The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-03-07
Snakes and Csnno. se,se.

Generally speaking al Of rs hste
snakes. and our first natural impulse
when we sec ono d 10 kill il. Whether
the snakes Of our time arc ineal de-
scendents OF the original Satanic ser
pent, or not, Is . question difficult to de-
eide; certain IL Is. however, that the
prophesy concerning the seed of the
woman. "it shall bruise thy head" has
verified itself up to this time. a. if the
snakes had the devil IN them still a5Gl
Last summer was in Q harvest field
where q farmer was at work with 3
reaping machine, and number of men
were binding the sheaves, around an
acre of grain still uncut, when one of
the men started suddenly from his work,
and running over the stubble. shouted
with great excitement, Here's black
snake! come on, boys; here she goes:
here she goes" The farmer stopped
his horses. and quietly looked on. while
the binders. each in frantic haste,
rushed from their separate sections"
two of them through the standing
grain-and with clods, stones, or with
anything they could throw, soon
.'bruised'' not only the head. but the
whole body of the snake into 3 shape
less mass. Alter. . lively discussion
about how the snake was first seen.
show she did run. and who struck
''her" first, the hands returned to their
work, aud the farmer again started his
horses, whether with the satisfactory
mental conclusion that his place was
rid Of q deadly enemy. or with the re-
Election that his men had taken valu-
able time to kill what would have never
hurt them, did not ask.
This is an incident of very common
occurrence. and seems to illustrate the
feeling against snakes. That this is
caused more by an ignorant and foolish
fear of the ''serpent's TOOTH than by
any welkfounded evidence Of injury.
and that the black and garter snakes,
which are most frequently found on the
farm, are not only innocent, but really
useful and inexpensive helps to the
farmer, little unprejudiced notice by
him would abundantly prove.
The common black snake, "horse
runner" (?) is one of the ''slickest" fell
lows to go through the grass ever seen;
his wonderful anatomy Of backbone and
muscle ma>es him the most compact
sample of sinuous strength in all crea-
ton; and is magnificent curvilinear
movement will des Iibe all o. Hogarth's
lines of beauty in two seconds! Snakes
are sneaks. but it is Just their superior
sneaking abilities which make them the
farmers best detective police force.
who can captu and put out of the way
the 70 lbers of his fields. mr.
The short-tailed field mouse. chip
hunks and moles, are increasing yearly
to su h an extent that it won't be long
before they take from Us the growth on
cur fields as effectuallv as the chinch
hug or grasshopper. The bllck and
garter snakes feed chiefly On these YER
min. L ey can catch them with
clever smartness which an army of men.
W tn dogs and mattocks. could not
equal. The snakes can follow and find
their game, above or under ground, in
holes or out, slick and quick: they get
what they are after, swallow it. and the
business is done.
1t were better policy for farmers to
let snakes alone, or defend them. in
stead of assis ing in their extermina-
ton. 1t may be time to make war upon
them when they become a nuisance,
but not while they are scarce, and the
burrow NC. nibhling thieves are plenty.
''Live and let live" is . good motto.
Let us give the snakes a chance to
show what they can do. These are
times for novelties. What could be
more delightful than to see stalwart
farmer roaming over his fields, attended
by dozen trained black snakes, ten
feet long?-Cor. Country Gentleman.