The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-03-19
Snakes.

''Do you suppose they will ever get 50
they can train snakesP' asked one OF
the party, after the long pause that fol-
lowed an account of how a Wisconsin
woman had caught rattlesnake by
setting her husbands false teeth for
them.
IL knowned of case" said the man
from Michigan. "A friend of mine out
in the lumber deestricks found one in his
pocket one day and sewed the pocket up
until the snake was nigh starved. Then
he let him out and fed him, and after
that the snake would do anything he
told him to. He used to hunt deer with
that snake. He'd lay for the deer, and
as soon as it hove in sight he'd set that
snake after it, and the cussed snake
would jump through the deer's eyes and
kill him deadt'
I've hearn of it bein' DONE" assented
the Iowa man. when | was in the
mines my chum lit onto one and brought
him home The snake took to him from
the start, and in less than a week he had
the yarmint drawing water"
How'd he work it9' demanded the
Michigan man.
Il never knew the rights of it," re-
piled the Iowa man. you know, when
we Were diggin' we didn't have no time
to waste. If a man got dry he grudged
the time to take a drink of water He'd
ruther go dry. But this chum of mine
fixed things so that he had no trouble in
keepin' wet all the time. That snake
would go off and fill himself up with
water, and then he would come back
and bite this ehum OF mine. The snake
had arranged himself so that he did not
squirt any venom through his fangs,
only pure water, and as soon as he un-
| loaded, off he went for more. He got
so affectionate he almost drowned my
friend one day, and chummy had to put
him to death!''
Il had one, said the Illinois man,
''who was the best and wust snake ever
seen One end of him was all off, and
the other was the moral business in that
| neck o woods. The wust of him was
he'd steal things around the house, but
when the tail end caught the mouth al
any crooked business. it would rattle,
and we always got there before he could
get away with the goods. You ought tC
see the grateful wag of that tail wher
the mouth got left!''
How did the mouth stand it?' said
the Iowa man.
The mouth used to get mad, y replied
the Illinois man; but it couldn't bite un
less it stood upon the tail, and the tai
wouldn't have it,"
Got him yet?' asked the Michigan
man.
mo, he back-capped US, and we hat
to kill him. One day he got caught, a
usual, and turned around and bit hi
tail short off. That settled it, and w
rammed him into a rifle and shot
Sheriff with him"
i had one a good many years ago,
observed the Texan, 'sbut he got int
all kinds o. mischief, and we didn't tax
no comfort with him. He used 80 craw
into the chickens and eat the giblets, g
there weren't nothing left to max
gravy when we had a roast As 500
As hen opened her mouth, in he went
and he'd stay there until he d eat up tn
crop, and heart, and gizzard and kid
neys, and all them things. The hen
would lay well enough, but we had n
choice parts when it came to cooking?
You never can tell what they're &C
! ing to do smiled the Nevada mar
1 MY brother brought one up from Ar
IONA, wanted him for the children t
play with. He slept in the CLOCK
nights, cause he liked to feel the work
scratch his back. It sort O soothe
him. But we noticed the most curiou
thing about his rattles. Sometimes the
would be be bigger than he was, an
then again he wouldn't have but one {
two little ores that wasn't no good to
snake of his size When he had tt
.bigs,' as we called it, he was the be-
natured snake in the town, but whe
they were small, there was no gettin
close to him"
''How did you account for the chang
in the rattles?" asked the Texan.
1T was a long time before we g
n onto it." returned the Nevada NAL
o .'But one night we followed hin
$ Where dye think we found that snake
He was out in the woods, playing seve
up, with three other snakes for rattle
t. and when we captured him he was
bushel of rattles ahead, had caught tt
t jack, and held the ace and low in b
B. handt'
who pays for these drinks, gent
men?" inquired the barkeeper, sc
emily.
And then they got up and wander'
&c out, and were seen of men no more.
of Brooklyn Eagle.