Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1889-07-31
A Snake Story.


was small boy, piece of woods and
marsh along little stream known a;
Woodruff's creek, in Brighton, Liv'
ingston county, Michigan, was invest
ed with snakes of many species, both
harmless and venomous.
One early June day while planting
potatoes in a field adjoining this woods
discovered, bene ath a clump OF
shrubs, beautiful blue racer about
20 inches in length. Desiring to show
the little thing to my mother, and
having ring upon my little finger, |
tied string to it, fastened the loose
end by an easy bow-knot to one of the
shrubs and then pushed the ring over
the snakes head to its neck, which il
fitted perfectly-the ring had been
worked out of a silver 5-cent piece by
my cousin and my initials cut upon
it by him.
AT noon, proceeding to my suppos-
ed wriggling prisoner, l found that it
had disappeared, taking with it the
string and the ring. The snake had
evidently and cleverly siezed the end
of the string, pulled it, unloosened the
knot and escaped to the woods. OF
course / did not care much about the
snake, as l saw others ofits kind every
day, but l did feel sorry over the loss
of my ring.
Six years afterwards, rambling
through the same woods, cunning for
rabbits, the sharp and peculiar bark
ing of my dog quickly brought me to
the foot of small oak tree; looking
up, imagine my astonishment to see
coled about its branches an immense
blue racer, with large silver band
about its neck, and dangling from it
rope an inch thick and at least 10
feet in length. The dog caught the
rope and tugging at it greatly annoy
ed and angered the reptile, with eyes
glistening, tongue darting, and tail
humming, its coils seemed to loosen
aud it appeared about ready to drop
to the ground. Instantly realizing
my personal peril, placed my gun
to my shoulder, took aim, pulled
the trigger, and down tumbled the
monster with its head full of shot,
lis writings and death agonies were
terrible to behold, even from the place
to which | had hurriedly retreated as
soon as the fatal shot was fired. The
snake was dead in ten minutes. U
state the time precisely, because, con-
sidering the incident of great import
ance, | was careful to make memo
radum then and there from my watch. }
Always carrying tape line l took its
dimensions, and they were as follows ::
Length, 13 feet ) inches diameter of
neck, 5 inches Of main part of body,
II inches distance between tips Of
jaws when fully extended, 10 inches;
If astonished before, try to contem-
plate my amazement when, upon ex-
animation of the band about the rep
tiles neck, l found it to be solid silver
and containing initials (although cor
respondingly larger) exactly the same
as those placed upon the little snakes
neck six years before, and the rope
seemed to be of the same material as
the string then used.
But my amazement was not to end
here. A peculiar motion in the body
of the dead monster attracted my at
tenton, and then, happening to re-
member that in cases of danger snake
lets ran down the throat of their
mother for security, | made a long
cut in the belly part of the snake,
when out ran seventeen small snakes
about foot in length, on the neck of
each of which was a small ring con-
tanning the same characteristic initials,
and attached to little string precise
ly like that first referred to.
My dog soon dispatched this re-
markable progeny, and, securing the
rings and strings / returned to the
old homestead well satisfied with my
days adventures. Surely
Nature moves in mysterious way
It's wonders to perform.
This great snake and the incidents
proceeding and connected with its
death constituted a sensation in the
neighborhood and surrounding coun-
try the like of which has never since
been experienced. | know it will be
hard for some to believe that the fore-
going is truthful statement, but peo-
pie of these days must not forget that
some very strange things occurred in
the pioneer times of Michigan.
In conclusion all | can say is that
those who doubt the truthfulness of
this narration of actual experience
can be satisfied by inspection of the
rings, rope and strings, now carefully
preserved in my cabinet of curiosities
at Detroit, Mich. h.-Fraucis Granger,
in Detroit Journal.
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