The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-09-26
A RATrLERIN HER LUNCH PAsKEr.

A Scaoolma'am Bitten, but Her Life
Was Saved by Her Wickedest Pupil.
hartford. Sept. 19.-Ruth McDougal,
the prettiest schoolma'am in Hartford
county, lies on little cot at her Burnside
home-her cheeks pallid, great dark circles
under her eyes, and an ugly, green
lsh-yellcw spot on her right forearm.
She passed through a very unple6s-
ant experience yesterday morning. She
was bitten by a rattlesnake, then made very
drunk on whisky, and carried to her home
In springleSs wood wagon. Miss McDougal
is blue-eyed and 10, and began teaching the
young people who attend the Cottonwood
DISTRICT school in the village of Burnside,
five miles from this city, on Sept. 3 last,
when the fall term was begun. Her father
was killed on the New York and New
England road year ago, and since that
time she has been endeaYoring to support
her widowed mother.
Yesterday morning, while the dew was
vet on the grass, Miss McDougal started
from her home to walk to the schoolhouse,
nearly two miles away. Her journey led
through tire Burnside woods While pass
ing through this miniature forest she
esped some late fall wild flowers
growing about twenty feet from the path
side Miss McDougal loves flowers. and
she started to gather the blossoms, think
ing to place them in the belt that spanned
her slender waist. Before doing SO, how
ever, she placed her little lunch basket be-
side an old tree. This lunch basket, which
has for a fastening a dilapidated wicker
clasp, contained two boiled eggs, a cruller
or two, some cold meat, a paper of salt, and
bread and butter. The pI city schoolma'am
gathered the flowers, placed them in her
belt, picked up her lunch basket, and con-
tinued her journey to school.
The morning session being over, she
seated herself at her desk and prepared to
eat her luncheon. There were several
small boys In the room, who remained in
doors to their luncheon also. Miss Nc
Dougal reached for the basket, raised the
cover, and put one white hand into the re-
ceptacle. Then the small boys were startled
by loud scream. Looking up they saw
their pretty teacher standing in her chair.
while coiled about her right arm they saw
yellow-brown thing that squirmed
and hissed and shot out a long red
tongue. Willie Phelps, the best fighter
and the best speller In the school,
ran forward. He grasped the snake by the
tail and tore it from the teachers arm.
Then, with quick toss about his head, he
dashed it to the floor and stamped on its
head until it was dead. Then Willie looked
a5 Miss McDougal. She was lying PROSTATE
on the floor. He dashed water in her face.
and, seeing drop Of blood just above the
wrist of her right arm, he put his mouth to
1t and sucked at it vigorously. Then, being
boy of action, he called upon one OF his
sehoolmates to run to Meadows drug store,
half a mile away, get pint Of whisky, and
on his way back inform DIR. Childs of what
had happened. In less than half an
hour the schoolmate returned with
the whisky, which Willie forced
down his still unconscious teachers throat.
Not long afterward DIR. Childs reached the
schoolhouse and ordered her removed to
her home. Farmer Stoughton was passing
on his wood wagon at this time and volun-
teered to transport her. This he did. In
the meantime the teacher had regained her
senses, but she was drunk. To-day she is
sober. and the physician thinks that, owing
to Willie's prompt measures, she will live.
The snake, probably attracted by the smell
of cold meat or boiled eggs, evidently en-
| tered her lunch basket while she was pick
| ing wild flowers 1t measured feet 80
inches and had eight rattles. 1t is the first
rattlesnake found in the Burnside woods in
several years.