Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1885-10-16
AlrSaulria 0azette.
PUBLISHED DAILY AND TRL. WEEKLY B.
EDGAR SNO WIDEN.
Rattlesnakes Paralyze a School.

|
One day last week the well-modulated
voice of the school mistress Of the Lyon
school said ''noon" in its unual calm tones,
and the usual rush for edibles followed the
magic word. AS an eight-year old boy
! thrust his hand into his dinner basket and
| drew ont bottle of milk, the vicious warn
| ing of the deadly rattlesnake was heard from
the depths of the dinner-basket. Down
went the basket with crash, and in the
| fragment of shattered pie-plate his snake
ship coiled himself while its busy tail made
the air vibrate with its angry song, and that
song was quickly re.echoed. From every
| corner of the school room came the fearful
warning, and it was seen that at least half
dozen snakes had come to school. A wild
scene of terror and confusion ensued The
| usually suave and self. contained school mis-
tress made hasty leap and loud shrek, the
double effort landing her on top of the high.
est desk in the room. Her example in both
leap and shrek was speedily followed, and
the new pupils were left in possession ofthe
floor. A very babel of cries and screams
announced that the school mistress and older
girls were in consultation as to how to get
rid of the undue amount ofserpents that had
80 suddenly possessed them. In the midst
of this effective discussion aten-year old boy
succeeded in forcing side window open,
and falling out, soon made his appearance
with a formidable club, with which he
dispatched the snakes in rotation. There
were found to be five, of the deadly rock
variety. After the coast was apparently
clear again the demoralized school settled
down as best they could to their dinners,
when across the threshold came in gather
ing folds what looked like the king of all
rattlesnakes and, making for the centre of
the apartment, coiled himself in q bunch as
large as half bushel, while his note of an
ger filled the room with its diabolical music
and the hearers with sickening dread.
The desks were again resorted too, but this
time the terror was too great for cries and
shreks. A trembling horror seemed to pos.
sess all, while the glittering bead-like eye of
the huge reptile seemed to fascinate with
its scintillating glances. Just then the wei.
come roll of wagon wheels was heard on the
road, on the margin of which the school
house. stood. 1t broke the spell of horror,
and shrek after shrek on all scales of the
gamut resounded from the building. In
moment or two the burly form of a stalwart
rancheman filled the doorway. He took in
the situation at q glance. A quick spring
terror lay writhing beneath heavy boulder.
1t proved to be five and one-half feet in
length and carried fourteen rattles. There
was no more school that day, and the house
and the grounds for half a mile around have
been religiously searched every morning by
that schoolmistress before she opens school.
MEAT EATING Nor NECEssARY.-It is q
vulgar error to regard meat in any form as
necessary to life; if for any it is necessary,
it is for the hard working, outdoor labor
ers, and for these certain portion is no
doubt desirable. To many it has become
partially desirable only by the force of
habit, and because their digestive organs
have thus been trained to deal with it, and
at first resent q change. But this being
gradually made, adaptation takes place,
and tho individual who has consumed two
or three meat meals daily with some little
discomfort chiefly from being often indis-
posed to make active exertions, becomes,
after sufficient time has elapsed, stronger,
lighter and happier, as we'll as better tenn
pered and manifestly healthier on more
delicate dietary. Alterations in the dietary,
especially of elderly persons, should be
made gradually and with caution. This
condition fulfilled, a considerable change
may be effected with satisfactory results
when circumstances render it necessary.
A brief allusion must be made to the we'll
known aud obvious fact that the surround
ing temperature influences the demand for
food, which therefore should be determined
as re CARDS quantity or kind according to
the climate inhabited, or the season of the
year as it affects each climate. In hot
weather the dietary should be lighter in the
understood sense of the term, than in the
cold weather. Living on cereals, vegetables
aud fruit, with some proportion of fish, and
abstainiug from alcoholic drinks, the same
persons would probably enjoy the high tenn
perature, and be free from the thirst which
is the natural result of consuming needlessly
substantial and heating food.