Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1889-09-28
Coal OIL Saves His Life.


New York Sun.
Before Dan Mitchell, one ofthe best
known men in northwestern Penn
sylyania, was appointed captain OF
police in Erie, he was resident of
the oil country. While prospecting
for petroleum he had the narrowest
escape of his life, and he has had
many close calls in the past twenty
years. This adventure with arattie-
snake in Yennnga led him to remove
to Erie, where there areno yenomous
serpents, it being popularity o.
Erie county that RATHER was never
seen on the slope between the highest
elevation and the lake All the int
tlesnakes are on the southern slope
of the watershed.
Mr.. Mitchell had to go on foot
through n wild part of Venango. his
horse having been stolen the night
before. The keeper of the little log
hotel from which he started warned
him to look out for snakes, and he
took the precaution to encase his
legs in thick leather boots that were
supposed to he fang proof 1t Was
extremely hot, and Mr.. Mitchell's
clothing was wet with perspiration
after an hours crowding through
the fangle of bushes and climbing
over rocks. When he came to n
stony road leading around the hill
he found a spring boiling from under
a ledge of stone. 1t was surrounded
by fringe of bushes, through which
there was an opening just large
enough for the admission Of mans
head. Mr. Mitchell was so tired and
heated that he had no thought of
snakes, and he thrust his head into
the hole. When he had cooled his
face and quenched his thirst at the
spring he resumed his walk with q
sigh of satisfaction.
He had hardly turned the corner
of projecting boulder as large as Il
cabin when he heard frightened
scream. Going back he saw a hor-
rifle sight. A peddler had stopped
for a drink as had Mr.. Mitchell
When his lips touched the water n
great rattlesnake buried its fangs in
the mans neck. As he jerked him
selfout of the reptiles lurking place
he dragged the snake with him. In
. an instant he realized that he was
doomed, as the poison was being
carried through his body the more
swiftly because the venom had en-
I, tered near the jugularvein, As Mr.
! Mitchell came in sight the peddier
! was shrieking and praying. The
!, snake remained at the edge of the
!. spring. as though determined to
fight against further Intrusion, and
, catching sight OF it, the peddler
! shouted:
: Curse i. oul I'll kill You before |
! die.''
He grapsed the snake as lie spoke
! and received second bite on the
!. hand. In his frenzy he tore the snake
! asunder. ground the lead beneath
: his feet. and iell to tho ground.
The scene described had not occii-
pied two minutes. Mr. Mitchell was
at his side. as quickly as possible
and held q whisky flask to the mouth
b of the PROSTATE man, whose body
6 was already beginning toswell. Tht
liquor did no good In five minutes
) thepeddler was dead, so quickly had
e the poison worked. There wasnoth
d inc on the peddler by which he could
). be identified. In his pack was let
/, ter signed Nellie" evidently having
= been written by the little daughter
IS of the dead man. The body wa:
S buried dear the place. which sine
Ii then has been known by NenangC
70 people as dead Mans Spring"