II being nothing more or less than
the great number of rattle and cnpperhead
snakes along the line of the survey. So nu'
merous are these snakes that the chief engl'
neer has been compelled to eagagc extra help
and he informed the reporter that on Friday
last they ran into den Of ut least "a hundred,
and it took at least two hours before they
could be killed or frightened Off and that
during the engagement thirty.eisht were
killed, all bat nine of them being copperhcads,
and some OF them of unusual size
The Turkish Ultima