Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-06-30
HIS SNAKE RECORD.
a Georgian Who Does mot wish ID
i Pose rs Nrunehausen.

a Georgian Who Does not wish 90
Pose ms Munchausen. n
There Is citizen of Valdosta who has
had some startling experiences with poi
6onous snakes during his life. He is en-
firely responsible, does not like notoriety
and seldom talks Of his adventures with
reptiles, because he fears his recital OF
them would not be believed, and he does
not care to figure as Munchausen among
snake story tellers. i
Some time ago he was attracted by the
laughing of child who was at play in the
front yard. Looking through the window
he discovered to his horror that the child
was playing with great live rattlesnake, /
which sprang its warning rattle just as
the child was rescued from what would
have been certain death. Il
At another time recently, while wading
In branch, he stepped on large water
moccasin, and narrowly escaped being
bitten, as he had crushed the body OF the
reptile and aroused its wrath. II did show
fight, however, chasing him to dry land. Il
ION still another OCCASION" says this
hero of many battles with snakes, had
cause to tramp all day with some COM
panions in a swamp, and it was during
snake time Of the year. During that day
had the misfortune to step on as many
as three live and wriggling moccasins at
| usual to get off without having their
poisonous fangs struck into my flesh. No
other one Of the party had any such close
calls. 1t all fell to my lot. g.,
cat another time, while I was pushing
my way through a thick and Doggy
swamp, one Of my feet broke through the
moss-covered mud, and it threw me for
ward. caught at tussock just by me,
and threw my hand on a large moccasin.
1t hinched. but did not move. / was stuck
| in the mud. Its forked tongue flashed in
my face! could not get up without a
struggle, and I was afraid to make the
effort, fearing that a movement on my
part would bring a strike in the facet I
held my breath, while my hand went to
| my belt, and drew therefrom pistol. In
| an instant got in the first blow, and the
| snakes head went off. A friend stood on
| q tussock five feet away watching the
| tragedy-in one act.
Recently l was hunting COWS in the
pine woods. / rode mule. was going
| at slow lope. Suddenly the beast threw
its head down with snort and plowed the
earth with both fore hoofs in desperate
| effort to take up. I went over the horn Of
| the saddle and astride of the mules neck,
and would have pitched over my head on
the spot had not seized the animals ears
one in each hand, as struggled wildly to
prevent a fall. My head and chest went
full over its head, but my grip on the long
ears and my feet locked around it's neck
saved me for the time. Thus poised in a
ridiculous attitude, my beast regained it's
footing and then began backing and slam
ming me about against brush and sapling,
until rolled off on the ground. When I
gained my feet discovered a large rattle
| snake in a coil under palmetto bush, just
in front of the spot where the mule made
the desperate effort to stop. and if I had
gone over the animals head I would have
fallen head foremost upon the deadly rep
| tile.
more wonderful to relate, little tod
dler who was burdened with my name came
and went running around playing with it
until an older brother discovered the
child's peril and jerked it away from the
| snake.-Atlanta Constitution.