Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1890-08-18
SNAKES AFTER HONEY.
Soven Big Elbows Ereak Up q
Colony Of Beoa
Extraordinary Adventure or Two Penn
sylv"nin BarIS-rcelors - Blac!ysn,Is.s
Evidently Know Gooi Thing
Whom They Have Tasted 1T

A cup Of maple strip attracted some
wild honey bees to where Horace ID.
HaincS and Joel A. Mott were eating
their dinner in !. hcml0ck forest. down
i'll Spring Brook township, ono day last
week, writes tho Now York Suns Scran-
ton (Pa.) correspondent. Tho men had
been sla9hing down track Of timber
ard pccling tho bark from it, and they
were taking their incoming just In tho
edge OF the adjoining tract, where it was
shady and cool. Tho bees settled on tho
rim Of tho strip cup until it was black
with them, and Haincs noticed that each
bee as soon as it had slipped it's fill Of
swcCts shot away into the forest in tho
Same direction. Thinking that no
might find Il big bco tree without much
trouble, Naincs watched the insects
carefully, and in short time lined
them u q large hcmlock that stood only
few yards from tho edge of the slash
ing.
About seventy feet from tho ground
thCro was hole in tho trunk, into
which the bees disappeared. That was
all right so far, but when Haines had
rot close to the tree and taken a sharper
look, he saw good portion Of the body
Of large snake swaying back and forth
from the holC, as though it was going to
drop IIaincs then yelled to Mott to
come and 500 tho snake. At tho sound
Of his voice the reptile drew itself into
the hOlo for u moment, but crawlcd out
again and let nearly three feet OF its
length hang down close to the bark by
the timc Mott got thoro.
Tho barE-pcclcrs had " shotgun out in
tho slasiing and Mott went after it.
IIaincs remained at the foot Of the hem
loci. While Mott was gone the snake
wound it's head end around tho trunk
and Grow its tail from the hole. Then
it wrapped its tail around the tree lower
down and let it's head drop, getting an
other hold with it's head end as before,
and then lowering it's tail again. Sec
ing that the snake was coming down
head over tail ut n pretty fast clip,
l!&inCS grabbed n club and waited for it.
When it, had slid down TO point about
as high as he could reach, Ilaincs let ny
with tho club, and tho snake dropped
and went to sGi, ming around on tho
moss. liaincs quickly mashed it's head
and '..rctChCd il out straight, and then
no found that he had killed q blar;1-
snake that was eight cctand two inches
long. The barl:-pcclcrs dragged the
snake away from tho tree and Sat down
on Il log. Willie they sat thcro still
larger blCckSnakc crawlcd out of tho
bushes and started up tho bee tree in n
spiral course. There was bullying spot
in tho reptiles body just below its neck,
and Mott ran up and banged away at tho
l,tl,r
feet from the ground. ii fell from tho
trcc dead, and IIaincs ripped open tho
bulge and took out II crushed clIipmun!l
that the snake had evidently lust swal-
loved. IhlS snake was eight feet and
ten inches long.
Very few bees wcro going in and com
ing out Of the hole in tho tree, and tho
barli-pcClCrs." aIno to tho conclusion thai
tho l@cI.5n&llcs had ruined tho colony
end that it was more than likely tho
snakes had nest in tho hollow trunk
Tho hCmloCl was sound ut tho butt ani
as high as the men could reach with or
axe. and there vas no way for the snake:
to reach tho hollow part except from tho
! outside. The bark-pcclcrs resolved t.
chop tho trco down Mott put hi,
charge Of shot into the gun, and the1
they chopped the tree so that it fell up
hill. The moment it struck Mott ran III
and stuck his jacket into tho hole, Will,
Iiaincs sounded tho trunk all tho wa,
up. lilo found it to DO hollow only fou
o. five feet below tho opening. Jus
above tho bottom OF tho hollow HI
chopped ont big chip and lad baro
lot Of rotten heart and somo honcycomb
Mott fired into tho hole, and out popped
five largo blacksnalies. Each reptile
had boon we'll pcppcred with shot, ant
tho mon quickly clubbcd and stampet
thcm to death. Then 1Iaincs choppct
tho hollow bare on ono sido clear III
to tho original hole. They didn't fine
any moro snakes, but thoro was big 10
OF comb in tho hollow and worry fow bees
showing that big colony Of honey gath
errors had dwclt in the tree before til
: pnnlroa had to vnoen.oioo