The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-12-27


Asport Who Keeps Number Of R..t,,.
! m, always Ready For the Ring.
! Inc oest sport the writer ever wit
( nesseo was snake fight which tool
| pace Just across the bay from Bilor;
r MISS The owner of the show was
! native OF Biloxi, large, powarf,,,
} Quilt man. with an extraordinary wild.
mouth and stentorian voice. He bad
1tted up beneath commodions shos
regular pit, similar to those used i,
chicken fighting. This was ~
ABOUT seven feet in diameter. and ths
owner used it for fighting snakes. H.
also had long line of cages covered
Win wire screens. in which several
arge reptiles were housed, and were
always ready when crowd came 70
see battle.
The favorite snake in the lot was a
monster spotted fellow whose fanos
came out of his mouth and reached
around under his chin. This was
what is called the king snake, native
OF the southern parts of Alabama,
Mississippi, and Louisiana. The name
Is given it because it is known that
when travelling it will catch and kill
any other kind of snake thatit meets.
1t is very large and muscular. besides
tits game and aggressive. as it's name
indicates. The next largest specimen
OF the snake kingdom in the extreme
Southern States is the gopher snake.
these reptiles always live in pairs in
holes with the gophers. 1t is a COM
mon thing down there in the pine
woods to see children go to gopher
hole and, inserting a pole or rail.
compel the pair of snakes to crawl ont
and be killed. The gopher snake is
very much like the black snake. vet
he is very much larger and stouter.
Also along and adjacent to the gulf
coast may be found the cotton mouth
and ground" rattle-snakes Each OF
these specimens of snakes the Biloxi
man had in his cages, and the fights
ne gets up are always between the
king snake and either species of the
above that visitors may select. He
charges an admission of twenty-five
cents. and after all visitors are COM
fortably seated he proceeds to the
cage of the king snake, carries it to
the pit, where he dumps it in, and
then proceeds TO get an enemy for it
to hight. The contest the writer wit
messed was king against a male and
female gopher snake, and it was very
exciting as well as amusing. Their
attitude for war was not in coil. as it
Is with most Northern and Western
snakes, but lying lengthwise and very
crooked. with their heads up about
eighteen inches. After watching each
otner 1or a moment they dart forward
with spirit of energy and determine
alton that makes ones blood stou In
the veins.
Inc king snake keeps this mode OF
battle up for long time, and worries
ols enemy down until he become weak
md faint; thoi as e:vws advances
tpon MIN. coils himself around his VIC
LIN until the two are in heap and look
IKE a pile OF tangled rope; then. after
ne mas made ready. the king stretches
limseii out and in doing so literally :
ears his foe into small fragments. I'm, =
nediately the last act in the contest !
begins; the popping of the victims a
zones can be heard distinctly, sdund-
ng similar to but much londer ltbsn n
ne popping of persons finger when
stretched or wrenched. It is wohder-
ul to see the agility of the king SHAKE Z
when venemous reptile is in theirino 81 u
or fight. He darts his head on eitber :;
.1H' ouoAe anu raises 10 suit occasions
n the twinkling of an eye. and in This a,
way worries the enemy down, IRE. p
luently compelling it to swallow it's o.
'wn poison. The cotton-moutbed OK
snake is the kings greatest terror, for CO
When pitted with one of these he ~
hows greater caution, and is ALWAYS n I
N the alert lest he gets bit, in case of !
7hlch death would be certain to ens,ae
Betting on the result of snake fights al
n the Point" at Biloxi is as common As
s betting on chicken contests in II. syi
|orth. East and West. Al rule. =
owever, the king snake Twill win -
bout seven fights out of ten against d ,9
very other species of snakes it meets IA
ith.-Cor Pittsburgh Post. f.,