The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-03-21
A CURIOUS DINNER.
Blacksnake Was the Only Dish and 1t Was
Eaten Raw.

n COHtOOS DINN6h.
Blacksnake Was the Only Dish and 1t Was
Eaten Raw.
During the War of the Revolution.
while Washington's army was marching
through snow and ice in what was then
wilderness in New Jersey, three men,
who were members of the same regi-
ment, were lost in the woods. For
several days they wandered about in the
terrible cold, with scarcely clothing suf-
ficient to keep them from freezing, and
with no food. The granddaughter of one
of these men now lives in this city, and
tells this bit of interesting history.
which has been handed down to her
direct from her grandfather.
After wandering for three days with
out food or warmth, the poor fellows
began to weaken and stagger YEARLY.
1t was evident that they could live but
short time unless some assistance
should reach them. All three carried
their nguns, but fate seemed against
them. Not bit of game of any kind
could they find. At last, driven to des-
peration, they decided to cast lots to see
who should die that the others might
live. The lot fell on the grandfather
whose descendant tells this story.
1t was the morning before Christmas
that this took place, and when the man
whose fate had been sealed prepared to
give up his life, calmly and without
murmur. his companions refused to take
it, resolving to die themselves rather
than to eat their comrade. Just as they
were about to resume their weary
journey, weak land exhausted and
scarcely able to stand, huge blacksnake
crawled by them. Quick as a flash one
of the men pierced the reptile with the
bayonet of his gun. Snake flesh was
not thought to be very palatable, but
when hunger makes men desperate they
are not particular as to the quality OF
food they can get. So while his snake
ship was still wriggling on the ground,
an extremely unwilling prisoner, he
was carefully cut in three pieces, and
the three soldiers enjoyed their first
meal in nearly four days. This was
Christmas dinner which Grandfather
Boynton spoke of in after years as ''the
sweetest morsel of food that ever passed
my lips. Buffalo Express.
BRAZIL'S SENATORS.
Statesmen Who Hold Office for Life and
Die in Their Places.
"The Senate of the United States
presentsa remarkable contrast with that
of Brazil" said an attache of South
American legation to Washington Post
reporter, as he eyed critically the vari-
Gus Senators from the gallery. 81 have
heard great many remarks bordering
on reflections about the sleepy pro-
ceedings of the Senate, but to have that
adjective applied appropriately and lit
orally it should be transferred to the
Brazilian Senate. The cause of this
| fact is one which has been instrumental
in bringing about the revolution. In
Brazil Senators hold office for life, and
take so-called active part in the legis-
lation of the country so long as they can
be carried to the Senate chamber and
| sit up.
ga view of the Brazilian Senate re-
minds one of hospital for the infirm
and aged, with here and there man OF
some bodily vigor thrown in. AS rule
at least a third of the Senators are so
old that they fall asleep after sitting in
the Senate Cham Der for half an hour,
and even on important occasions of de-
bates it is impossible to keep them
awake long enough to hear the argu-
ments of the younger men, they never
attempting any thing like an address
themselves. remember on one occa-
sion counting thirteen of these aged
legislators sitting in their chairs asleep
while one of the ablest debaters was
addressing the body. Toothless, eyes
bleared, and the picture of corpses, many
Of them, they make woful group.
There are, of course, younger and ADLER
men in the body who do the real work of
enacting legislation.
Zone of the points on which the peo-
| pie of Brazil lay stress is that some COM
petitive system be adopted by which
live men will control the interests of the
country, and term of Office of four or
six years will not allow the present con-
dition of affairs there to be continued.
One of the first things anticipate hear
ing of the reorganization of the Brazil
ian government is change to correct
this evil
EIDECIRE HDANAArN-c