The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1883-09-01


binary way with bag was simply lmpos-
sblc. But he did not despair OF killing 1t
and securing the skin. So waiting until
the head of the reptile came within pistol
range, he fired a shot at 1t.
Both men testify that they heord rush
as of mighty wind, and the serpent had
disappeared.
Walt Sunderland, however, was so struck
with the value of this prize that he went
back to Chicago and quietly organized a
company OF trained serpent men who were
accustomed to handle snakes, and then he
quietly returned to Joliet. THIS time the
party were thoroughly equipped with all
the appliances and they made straight tor
the Indian mound. On the I'd Of August
they encamped and proceeded TO business.
They remained there just one week with
out seeing the monster. But they found
! indubtable evidence OF his work. The
bones Of the large mammaIia were strewn
about the base of the mound, and they
found what they believed to DC the en-
trance to his lair IN circular opening
worn smooth, of about two feet in diane
ter, at the southern base of the mound.
Alter vainly endcavoring 10 coax his
lordship out they came 10 the conclusion
that they would have To dig into the
mound to get him, and finally gave up the
hunt in despair, returning to Chicago, with
the exception of one Ira Fleming, who
lived IN Joliet This man returned the
next day and renewed the watch.
IL Is his remarkable statement that led
to the exploration of TIE mound on the
18th. Professor Baird Lauson, Of Ottawa,
and Colonel John Hemingway, Professor
of Biology in the Michigan OntologIcal
Institute, feeling convinced that the re-
ports were based on something more than
the tanciful fears of the men, instituted a
thorough exploration of the mound.
Colonel John Iemmlngway's report Is
one of the most remarkable that has ever
been made in relation to this interesting
branch OF natural history.
He saws that the base Of this mound is
of prehistoric drift, and that in the cut
which was made they discovered q com.
plete cast of serpent IN what appeared to
be dctritus OF PlutOnlc stone artitiClally
compacted. The inference was inevitable
that the builders of this mound were pre-.
historic men and were serpent worship
pers, a conclusion that accords with all the
theological and antiquarian researches so
far on this continent. But careful exam.
inatiOn of the cast with the microscope
also convinced them that it had been made
by the form Of a living serpent.
This cast is exactly fifteen feet long, and
bears the marks of the constructive and an
nular movements of the imprisoned snake
That the animal had been imprisoned in
some fetish ceremony no one doubted,
especially as the symbolic markings
showed only too plainly such ceremony
IN operation, and one rude drawing made
by flint in red sandstone portrayed a ser
pent and woman In conversation.
Colonel Hemingway in brief gives it
as his deliberate belief from all the facts
collected that the original snake was bur
led while in a torpid condition, and with
that amazing defiance of conditions which
Is occasionally observed IN toads that have
been buried in rocks, it survived the race
that had imprisoned it and at some time
escaped.
Tle incredibllity OF the subsequent
that the original snake that was
buried and the present monster are one
and the same, disappears under cool, sci
entific examination. 1t is shown that SER
penis live to enormous and lncalculable
ages when the conditions are favorable,
and that their ages can be calculated by
the muscular rings of their BODY and their
length in feet The growth is so amazing
" slow that it Is believed that forty foot
boa IN the London Zoo is over 5000 years
old. The estimates based on the reported
length of the Illinois snake make the age
a trhe Cuer 5000 years.
These facts taken together have led
Colonel Hemingway to the HYPOTHESIS
that this serpent may indeed be the orig
inal fellow who caused SO much mischief
to the Mosaic account, and further explor-
atoms of the mound it is believed will
place this matter beyond all doubt.
The interest of scientists and theOiogians
has been exclted to the highest point by
The work now gong on at Joliet and it has
been found necessary to obtain guard
from the Governor to keep away the ex-
cited Swans from the mound.
In the meanwhile the people in the
vicinity of Joliet and Lyttleville, who be-
lieve that the original enemy of mankind
IS cavorting round their neighborhood, are
n pitlahle state of CONSERVATION.