The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1888-07-14
Tough Snake Stories.

In Central Dakota, on the missouri bot
toms,n there exists one of natures strangest
freaks. The settlers term it the pump
SNAKE A full grown pump snake measur-
es about inches in diameter. They are OF
gregatious habits, roaming the prairies in
large herds. In dissecting one of these rep
tiles there is found tube which extends
from the root of the jaw bone to the extreml-
ty of the tail and terminating IN an opening;
This tube is about two inches in diameter and
lined with tough, yielding substance, SINH
lar to rubber. A farmer on Cat Tail Creek
had flock of pump snakes. At the blast of
whistle the snakes assembled on the banks OF
the creek The leader dashed into the water,
leaving only the extremity of his tail on the
bark.
Another snake grasped the tail in his jaws, a
third snake holds the second snakes tail in
similar manner, and so on until there is a
continuous line of snakes TO the water trough
in the cattle yard 800 feet away. The leading
snake commences to pump the water which
passes through the long line of snakes as it
would through hose and falls in heavy
stream in the trough. The agriculturist short
time ago observed flames issuing from the roof
of his barn. He hurried to the burning build
ing, only to see it a hopeless task for himself
alone to extinguish the flames. Suddenly he
heard a loud rustling in the tall grass, whence
issued his herd of pump snakes on the run.
The leader hurled himself into the creek, the
rest instantly adjusted themselves, head and
tail, from the creek to the burning building.
The last snake, standing on its head, waved
its long and flexible body from the tail end of
which issued stream of water that was
thrown with terrific force on the burning
building. The loud pumping of the leader
could be heard above the roar of the confia
grafton. Within Is minutes the last spark
was out. Then the pump snakes quit work.
They were completely exhausted, the leader
tainted away The main part of the building
and its contents were saved.
A letter to the Frederick, Md, NetUs, I'M
der date of June 5, from Oscar Dalrymple, of
Woodsboro, says:-I am the owner of snow
white snake eleven feet long, that can whistle
''God Save Ireland and give limitations of a
thunder storm on an ACCORDION. Have your
readers anything to beat it?
From the Kansas City Times.
While at neighbours few days ago Mr..
George W. Fisher, of Independence, Kan,
heard a racket out in the kitchen, and, on
going out to investigate the cause, found that
large rattlesnake had crawled into the
kitchen and was fastened in the handle of a
jug in the following manner: There were
some eggs and jug on the floor when the
snake crawled into the house, and it swallowed
one of the eggs, and as the jug was lying on
its side, had crawled through the handle as
far as the egg he had swallowed would admit,
and, finding another egg convenient as he
crawled through the handle of the jug,
swallowed that egg also, and as the egg was
too large to pass through the handle of the
Jug, Mr.. Snake was fastened so he could
neither move forward nor backward, there
being an egg inside of him on either side OF
the jug handle.