The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-09-10
MYRIADS OF SNAKES.
They Overrun Portions Of the Keysto
State-Big Ones.l

They Overrun Portions Of the Ksyseor.
stste-Big Onss.l
READING, Pa, Aug. 8.-Blaoksuakea oon.
perheads, and rattlers have been unusualiv
plentiful throughout the Schuylkiu valley
this summer, creeping into peoples houses
on farms and in the country towns. crawl.
ing into kitchens, ooiling themselves up
comfortably in cupboards and closets. and
making themselves generally haunting
terror to timid housewives. Little Mary.
the twelve-year- daughter of N. p. Body.
at Lombard and Elm streets, this citv.
went to the cupboard at noon last Saturday
for some glassware to set ON the table.
Curled up in sauce dish on the shelf was
a copperhead three feet long, with head
erect and ready to spring. Little Mary told
her mother, and her mother called in
Bonneville Young, who happened to be
passing the house. He killed the reptile
with garden hoe after lively battle, in
which the snake jumped at him six times
and tried hard to bite. How the reptile
entered the house is not known. Last
Tuesday evening Ellen Wagner. daughter
of William Wagner, of Centreport, was at
tackled by copperhead while sitting in q
rocking chair on the front portico. Before
it could be dispatched it bit her twice, once
on the arm and once on the ankle. Il was
q serious experience, but she is recovering.
Mrs. William Bulbs, of Meckville, while
baking on Wednesday, had occasion to 10 to
the wood chest, and, in picking up some
sticks, disturbed fve-foot blacksnake
lying at the bottom of the chest. Her hus-
band killed it at one stroke.
Mrs. John Trostle, living near Adams.
town, was attacked by a six-foot blacksnake
in the woodshed next day. and had long
fight with it. It required all her efforts
and presence of mind to prevent it from
striking her in the breast and coilinp
around her waist. Finally she managed tc
dispatched the infurated reptile.
Henry Frozer, a tobacco farmer of Nor
gantown, Sunday last, killed with one blow
of his pruning knife, thirty-six copperhead
snakes. one old one three feet six inches
long, and thirty-fve young ones. Froze1
noticed that the snake was unaccountably
fat, SO he examined it carefully and
discovered the thirty five young ones inside,
all dead by the stroke that killed their
mother. They were five inches long.
Harry Mohl, of Drehersville, tuesday
captured four-foot-two-inch rattlesnake
alive on the Blue Mountain, which expresses
its dislike for mankind. with tail adorned
with thirteen rattles, thus proving its age
to be sixteen years. Mohl presented his
prize to John H. Baum, of Hamburg, who
will forward it to the Philadelphia zoologi-
cal gardens.
Milton Kaufman, of Shartlesville, on
Saturday last killed a copperhead and two
rattlesnakes. One of the latter had twelve
rattles and the other thirteen. A snake OF
unknown species, measuring 8 feet il
length, was killed on Monday by some civil
engineers on the Broad Mountain.
Samuel Gordon, of Churchtown. near the
Welsh mountains, yesterday dispatched 9
black-snake still larger by foot, il
measuring just feet, the largest recorded
80 far in these parts. Mr.. Gordon was
descending the northern slope of the noun.
tain in his carriage when he saw black
object stretched across the road. HI
stopped his horse and secured big stone
almost as heavy as he could handle: Re.
turning to the carriage, he drove on slowly
until Just in front of the monster, wheI
with accurate aim he let go the stone anc
struck the snake on the head. 1t leapeo
into the air feet and wricgled frightfully
but finally lay limp. Mr.. Gordon ther
drove over it and made sure that life wat
extinct. It's body was as thick as a mans
ankle.
E. +. Bertolette, while driving in Pike
township last week, dispatched copper.
head feet inches long and inches
around the thickest part of the body. Il
was the largest of that species killed in this
neiphborhoOd for many:yeArs.