Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1889-07-27
DAN MlTcHELL,s CLOSE CALL.
Tie Believes Coal OIL Saved Ills Life. Even
is 1t Did Not Cure His Enltncss.

Tie Believes Coal OIL Saved Ills Life, Even
is 1t Did Not Cure Ills Enldncss.
Before Dan Mitchell, oncof tho best
known men in northwestern Pennsyl-
vania, was appointed captain OF police
IN Erie, he was L resident OF the oil
country. While prospecting for pc
troleum he had the narrowest escape
of his life, and lo has had many close
calls in the past twenty years. This
adventure with rattlesnake In We
mango led him 10 remove to Eric,
where there IRE no vcnenous serpents,
it beinga peculiarly of Erie county
that rattler WAS never seen on the
slope between the highest elevation
and the lake. All the rattlesnakes arc
on the southern slope OF the watershed.
Mr.. Mitchell had 10 go on foot
through Il wild part OF Nenango. ms
horse having been stolen the night
before The keeper OF the little log
hotel from which he started warned
him 10 look out for shakes. and he
took the precaution to encase his legs
in thick leather boots that were sup
posed TO be fang proof, 1t was eX-
tremely hot. and Mr.. Mitchell's cloth
ing was wet with perspiration after an
hours crowding through the tangle
of bushes and climbing over rocks.
When he came 10 Il stony road lead
ing around the hill he found Il snring
boiling from under;, ledge oI stone. 1t
was surrounded by Il fringe Of bushes,
through which there was an opening
Just large enough for the admission OF
Il 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 quenchcd his
thirst at the spring he resumed his
walk withsa sigh OF. satisfaction.
He had hardly tumledsthe corner OF
projecting bowltlersass large as a
cabin when lie heard a fiightfnl
scream. Going back, Inc saw u hor.
rible sight. a peddler liat! stopped
for Il drink as had Mr. Mitchell. When
his lips touched the watera great rat
nesnake buried its fangs iii the mans
neck. As lie jcrtcd himself out of the
reptiles lurking place l:e dragged the
snake with him. In :n instant lie re-
allied that lie was doomed. as tic poi
son was being carried through. his
body more swiftly because the venom
had entered near the jagu!ar vein. AS
Mr.. Mitchell came in sight the pcddlcr
was shricking and praying. The snake
remained 1T the edge OF tic spring, as
though determined 10 fight against
further intrusion, and, catching sight
of it, the pct!dlcr shouted:
Curse you! I'll kill you before |
die"
He grasped the snake IS he spoke
and received y second bite on the
hand. In his frenzy lie tore the snake
asunder, ground the head beneath his
heel, and fell to the ground.
The scene described had not occu-
pied two minutes. Mr.. Mitchell was
1T his side as quickly IS possible. and
held whisl:cy flask to the mouth Of
the PROSTATE man, whose body was
already beginning to swell. The
liquor did no good. In five minutes
the peddler was dead, SO quickly had
the poison worked. There was moth
ing on the peddles by Which he could
be identified. In his pack WAS q let
ter signed Nellie, evidently having
been written by the daughter of the
dead man. The body was buried near
the place, which since then has been
known by Vcnango people as dead
Mans Spring"
Mr.. Mitchell believes that had his
hair not been oiled with q preparation
OF petroleum he would have been bit
ten instead OF the peddler, as the
snake must have been III the mating
Of bushes when he bathcd his face.
His theory is that the reptile had
.dislike-ef the oil, and refused to
strike, and lie is convinced that petro-
leum saved his life, even if it failed to
cure lis badness. York Sun.