The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1888-04-05
A MODERN ST. PATRICK.
a Snake story from the Wilds of Madison.

kinds. The snake that bites him, dies
in great agony, frothing at the mouth,
and swelling to almost double its for
mer proportions. Cunningham has
discovered poison more deadly than
that of the reptile, but harmless as 4
lotion for the human body, and the
moment the fangs Of the snake come
in contact with it, powerful electrical
current is generated that drives the
snakes own poison through every
blood vessel in its body. Blood poi>on-
inc is the result, which, with the terrible
electric shock. causes almost instant
death.
Cunningham killed, during the last
summer, over 1000 snakes in Madison
County, and realized Quitea handsome
sum by his wonderful skill in driving
these offensive reptiles from the prem
ises of our citizens. Mr.. J. B. Parks,
who OWNS Il beautiful farm near King
ston, was overrun by rattlesnakes and
blacksnakes. He lost several head OF
COWS, which died from the effect Of
rattlcsnake bites. Then the black
snakes carried off hundreds ofhis young
chickens. The place fairly swarmed
with snakes, so Cunningham had to be
snakes by their scent as easily as 4 dog
can track 4 rabbit. He did not trail
for them to come out of their hole, h,t
whenever it was at all practicable he
crawled in after them and killed them
right and left with club he carried.
All that bit him died, but of course the
best number of snakes he encountered
in his days labor could not get Il chance
to bite him, and had to be dispatched
with club. He estimates the number
of snakes killed on the Parks farm at
four thousand.
Colonel Irvine, who lives just on the
outskirts of Richmond, had three bar
re!s of Anderson County whisky, four
teen years old, in his cellar. He left the
bung-holes open to age it faster and
make it mellow. Judge to his surprise,
therefore, when he went to show it to
some friends one morning, to find that
it was nearly all gone, and in one of the
barrels only two gallons was left. In
this barrel, over forty large black
snakes were discovered, all coiled up
and in heastly state of intoNication,
while in the dark corners of the cellar
groups of rattlesnakc were coiled,
some sobering up, others III various
stages of intoXication. They had got
in through hole in the basement door,
and as Colonel Irvine was away with
his family for about three months, it is
supposed the snakes not being dis
turbed, Just staid with the whisky and
did not draw sober breath during all
that period. This was last September.
Patrick Cunningham w;lS called in,
and he succeeded in killing over 300
snakes on that place within two weeks,
receiving for his services the neat sum
of $500, or 500 per hundred.
Colonel Shackclford, ofthe hardware
firm of Shackelford & Gentry, owned
half interest in the whisky destroyed
by the snakes, and to that gentleman
your reporter is indebted for these ac-
tual facts.
Colonel Cobe Taylor, p NJ. Pope,
Claud Smith and Colonel Prather had
to call in Cunningham to clear their
places also. The snakes had multiplied
wonderfully in Madison County since
the war. 1t is supposed that they
were, frightened by the roar and din of
cattle near Perryville, and congregatcd
for safety in this vicinity. Cunning
ham has engagements booked for clear
ing out the snakes on numerous farms
Of J. W. Parris and Mayor Garner, Of
Winchester, and Colonel Amy De Long
and Isaac Rumscy, Of Lexington.
Cunningham is rather Il small man
Of Very dark complexion, with Il thick
mat of dark hair. He has keen pierre
ing black eyes and talks with wonder
ful rapidity. He was born in India,
near Calcutta. His parents We're Irish
and We're sent out by the English gov
ernment for the department work in
that province. 1t was in the jungles
of Indi:: that Cunningham discovered
from the natives the formula for max
ing the deadly lotion so fatal to poison
ous reptiles. The natives all annoint
themselves with it, and are thus rell-
dered snake proof.
Cunningham says he will keep on
killing and driving the snakes until
there is not one in the State of Ken
tucky, if the people will only pay him
XVI II. vi No(ilS( lllSll "oltlNt DI (lll
possibility for one man to accomplish,
but he says he likes the business and
hopes to do 4 good work in the State if
his life and health are only spared 4
few Years.
| have stated in this article nothing
but actual facts, without the slightest
cNaggeration. If any Of your read
ers doubt in the least they can address
Colonel Shacklcford, of Shacklcford 4
Gentry L. W. WigginS, of Wi%ginS Il
Breck; p. VI. Pope, Mr.. Willis, the
postmaster, or any other reputable cit
izen of Richmond, or Mr. Cunning
ham himself, and they will find that
the statements herein named are moth
i'll" but actual facts.
NcatnesS in Woman.