Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-07-16
THE SNAKES OF FRESNO.
Where Rattlers are Plentiful and De-
structive.
From the San Francisco F.smiper Jnlv 4

From the San Francisco Examiner, July 4.
John Muir, the noted geologist and natural
list who discovered the great Muir glancier in
Alaska and travelled for ten years in the Ser
ras while pursuing his chosen pursuit, arrived
here last night. A reporter found him in his
room at the Grand, note paper and pencils be-
fore him. He said he had Just come down from
his ranch at Mertinez to get little quiet while
completing his work on the sixteen volumes of
Picturesque California"
The greatest place know for snakes is in
Fresno county" said ne. Its hot there. and
that's just what snakes like. They are out in
the foothills mainly, and very thick 1t is often
said that rattlesnake can't hurt a hog. but
this Is mistake. They kill a great many hogs
and sheep and dogs, too, in the Fresno hills,
ana the mountalneers there are very careful
how they go about
1T makes good deal Of difference how thick
hog skin s. Probably little rattlesnALe, if
1t tackled a big swine, wouldn't have much
eject on 1t, but take an average-sized hog and
Inedium-s'zed snake, and the former has no
show at all. The hog dies just the same as a
man would-
while the rattlesnakes there are probably
not as To OK as they used TO be, they are thick
enough yet to make things lively. They kill
eotton-tall rabbits, squirrels, birds, and such
things by the score and live on them, but the
sheep and hogs they simply kill They don't
eat them. They are too big. Some of the
rattlesnakes are said to be . and feet long,
though / never saw any quite SO big.
An old resident of Fresno tells me he saw a
rattlesnake strike hog in the throat and the
latter died IN fifteen or twenty minutes III the
poison gets INTO them, II takes no time at all to
XII them There are many other kinds of
SNAKES there, but not so many as there are
rattlers.
In the upper end of the Yosemite valley
mere used to be and there yet a great
many OF the latter. They usually found in
the Wild, rocky spots. In the Yosemite above
MIR ror lake they were once very plentiful.
lone popularity OF rattlesnake is that if he
sees you first he will put his head down and
quietly steal away. l was once above Mirror
lake with party OF ladies and gentlemen and
away on, $50 or 200 yards away, saw some
thing that looked like a small hitching-post
II stuck some three feet or more up. / SAID TO
myself, can this be hitching-post In the grass?
The others thought it was, but / doubted IL
As we approached II went down gradually and
nnally stole away IN the grass. IL was a big
RATHER, and had been watching U.s.
The snake line h about $500 feet You
don't ind them in the Sierras above that The
Nevada RATHER, a rule Is a pretty good
natured fellow, unless you attack him. The
Nevada snakes look wise and are cunning and
persons are naturally afraid OF them. They
cefer try to get away unless they think they
are seen They vary in color from dark TO
yellow, but are mostly rather dark, with dark
notifies or blotches.
lay out alone, when night overlook me-
ior zen years IN the mountains. and was never
disturbed There are far more reptiles down
here In the city. l would rather brave ella
monsters and rattlers and wild Indians and
tarantuias than life IN the city"