The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-07-31
TRUE SNAKE STORIES.
One Man Who Sees No Obi ect in
Lying About Reptiles.
Facts Are Sufficiently Interesting When
Properly Presented-How Buck Bat.
tied Successfully With Rattle
snake-Other Truths.

| never could understand or appre-
ciate the propensity so common among
people otherwise reliable, to lie about
snakes. when the plain truth relating
to the disgusting reptiles would be as
marvellous and interesting and of some
value in acquainting us with their nat
ure and habits.
In 1872, our city, says a Virginia
Oils correspondent of the St. Louis
Republic, having established new
cemetery, many of our people, living
both in and out of town, removed into
it the remains of their dead. who had
in years passed been buried around in
rural burying-grounds, on farms, and
about cross-rOad churches Among
these removals was the body of an old
and much-respected citizen who had
been buried in the country not quite a
year before and was taken up for
transplanting during the January
thaw. His coffin was home made
one of the old-fashioned sort-con-
structed of walnut plank and neatly
covered all over with black velvet. 1t
had been buried in fve-foot grave,
in strong box of oak lumber, resting
in that on strips three inches thick
placed under each end, leaving clear
space of three inches between the
bottom of the coffin and the floor of the
wooden vault. When the dirt had been
thrown out of the grave and the lid of
the oaken box taken up the workmen
and relatives present were much as
tonished to see the coffin bare-com-
pletely denuded of every vestige of its
former velvet covering-and much they
marveled that this material should de-
compose and totally disappear in so
short a time. But when the coffin was
lifted out the matter was explained.
The space between its bottom and the
floor of the outer box was filled with
the velvet covering torn in shreds, and
in this soft mass they found a huge
black snake sound asleep or in pro-
tracted trance. A knot-hole was found
in one plank of the box, and through
this the repulsive creature had no doubt
gained ingress to his comfortable win
ter quarters. Instinct is said to be
merely inherited experience. This
may be true, but the sagacity exhibited
by this reptile in finding that knot
hole down below the frost line, and in
making such elegant and elaborate ar
engagements for its Information. must
surely border upon the realm of rea-
son.
Many years ago, when quite young
man, | was on one occasion, with several
companions, on a hunting expedition
in the American bottoms, not far from
old Fort Charities. In the course of a
calm, clear day in autumn, while still
hunting for deer, l had stopped to rest
In the shade of Il pecan tree at the
edge of the prairie. The silence that
prevailed as seated myself at the
foot of the tree was broken only by the
twittering of a startled bird or the
buzzing of a mosquito when suddenly,
from a little thicket of persimmon
trees few feet away, came peculiar
sound as though some one was striking
the ground with stick or pole, as in
the act of killing snake. The strokes
were repeated in quick succession for
Blk or eight times, and ceased for q
ie" hi.huses, then were again repeated
as before. listened to this strange
NOISE Tor some time, trying in vain to
account for it. Familiar as was With
the woods and lakes and prairies Of
this, my native county, and with all
the denizens that inhabited them, from
the deer down to sand gnats, could
think of no bird, beast or reptile capa-
Bile of making such noise as that.
Entering the miniature grove cautious
ly with gun in hand, / presently found
the object of my search. Stretched
at full length on the ground was bull
snake nearly six feet long. About
the place where his stomach should
have been-and was--his body was
Mlged out disproportionately, render
lng 1t apparent that he had that morn
ing been lucky enough to find his
breakfast. A few moments observa-
non made it apparent also that there
nad been some error in his diet, and
mat In consequence, he was suffering
sae pangs of dyspepsia, or had a spell
~ 'ne collie, for presently he raised
;ue bulge in his body six or eight
s ~ and suddenly brought it down
~ ~ Tue ground with vigorous force,
srss movement be repeated several