Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1886-06-11
at'ashin9tuu 5 tanaard
The JOInt-Snake.

very full discussion bv corrsspon-
dcuts of The Inter Ocedn. One
side claims the fca, To- be imp"s.i
bic while the other IL porltiNr
that 10 il sometimes accomplished.
One writer tells the following
highly favored story
| feel that. under the clrcnm-
STANCES. owe few words. through
III, Inter Oodn, to the public re
speeding the much discussed " INT.
snake" In the summer and winter
of 1854 |. with = friend, WAS travel
ing through the South and INTO the
State of Florida. While there we
found fishing party for "a week
sport on the noted Suwanee river
We pitched our little tent on west
bank of the river, some Tour or
five miles below the town Of ~.
vance.
Among our traps was small
porcelain kettle, which contained
therein dishes. toweling. aud cam.
per table.sprsad. Til. being
placed at the root Of "a large mag
nol,a tree, which formed the shade
Of our little camp, We started oil to
catch our dinners, it being about
that time of the day. which We
had not been at long when my pard
safely landed II good-sized trout.
By tie vote was elected pot.
singer" while my pard proceeded
10 dress his troutship. | collected
some kindling. built fire, and pro
ceeded to get the necessary little
pot. when to my astonishment be-
hold third party IN camp IN the
shape Of u small and somewhat
knotty.looking snake about 2 feet
ia length cooled up in the pot.
ut once called TO my pard that we
had plenty OF dinner in the pot and
all that was necessary was to cook
it," lie supposing, Of course. that
il was trick or Joke OF some kind
came up. On his approach the
snake raised his hcad and gave
zach OF Us in turn kind Of Pres
idcnt. Cleveland. what. in. the sam
Hill. are. you. going to- do about /
look and dropped his head again n
though % take another nap, IN,
pard picking up my anglc-rod-
while | proceeded TO retreat TO
safe distance--and proceeded 4
yauk him out. lie yanked, an,
alas! tho snakc--oh, where wa
no q? u total wreck; hardly u trace
Of his former sell was left. II
broke into ak pieces, the hca
piece, or section, being the shor
est, with each following section b'
ing q little longer than tho preccd
ing ono, the tail section being th
largest Of them all.
Now, this, to IA. was of no sma
consequence. We had, each of Il
hoard Of, but neither had seen
Joint snake before, 40 we dcte
mined TO thoroughly investigal
this ono. II seemed entirely lii,
lees. Each section would Ito
any position we would pu. il. I'll
head was NJ motionlsss IA oth'
parts, except slight quivcrin
huttering motion on tho throa
These sections, ut each end belt
provided with u small. hooklik
attachment. seeming TO DO part
the back bone, formed the joint
These pieces We took separated
ticing them with strings. suspend,
them 10 the limb Of n small tree ne
by. each section being three
four inches apart. forming u kin
OF cluster. Then walked away
await results and 10 get our III
ners.
We hal been away long beto
We noticed that tho pioc
were giving an occasional tIoun,
and then 10 swing about, and 40
q lively dance on space was 10 pl
gross, which was quito comic
sight 10 SEQ. They seemed 10
investigating each other, or co
municating in some way. And
At once, an IL by magic, tho he
aud second section clinchc,
Soon the third took hold. and, wi
y whirl.Iike motion, the fourth u
fifth section attached thcmsclv
and last, though not least, the six
caught on"
Once moro ho was snake, 90 I
satisfaction Of us both; then he
gan 10 wranglc aud wreatho u
try 10 make his escape. And, !
pard not being entirely ihrou
with him. and fearing he would 8
loose. began teasing mud ticklci
him until finally he separated aga
Then we proceeded. once mo
10 got our dinners. After part
ing OF my portion Of tho trout, n
being not more than 30 minu
absent from the snake, I return
to find all M we had left them ,
cept tho head-it was gone.
nj once began u search.
pard joined mo, and, after th
ough search, wc gave IL up as 10
What became oil IL is n mystol
Tho other sections remained
their respective swings aud seem
powerlcss to again join or uni
and gave but few signs of life af'
tho head. with its magnetic or 9th
influence, had gone. We let I
remaining parts hang until, by thu
fumes. they evidently were dcs
then cut them down and thr,
them into tho river.
| think it quito possible III
nature might cndow this "joil
snake" with the same powers.
Respectively,
GEORGE X. NASTz.
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