The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1888-07-11
GEoRGIA's MONSTER SNAKES.
Stories Of Them Revived by Attacks on
Horses aud Cattle.

GEORGIA's MONSTER SNAKES.
Stories of Them Revived by Attacks on
Horses and Cattle.
philadelphia Times Correspon ent.)
ATHENS, July "a. q. Carlton, the
Representative from the Eighth Con-
gressionsl district of Georgia, has
magnificent suburban home in southern
Athens, to which is added Al admirably
equipped farm. MIR. Carlton takes
especial pride in his horses, of which he
has large and valuable stock, but
which during his residence in Washing
ton spend most OF their time in rich
pasture at some little distance from the
house.
A few days ago two of the Congress
mans horses became afflicted with an,
silment which bafhed veterinary skill.
They came up from the pasture imping,
with inAsmed and running sores on
their legs. Their eye-sight, too, ap.
peared to be affected, while a heavy dis
charge of mucus from the mouth and
nostrils gave Indications of lung fever.
Medicine was copiously administered,
but both the animals died. Others of
Mr.. Cartoons stock were taken sick In
similar manner, and in short time the
disease broke out among the fine blood
ed stock of several gentlemen residing
near by, and several of the animals have
died. The matter was, of course thor
oughly investigated, but without result,
until it was given wide publicity.
There are living in and around
Athens several of the early pioneers Of
Wilkes and Madison counties, who near
ly fifty years ago were actively engaged
In agriculture there. When the news Of
the trouble with the horses became
known these old people unanimously
declared it to be caused by the bite OF a
species OF monster serpent known as the
''horned" or "bull" snake. Fifty years
ago, they declared-and their state
ments have been yeri6ed-this section
of the country was oVerrun by these
reptiles, and 80 desperate was their war
fare against cattle that it was only with
the greatest of care that any stock at all
could be preserved from them. It was
not until parties of hunters nd the
country of these reptiles that cattle could
be raised here.
To describe these 7enomoua reptiles
almost necessitates one laying himself
open to the imputation of wiring
s'snake story" Your correspondent has
never seen one OF them alive, but he has
seen the preserved skin Of one, mon
ster some five feet in length and Of un-
proportionstely huge girth, which was
killed near this city about ten years ago.
The color is dark brown, and on the SID
of its tail is spur or horn of about
three inches in length. somewhat re-
sembling the spur on the tail OF a
scorpion, although, Of course, very much
larger. All this I can positively vouch
for and prove, if necessary.
But I can only give you tradition as
to the way in which this now almost
extinct snake carries on it's warfare
against cattle. The old settlers state
that the snake would strike at their foes
by throwing their tail foremost, and,
with the horny appendsge described,
dealing deadly wound. As is the case
with the rattlesnake, they can thus pro-
iect themselves, albeit tail foremost, for
several feet. These old people we're
shown some Of the wounds on the legs
of the cattle, and are persistent In de-
claring them to have been caused by
bull snake. Farmers now living in
Madison county, hard by Athens, have
often been brought into contact with
these monsters, and unqualfedly e1-
press themselves in a similar manner.
This story would be hardly complete
were no mention made of 9 statement
given your correspondent by an old
Lady, Mrs. Clarissa Evana, Of this city,
and corroborated by her children-noW
men and women. Mrs. Evans says that
on her farm in Madison county she and
her husband once encountered one OF
these snakes in a sapl.ng thicket. Her
husband struck at the serpent with 9
fence rail, and the serpent simultane-
ously struck at him with its tail. Mr..
Evans lodged the blow, and the SER
pent's horn grazed the bark Of poplar
sapling. This happened about noon.
By night the leaves Of the tree we're en-
tirely withered and by morning were
black, dry and shriveled.