Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1886-09-16
MIR. BILKINs' SPECIMEN.
His aste for Natural HistOry-A New Ac-
cession-What He Dii Not Get.

His aste for Natural HistOry-A New Ac-
cession-What He Dii Not Get.
Mr.. Eilkins has of late developed
taste for natural history, and has pro-
cured quite a number of specimens
which would give an old topper the jim
jams to look at He has toads picked
and preserved, toads with horns and
without, spiders of many kinds and
varying degrees of ugliness and size,
from quite small and only ordinarily
ugly to very large and extremely hid
eous. He has birds and bats, small
owls and big owls, frogs, polywogs,
wood-chucks and even the highly con-
centrated skunk; but his greatest pride
is in particula ly disagreeable and re-
markably nasty collection of snakes.
Not satisfied with the native and COM
paratively harmless kind, he has been
to the expense of importing various
specimens OF surprising ugliness and
poisonousness. The most of the col
lection have been picked or stuffed, SO
that the observer doesn't run the risk
Of having q choice assortment OF dead
ly virus injected into any exposed por-
tion OF his anatomy to the detriment of
bodily and mental comfort; but in or
der to study the habits of two or three
of the most villainous of the lot Mr..
Bilkins has thus far, or to quite re-
cent date, spared their miserable exist
ence. l should as soon think of spar
ing the most villalnous specimen of the
murderer to observe his habits as to
study the habits of the meanest reptile
in creation, but then, as an old woman
once said, "Thece is just as much diff
ference in some people as there is in
anybody"
A few days ago Mr.. Bilkins received
by express from the South sturdy
specimen of the whip snake (which
fights at short range and with most dis
astrous results) with which he was
highly delighted, and slowed him away
under glass case in corner of his
library, as he had no place in his cabi-
net in which he could put him just
then. Mr.. Bilkins studied this elegant
poison-bag with the keenest del ght,
and dilated upon his beautiful { p points
much as he would upon those of fine
horse, to the disgust of Mrs. Bilkins,
who hasn't taste for science and
doesn't like to take snake with her din
ner or tea, or be edited p between
whiles.
The other evening, as Bilkns was
on the point of retiring, he heard a
crash in the direction of the library,
and he fastened thither, clad only in
the garments nature provides for us
all and night robe. AS he opened
the library door gust of wind put out
his light, and taking one step within he
stepped upon something cold, and at
the same instant he experienced
sharp sting in the bottom of his foot.
1t flashed upon him in a moment that
some accident had upset his Snake and
ne@ s:epe 1R% en r. a an .1e neen foon os
closed the door, and rent the dir with
his cries, which soon brought the whole
family to the spot.
Telephone for q doctor without q
moments delay" was his first direc-
tion.
"Give me the whisky bottle from the
closet" was the next.
His eldest son soon had the doctor,
and Mrs. B. presented the whisky,
which the frenzied Bilkins seized and
drank to the last drop, after which,
considering himself reasonably secure
against the effects of the bite, he direct
ed his son to procure something and
open the door, and, if possible, kill
the reptile before other mischief was
done. The boy had an old army cut
lass among his treasures which he pro-
cured, and opening the door carefully
looked in, and after a hasty look, an
of astonishment passed over
his face and he doubled up with sup
pressed laughter.
What in the name of all that's good"
exclaimed Bilkins, "are you stopping
to laugh at, you young idiot?"
For answer the boy pointed to the
library floor, where laid a ladies' rid
ing whip with flexible rubber handle
to which was attached a strap and
buckle to attach it to the arm. Bilkins
had stepped on tie buckle and run the
teeth into his foot. The snake was
still safe in his jar and the noise had
been caused by Tapping blind.
When the doctor arrived he didn't
see / ilkins, but he heard him swear
very distinctly three blocks away, and
those neighbors who were up say he
hasn't put forth his soul in such ener-
yetic and hearty q manner before since
his interview with the assessors some
moons ago.-SomeruilIe Journal.