The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-01-19
A Big Snake Harvest.

ShatleS McCartY, OF NO. lOS Chelten
Avenue, has in his possession a large
barrel full of live snakes which we're
dug up few days ago in the very heart
OF Germantown. There are about 100 in
Mr. McCarty's collection, which, how
ever represents less than one-sixth of
tho entire number caught. The sur
prlslng fact in connection with this
wholesale capture of reptiles in the cen
ter OF populous settlement is that thew
were concealed within a space less than
loo Ieet square, and no one knows how
many more there may be left in the
neighborhood.
Inc lot at Adams and Tulpehocken
streets, where the 600 snakes were
taken, is owned by Thomas Shoemaker.
II mas passed through several hands
during the past twenty-five years, but
mas never been graded or prepared for
building purposes, having always been
the object of speculation. Mr.. Shoe
maker recently determined to have the
Iot, which is very large one surround
ed by numerous handsome and costly
dwellings,, put in such shape as would
attract purchaser. Topley & Win
leld, landscape gardeners, We're given
The contract, and had dozen men at
work on the place when the snakes
we're discovered. The lot was plowed
up and the men put to work cartino of
large pile of dirt, about 100 feet
square and several feet high, to various
parts of the lot. This dirt had been
p.e.5g1led from a swamp twenty-five years
ago, and was intended for top-soiling.
AS one of the diggers worked at this
pile he discovered two small garter
snakes in a semi-torpid condition, which
he killed. Upon throwing out another
shovelful of dirt an immense nest of the
reptiles was disclosed. In all there
were titty-wo. Most of them were in
torpid state, but the largest-about
yard long retained sufficient vitality to
wind itself around the leg of one of the
cartmen, greatly to his horror.
When found the reptiles were tan
gled up almost in the shape of ball.
and lookel like a quantity of small,
dirty rubber pipes, twisted together in
fantasticmanner. Most of them were
killed, but Mr.. Topley put number
in large lin pan, with a cover. He
placed this pan in the sun, and when he
returned to t to take his prize away he
found that the snakes had been revived
by the warmth and had squirmed about
50 vigorously as to push off the cover
and escape.
However, ne had no occasion to
mourn his los, for before the dav was
over there wee new snake discoveries,
and four or I've other nests Welded
over 800 of them, in size from three
inches to threefeet, all more or less tor
pid. The neXt1ay there were more dug
out, and the MN 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 sec
ond day 450 snakes had been taken out, |
vi of which we've killed
Mr.. McCarty, bearing of this whole
sale 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 we're about $50 snakes |
taken out of the dirt pile, none of them
being found at n greater depth than
two feet They were pronounced to be
all garter snakes. Many of them were
III xort of the LOT except where the |
I'd a 5 RfhF 81 ' Dirt had been deposited,
and it is the prevailing opinion that the
swarms have been breeding and in
for quarter of a century.
As the men were not digging for |
snakes especially, they did not dig be-
low the graded level, and Mr.. Topley |
SAYS that it is not at all improbable
that there may be six hundred more
reptiles yet in the ground.-PhiIadel-
DhiG Record.