The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-30
A LIVELY FIGHT WITH SNAKES.
A Railroad Man Kills a Pair of Old and Big
RattleSnakeS.

MAUcH CHUNK, Sent 29-Probably the
largest and oldest pair of rattlesnakes ever killed
In pennsylvania was killed near Mauch Chunk
on the Switchback railroad, Thursday last by
John Boscher one of the employees of Mumford
Brothers. lessees of the Switchback On the
up-trip in the afternoon, as the car was near
Nesquehong Path, Bosche saw or the track
ahead of the swiftly moving train two enormous
snakes partly coiled, lying between the rails and
seemingly engaged in play. As the car neared
them the two reptiles started down the track
ahead of it. Bosche let off the brakes and the
car shot ahead and was overtaking the snakes
when one of them began to grow tired and to
fall behind the other unable to keep up
the rate at which they were running The
strong one deliberately seized the other one
oy the neck with its jaws, and with sudden
vigorous bound attempted to spring outside the
rails with It. The fast snake cleared the rail,
but the wheels passed over the second one and
cut 1T in several pieces The unframed one
colled Itself and sprang at the car. which was
now nearly stopped, and its fangs, with sharu
click. entered the timber and held the wriggline
monster fast. The car a few yards further
dragging the captive snake which ratified horri
bly, and threw its body first upon the car and
then to the ground. The fangs broke off and the
snake dropped down and struck attitude for
fight just as the car stopped, and Bosche and
Mumford sprang to the ground. The snake
sprang at Bosche repeatedly, but he was not
afraid of it, he could plainly that the fangs
were broken off and imbeGded in the wood of
the car. A little skirmishIg with cobble stone
settled the fate of the snake Bosche measured
his body and found it to be six feet and nine
inches long. There were sixteen rattles on the
tall but several had evidently been broken off.
so that. counting one rattle for each year and
adding the year required for the formation Of
the first rattle the monster must have reached
the age of at least twenty years. an age never
surpassed by the rattlesnake according 10 the
traditions and wood lore of the old trappers
hereabouts Bosche went back and picked up
the pieces of the one cut by the wheels When
placed together the snake nearly as
long as the first one It was male and female.
These sakes always mate and stay mated during
their lives. Is was intended to stuff the skin Of
the whole one. and send it TO the Smithsonian
Institution. but the skin was found to be broken
SO badly to render it only specimen, and the
carcasses were given to an old backwoodsman,
who tried OUT the grease and bottled it. intend
ing to use it as medicine in certain cases. The
combined weight Of the two snakes was about
nineteen pounds. They were of the BLACK
rather variety, dull, slaty black. with irregs-
lar markings and nothing, and their bodies we're
symmetrical 1t is thought that these two snakes
have been seen at various times by persons who
were picking berries in the woods near the Switch
back. The skins will probably be displayed to
tourists at the Incline House, on the summit of
Mount Pisgah