The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-11-14
ANOTHER ONE HEARD FROM.
Snake Stories Coming In Lively from
IL Directions.

4
IL Directions.
Snakes seem to be plentiful this yea-
Following Mr.. Appleton's letter in yester-
days MORNING NEWS comes the iuforma-
ton that Mr.. II. B. Lemcke came near
losing his valuable Irish setter by being
struck by rattlesnake. Nothing but the
dogs iDtelli gencs saved him. John Ulmer
was hunting the dog, and was crossing the
Middle Ground road, about two miles from
/ the city, late in the afternoon, when be
/ came upon where a cOvey of quail
had been busting Themselves. Calling the
\ dog up be cast him on the scent, aud he
at once picked up the trail Of the running
covey. The dog had followed the trail but
a short distance when lie threw up his head
and pointed. Mr. Ulmer moved forward
to ''fush," when the dog whipped around
and came ''to heel" Nc. Ulmer. thinking
this very strange, kept the dog and looked
/ the ground over carefully, when he
| spied, directly in front of him, coiled
ready to strike, an immense rattlesnake.
Mr.. Ulmer fred, blowing the snakes
head to atoms The snake measured five
feet ard had fifteen rattles and button.
Mr.. Ulmer SAYS the snake did not spring
his rattle, and it Is the only case be has ever
known. He has killed many, and this is the
first instance he has ever known where they
did not give warning, as the snake was in
his coil ana looking directly at him.
The MORNING News mas printed accounts
OF the killing of several rattlesnakes
within short time IN the
nelghborhood Of Savannah. w. f.
Chaplin killed q big fellow at Monteith.
Mr.. Puerifoy, an engineer on the
South Bound, killed one near the
same place and brought it to town.
c. B.. Westcott killed one at Montgomery,
tue one which KILLED q. =. McAlpin's dog
I. ID. Murphy q over one III bis buggy on
the White Bluff road one day this week,
and had it killed. q. l.. Appleton killed a
big one, .Iear his house IN Bryan county,
Monday.
Mr.. LaFar, son Of Inspector LaFar, was
trying new rife on the Springfield place
day before yesterday, when he discovered
an immense RATHER in the grass, which he
dispatched at once. City Marshal Wade
reports that while he and party OF friends
were out in the country hunting one day
last month one of the party discovered
a RATHER almost under the feet
OF another one of the party and fired, blow
ing the snakes head off. Mr. Wade says
the snake was five feet long, as big around
as mans leg, and had seventeen rattles.
Probably 80 many rattlers were never
heard of SO late in the season. The unusual
| warmth Of the season is one cause.
Woodsmen say that owing to
the previous warm winter and
succeeding dry spring the snakes have null
| tiplied very rapidly. 1t is said that the
fence law is also one cause of the increase
by reason of the farmers being compelled
to confine their hogs, the greatest enemies
of the snakes.
Hunters say the rattlesnakes prey upon
the cartridges and frequent their haunts,
which accounts for SO many being found by
hunters and the loss of number Of valuable
| dogs. All the snakes killed were huge
fellows with a large number Of rattles,
none less than seven. The most remarka-
bic feature of the killing OF the snakes is
| that in number Of instances, if not ALL
the snakes did not sound their rattles
upon the approach of persons, nor
even before striking. 1t has al
ways been regarded as habit
| OF the rattleSnake to sound his rattle before
striking or on the approach of an enemy
Those vorsed in snake lore should offer
some explanation of the failure of the
snakes TO rattle Perhaps the lateness of
the season has something to do with it.
Until the first hard frost hunters had better
keep careful lookout for themselves and
\ their dogs