Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1883-05-26
A Tough Snake Story.


A letter from Nashville, Tenn, in the
Louisville Courier-Journal says: A land
prolific in primitive genius is always
prolific of snakes. Snakes of less ma
terial recognition sometimes follow the
march of civilized society. The late
Judge 10 G. Guilds very entertaining
history of ''Old Times in Tennessee is
the best picture of the earliest settle
nent OF the country south OF Kentucky
yet produced; it is Q work which will
grow as the years go by. Judge Guild
was born near what is now the present
site of Erin-on the Memphis & Louis
vile Railroad-in Stewart County, Ten
nessee, about the year 1900. There he
lived and tlourished till 1912, when his
father moved over into Sumner. Near
ten years of age, the youthful pioneer
had most remarkable experience on
his fathers little farm near Erin, which
he gives in his own words, verbatim as
follows:
81 must give you a snake story, which
is part of the history of this country,
and has been handed down from sire to
son.
II had my deadfalls to catch squir-
rels, which was log eight feet long,
with pair of figure-four triggers, to
which was attached an ear of corn to
decoy the squirrel, and while moving
the corn at the end of the trigger, the
log would be thrown, which, to him,
was equal to the French guillotine used
in those days when France got drunken
crime and vomited blood. Barefooted,
l one morning started forth in long
trot, going around the field to examine
my deadfalls. When / got to the far
corner / found one of my deadfalls down
and the tail of a squirrel protruding. l
knew l had him. My entire attention
being drawn to the squirrel i straddled
the log to lift it up, when my naked foot
rested on the broadcast back of the
largest rattlesnake ever seen in Stewart
County. He was as strong as mule
and big round as large yellow dog.
He rapidly threw himself into coil,
and his battle-cry was heard 1 knew
that this meant business. In trying to
extricate myself became entangled in
his coils. He then had elevated me
three feet above the ground, resting
on the broad folds. One of my feet was
hung in his coils, and it was
with difficulty that l eXtricated
myself. In disengaging myself,
/ fell headforemost upon the
ground. There was no time for swap
ping horses or getting upon my feet, so
L rolled over and over until got fly
feet from the scene of strife. Every
time / struck the ground l thought
received bite. Then got up, ran to
the center of the field, and 'hollered' all
kinds of murder which alarmed my
father and mother, who came running
with hoe and an AK, thinking that In
dams, who were troublesome in this
section, had either wounded or scalped
me. AS they came UP still involun-
tarily shouted murder! murder! murder!
They partook of the excitement, and
asked me what was the matter. L could
give but very indistinct account of the
situation, in which / spoke of snake.
Then they were satisfied that had been
bitten by snake, and raised up my
togo, looking for the bite, and asked me
where / had been bitten. l told them l
was bitten all over. They could find
no marks, and wanted me to 60 and
show them the snake. declined to 60
in that direction, but told them if they
wanted to see the biggest snake they
ever laid eyes on, to 90 up to the corner
of the field. / remained, Trembling and
convulsed. They proceeded to the point
indicated, and found the monster snake,
still lying by the dead squirrel He was
of such extraordinary proportions that
it was not prudent to attack him alone.
Billy Rushing and other neighbors were
called in to assist in the killing; five or
more came. A long, forked sapling
was placed on the back of the snakes
neck, and held there by four men, when
my father stepped up with the ak and
cut off his head. We had two or three
large yellow dogs, and the body of this
snake was about as large and of the
same color as the dogs. He was as long
as fence-rail, and had twenty-five
rattles, being that many years old.
When he was beheaded the dogs were
set upon him, and bravely he kept up
the fight. He would throw himself into
O coil, and with the stump of his neck
strike the dogs, knocking them eight or
ten feet. When the dogs came out of
the fight they were as bloody as butch
ers. He was such an extraordinary
snake that the neighbors concluded to
carry him home, but were unable to
drag him. The oxen and cart were
sent for, and with the aid of handspikes
he was rolled into the cart His skin
was stuffed with bran, with the head
attached, and it was hung up by the
walls of the house as trophy, such as
the scalps that hang from the girth OF
the Indian warrior"
This was large snake, but he came
forth in the time that tried mems souls.
He, like others of larger growth, how
IN TIC wall aIlthpp-