, 1891-07-25
ONE MANS SNAKE RECORD.

True History of "A Georgian who Does
Not Wish to Pose as a
There is a citizen of Voldosta who has
had some startling experiences with
poisonous snakes during his life. He is
entirely responsible, does not like no
toriety and seldom talks of his advent
ures with reptiles, because he fears his
recital of them would not be believed,
and he does not care to figure as a Mum
chausen among snake story tellers.
Some time ago he was attracted by the
laughing of a child who was at play in
the front yard. Looking through the
window he discovered to his horror that
the child was playing with a great live
rattlesnake, which sprang its warning
rattle just as the child was rescued from
what would have been certain death.
At another time recently, while wad-
ing in a branch, he stepped on a large
water moccasin, and narrowly escaped
being bitten, as he nae crushed the body
of the reptile and aroused its wrath. 1t
did show fight, however, chasing him
to dry land.
"On still another occasion" says this
hero of many battles with snakes, chad
cause to tramp all day with some ON
panions in a swamp, and it was during
snake time of the year. During that
day l had the misfortune to step on as
many as three live and wriggling moe
casins at different times, but had the
good luck, as 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.
"At another time, while 1 was push
ing my way through a thick and Doggy
swamp, one of my feet broke through
the moss covered mud, and it threw me
forward. l caught at a tussock inst by
me, II threw my hand on a large moe
casin. 1t tiinched, but did not move. l
was stuck in the mud. Its forked tongue
flashed in my facet 1 could not get up
without a struggle, and l was afraid to
make the effort, fearing that a move
ment on my part would bring a strike
in the face. l held my breath, while my
hand went to my belt, and 1 drew there
from a pistol. In an instant l got in the
first blow, and the snakes head went off.
A friend stood on a tussock five feet
away watching the tragedy-in one act.
Recently l was hunting cows in the
pine o 1 rode a mule. Twas going
at a slow lope. Suddenly the beast threw
its head down with a snort, and plowed
the earth with both fore hoofs in a des-
perate effort to take up. 1 went over
the horn of the saddle and astride of the
mules neck, and would have pitched
over my head on the spot had mot seized
the animals ears, one in each hand, as I
struggled wildly to prevent a fall. My
head and chest went full oven its head,
but my grip on the long ears and my feet
locked around its neck saved me for the
time.
THUS poised in a ridiculous attitude,
my beast regained its footing, and then
began backing and slamming me about
against brush and sapling, until | rolled
off on the ground. When l gained my
feet l discovered a large rattlesnake in
coil under a palmetto bush, just in front
Of the spot where the mule made the des-
perate effort to stop, and if 1 had gone
over the animals head 1 would have
fallen head foremost upon the deadly
reptile. ?
More wonderful to relate, a little
fodder who was burdened with my name
came across a rattler ne'day and picked
it up, and went around playing with it
until an older brother discovered the
child's peril and jerked it away from the
snake. ATLANTA Constitution.