Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-06-01
SOME TALL SNAKE STORIES.
MonstrOus Serpents Found Among the
Limestone Lodges of Afford.


The campaign against the black snakes
usually opens in Afford May 1, provided
the weather is warm with bright sun
shine. in which the serpents delight to
bask after lying stupid in their holes
amid the rock through the long winter.
The township before its occupation by
the white inhabitants was called by the
Indians Shawenon, and was purchased
by John Hamlin and others of Joseph
Quinefuant and Shananun, two chiefs of
the Stockbridge tribe, in October, 1856 for
less than 500 and a few gallons of New
England rum. The locality where the
snakes abound is on the Greenland
grant, a tract of wood land and valley
comprising 1000 acres, which the Great
and General Court of this Commonwealth
granted to that great land grasper and
Spectator. David Ingersoll, Esq, July
IL, 1756. From those days to the present
every effort has been made by hunters to
exterminate the serpents, but without
avail, and they are found as large and as
numerous to-day as they were $50 years
ago. To hunt them successfully one
should 90 armed either with a shotgun or
with dog and club; but the adventurous
hunter should never go without large
knife, for the mode of attack by these
choke it to death, the final act of the
reptile being to thrust its Shiny head and
glaring eyeballs into the painting mouth
OF its victim, who soon dies by strangula-
ton.
Thus far since the season opened one
family has killed thirty of these snakes,
and seventy in all have been slain, the
most of them being from five to six feet
in length, and several from eight to ten
e. Il sl, ay13c
During the heat of th4 day, when the
snakes are very lively, if they chance to
see the hunter approaching, they will
enter their holes, from which they keep a
sharp lookout by peeking upwards every
few moments; and on one occasion not
long ago five were discovered looking out
of one hole, from which they kept up a
continual hiss, while their fOrked tongues
CUES played back and forth like so many
knitting-needles. Less than ten years
ago a hunter named Chaplin, while out
cunning for wildcats on the mountain
side, shot one of these snakes, whose
exact measurement was twelve feet.
The serpent was taken to the settlement
below, where persons are now living that
can testify to the length. There is known
to be one old snake in the colony which
exceeds all others in length and circum-
ference, which is seen several times every
summer, but never disturbed, as his
appearance is enough to appall the
stoutest hearts, and cause a chill of hOr
ror to run through the body of the brayest
hunter. Already this season his snake
ship has been seen by man OF the
neighborhood, who, being unarmed, eau
tIOusly passed one side without daring
to give battle. Since then an old lady
has seen what is supposed to be the same
serpent or else its mate. The snakes are
the most vicious while shedding their
hides, which is done about the middle OF
May. At such times if disturbed they
will fight desperately, and, with eyes
flashing like fire and tongue extended,
they Spring upon their adversary and
make every effort to overcome him.
About the first Of June these hides are
found among the lodges, and if taken
before they have lain too long in the sun
and rain, can be used by the farmers the
same as eel skins in tying the swingle of
a fail to the staff. On one occasion, some
three weeks ago, while man OF the town
was out gathering roots for medicinal pur-
poses. he laid his coat and shovel on the
ground and wandered off some distance
into the woods in search of slippery elm.
While he was gone neighbOr who re-
sides on these enchanted grounds killed
five of the black snakes, which he laid
around the coat and extended one big
fellow the entire length Of the shovel
handle. He then secreted himself in the
bushes to watch the proceedings which
were expected to follow. In some fifteen
minutes the herb and root. gatherer re-
turned, but by the time he had arrived
within rod of the spot he saw the
snakes, and supposing they were alive,
he procured a large stick and advanced
upon them, striking them on the head,
right and left. Great was his chagrin,
however, when he discovered that they
were all dead and that huge joke had
been perpetrated upon him. He en-
deayOred to keep the thing a secret, but
the other man leaked it out, and now the
laugh goes round the town, while the
root gatherer goes by the name Of ''Snake
Charmer3