National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-01-12
AN UNsEAsoNABLE STORY.
The Remarkable Collection OF Snakes
Discovered In Germantown, Pa.

'"S'SANN ~ OofhhhtoWh1 Ehs
PhRaie,phia Record.
Mr.. Charles McCarty, of this city, has in his
possession largo barrel full of live snakes
which were dug up n few days ago in the very
hoart of Germantown. There are about ono
hundred in Mr.. McCarty's collection, which,
however, represents less than one-sixth of the
entire number caught. The surprising fact
in connection with this wholesale capture of
reptiles in the center of populous settlement
is that they were concealed within space
less than one hundred feet square, and no
one knows how many moro there may be
left in tho noighborhood. The lot
whore tho six hundred snakes were
. taken l" IS. owned GS BY Thomas Shoe;
hands during tho past twenty-five years, but
has never boon graded or prepared for build
ing purposes, having always boon the sub
lect OF speculation. Mr.. Shoemaker recently
determined to have the lot, which is a very
s1oTGe one, surrounded by numerous hand
ne ws1d costly dwellings, put in such shape
tho contract. Escape gardeners, were given
on tho place when bad dozen mon at work
The lot was plowsRakes worc discovered.
put TO work carting &, and the men
dirt about one hundred fcdG largo lie OF
several feet high TO various puilare ana
lot. This dirt had been hauled FRI the
swamp twenty-five years ago, and wa
intended for topsolling AS one of the dig
gers worked at this pile he discovered two
garter snakes in o semi-tOrpid condition,
which he killed. Upon throwing out an
other shoveful of dirt an immense nest of
reptiles was disclosed. In all there were
fifty-two. Most of them were in n torpid
state. but the largost--about n yard long
retained sufficient vitality to wind itself
around the leg Of one of the cartmen,
greatly TO his horror. When found tho rep
tiles were tangled up almost in the shape of a
ball, and looked like quantity Of small, dirty
rubber pipes, twisted together in fantastic
manner. Most of them were killed, but Mr..
Topley put number in n large tin pan, with
cover. lilo placed this pan in the sun. and
when he returned to IL to take his prize away,
he found that the snakes had been revived by
the warmth, and had squirmed about so Wig
orously as to push off the cover and escape.
However he had no occasion to mourn his
loss, for before the day was over there wore
new snake discoveries, and four or five other
nests yielded over 300 of them, in size from
three inches to three feet, all more or less
torpid. The next day there were more dug
out, and the men began TO suspect that all the
reptiles which st. Patrick drove out of Ireland
had found their way to Germantown. At the
close Of the second day $50 snakes had been
taken out, all of which were killed. Mr.. Nc
Carthy, hearing of this wholesale slaughter,
came down on the third day and took away
his barrel full, which he exhibits with much
pride at his house to all who care to see them
In all there were about $50 snakes taken out
of the dirt pile, none Of them being found N
greater depth than two feet. They were
pronounced to be all garter snakes. Many OIL
them were 3 feet long and II inches in diam
eter. No snakes were found in any part oil
the lot except whore the old swamp dirt had
been deposited, aud it is the prevailing opin-
ion that the swarms have been breeding ant
increasing for q quarter of q century. Al
the men were not digging for snakes espe
cially, they did not dig below the graded
level, and Mr.. Topley says that it is not at all
improbable that there may be 600 moro rep.
| tiles vet in the ground