Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-06-09
At THE HEAD OF HIS CLASS.
a Colorado snake Story that Lays
over Them AN,

ONNE Ahcun All.
"Bln' FernSworth, formerly of Pugh-
town, but now of Colorado, sends us
the boss snake story, and William can
take the entire bakery. Three men
went 8 fishing and got into much heap
of snakes. Here's what followed
One Ofthe party had not been tam
gled with Morpheus long, until he was
awakened by something choking him,
N feeling, found his strange collar
was cold and Shiny. 1t was a very fine
specimen OF the black species, which
was girdling his throttle in anything
but loving embrace. The monster was
soon dispatched, aud the party We're
about TO lie down again, when they
found by the aid of the dying embers
and the assistance afforded by the
quarter moon that they were literally
surrounded by the vemOm-tOuguedt trail
ers. Two otthe party proposed to de-
camp for a
mo=e CoDEenial Cline.
but when about to leave the rock they
found themselves trampling on a living
STA Of SrrVeut,. The Kissing and rafting
became more audible, and it was but a
few minutes until il was rs loud as or
binary toned voices. The men, finding
they were thus surrounded, broke
branches from the stubby under
growth OF pines and commenced lash.
Jug the writhing sea Of dartiGg, Kissing
snakes. Realizing that they had an
all night job, they added fuel to the
fire ami secured the largest sticks OBJ
taiEable and commenced the killing in
earnest. The light and noise seemed
tn awaken the whole barren waste intoa
Tempest of Kissing and I;aItIinS.
Each Legan the slaughter with re-
doubled VlgOr, vaInly trying to light
their way to the stream, some hundred
yards away, down q slanting hill. They
would gain a few PAGES Of the distance,
only 10 be driven back again to the
rock. The rafting and kissing became
- loud that their voices were not audi
something four or five wheat operators
in operation at one time. 1t was terri
bile. The hair IN their heads was stand
ing upright and stiff like the wires on a
patent hair brush. Their hands and
arms were blood stained to the elbows,
and the stencil from the snaky battle
field was siCkeming in the extreme.
One hour after the first snake vas killed
no less than five thousand lieslain, and
they kept coming thicker and faster.
The Sound
became more hideous and soon the
moon disappeared and the three fisher
men felt that hell had sweeter charms
than the place it seemed their fate to
die in. Two of the men were bitten
and their legs and arms began to swell
and pain badly and they frequently had
10 rest and permit one to do the killing
of three. The hours wore slowly by
and the slaughter was kept up as best
they could. At last morning came and
lifted the curtain of night from an APP
palling scene. For fifty feet feet al
around the huge rock lay a heap of
stunned, Sguirming and dead snakes.
As far a. they could see all around the
barren waste Nas a Seething tide of rep
tiles that came toward the rock with
maddening fury. Concluding that they
might Is well carr death by a dearer
fate, they made ready to run for the
stream thinking if they gainedth other
side they would have u better chance to
care for their wounds.
Leaping a. Far ~ Possible
from the rock they ran frantic, strug-
Cling, bitten and wild with pain, they
plunged into the water and reached
the other side, completely overcome by
the terrible ordeal just passed through,
and after some time bandaged their
bleeding end swollen limbs.
They describe the snakes As being Of
all kinds, such as adders, vipers, cop
perheadS, rattlers, milk, house, green
and black, and among them were two
hoop snakes and a racer, which they
declare was no less than twenty-five
feet in length. Colorado whisky must
be immense, Bill.
All this happened on Cottonwood
creek, near Leadville. The men are
next door neighbors to Bill, in Colorado
Springs, and at this writing are getting
aions admirably.-Hncock Co"Ticr.