Woodville Republican. (Woodville, Miss.) 185?-current, 1889-04-13
TWO AGED RArTLEas
one was rortv-rivs <nd the Other xll'1'
ty-Nine Years ef Age.


m. Wa rortv-rIvs .<nd the Other 1iIIl'
ty-Nine Years ef Age.
Pompey Hooper. an old cclorod farm.
or who lives in the eastern portion O.
the county, and who, last year. ln q
battle with rattlesnakes, killed eleven
Of the reptiles was In Memphis.
anS from him . reporter learned
Of another and still more inter-
esting encounter which occurred ro-
Gently. Pompey is great coon huuler,
and in company with two others, he
started out on big hunt Several
raccooDs we're caught and the trio.
after having hugely enjoyed the SPORT
were preparing to return home When
suddenly the dogs bayed agafp.
Approaching near to whore they were
barking, the three concluded, as they
had their guns with them and wore
tired chopping down trees. TO wait up-
iii daylight and shoot the game. Asit
was only a short while until dawn, .
FIRE was accordingly built, and while
his companions produced 9 deck q
cards with which 20 while away the
time Pompey stretched himself on the
ground for a short nap. Somehow soe
old feNow could not sleep. and after s
short while be picked up his gun, and
lighting a pine torch walked over
TO where tlfe dogs where. Instead Of
tree and coon be found the hounds
scratching and tearing up the earth at
the base Of hollow rock. Thinking
that some animal had taken refuge -
the bowlder, he jammed the blazing
torch into the crevice. The old negro'D
terror was great when instead OF the
growl which was expected, he heard
terrible rattling, such as experience
had taught him the rattlesnake gives
only when about to strike. POmpey's
fight with the deadly reptiles last year
had left an impression on his mind,
and he was preparing TO run when, az
he says: "One OF the biggest rattiers
you ever heard of slid outen' that hole
an Jumped at me. He would q got
me, shore, but one O. the dogs grabbed
his tail an gin it llirt. " just then
another snake, digger than the ud-
DER" crawled out and made loap Tor
Pompey, who "fetched him a s.ipe
with the torch" and then grabbed bis
gun. BY this time the first snake was
rattling and striking, and, with one
hand holding the torch and the otherthe
gun, the old negro "blazed away, bat
missed. Steadying himself he took
better aim and fred the second time,
and with better results, for the reptiles
head was torn completely of. AT this
moment the other snake struck POM
pey's foot, burying its fangs in the toe
of his shoe, but luckily. so near the
end that no damage was done. Again
the pine torch came down, and this
time on the snakes head. That ended
it. and as the old negro's companio7s
came rushing to the scene and found
him carefully examining his foot. hard
ly able to understand that he had es-
caped unhurt. II what the darkies say
is true, and Uncle Pompey is one Of the
wealthiest and most reliable colored
farmers in the county, the two snakes
killed were the largest and Oldest OF
any OF their kind ever found. They
say one had forty and the other thirty
six rattles AS snake is three years
old before rattle appears, and as one
is then added for each year, one was
forty-three and the other thirty-nine
years OF age.-Memphis (Tenn-) } APP
peal.