The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1892-10-29

stop reupluR one DAY because a biz
rattlesnalSc objected 20 the passing ~
the machine al the same tino he him.
self was going across the Held aud
pitched into IT, The result was that
the snake got tangled up m The
cutting bar and cloggei up the
knives SO that they could not
work. and tho rcaper and thc
team had 10 stand idle for an hour or
more while the shattered romaias 81
the snake were picked and dug out Of
the machine. one day recently
Farmer Ansley haa hanging IN bs
orchard nine handsome specimens oi
what his rattlosunhe crop would be II
It should ho gathered These ninc
were killed because their presence IN
certain localities on the farm delayed
the work of the hired men
Farmer Ansley has decided opinions
about the ability Of ruttlesnabes ai
least those that grow on his farln-tu
do extraordinary things, ami one q
those Is an operation In oplidian sur
gerry, in the successful performance oi
which, as wonderful as It Is, Farmer
Anslcy is not only willing but appar-
emily anxious 10 back up any oi his
snakes with money.
"rhcres one ot my sunscs now"
said the farmer the other day. speaking
about his dens To number of curl ioua
callers, AS big, baghthned. Gery.
eyed rattlesnulee crnwlcd iudolpntly
under rail fence aud ont to the road
side, where lie paused 70 bask IN the
sun "Now, iii bet any Of you an
even ten dollars that | cnn cut that
snake lin two with au AK, place the
, two parts ten feet from each other.
leave them there. and IN tan hours
] time the part with tho head 90 wi
have come back to the other half
showed It's cut end against tic cut cnd
Of the piece with the tail on, and by an
operation Of its own win have cemcnted
or grown itself toy ,thcr again so TINT
it can travel away just as good snake
.Is II ever wns."
There either was not ten dollars
among the visitors or any one Of them
who had the amount was afraid 10 take
the bet, for IL was not taken
"Ill bet you two dollars, said one Of
the party.
mo, sirr' said Farmer Anslcy. ~
i
strain OF that operation for less than
ten dollarsl"
So the men came away They were
from Roulette, and when they arrived
home aud told the story Of Farmer
Ansley's bet they were glnd he hadn't
taken him up on the two-dolar bet
they offered to make, for Dan llanley
told them something that convinced
them that II Farmer Anslcy Ind taken
them up be would have won the stake.
Dan lIanley is the village blacksmith.
lie Is wcll-to-do citizen, and his word
has never been questioned IN the com
munity--at least 1t never had been up
to that time. II IL has suffered any
since then the fact rs due entirely TO the
circumstance that snakes are able 10 do
queer things.
''There Ia no doubt that the rattle
snake could have done Just what Farm
er Ansley offered TO bet IL could" said
Blacksmith lIanley II know IL from
what have seen myself wns sitting
on my stoop one day, when one Of these
common garter snakes cnme out OF the
grass on TO the walk. ! had hoe in
my hand and got up and whacsed tho
!
the tail on sqnirmcd about good bit,
but the part that had the head on
wriggled away us lively as could be
and hid under a board. sat there
awhile. somewhat surprised at what
had seen, and by and by | saw the
head Of the snake peek out from under
the board. Pretty soon the snake camc
boldly out and made It's way with that
part OF its body 10 where the other
half lay. II backed itself up against
the severed end Of the other part,
pressed the two ends together and
then bent It's head buck to the place OF
separation, and with is mouth and
tongne covered the wound with slimy
substance all around about the severed
spot. II plastered itself in this way
for a minute or more, then straight
ened out and lay quiet for some time.
Then the snake started away, appar-
emily as whole and firm as IL was be.
fore chopped the hoe through il. and
disappeared In the grass and bushes.
Another time ! came across "A snake
that had been cut IN two OF squashed
in two by something, I don't know
what Now that snake had been hurt
IN such a way that It was unable 70
turn Itself and perform the surgical
operation had seen the garter snake
perform; but another snake was there.
and was trying 10 do the act for the
severed snake. The well snake worked
with u will, trying TO join the two
parts Of the other one by plastcring the
wound with It's mouth and tongue. Tho
effort was a failure, though, and after
awhile the good Samaritan snake gave
up the attempt and went away. have
a witness to the garter snakes mend
ing Of itself and ] will 60 with any
one and make affidavit 10 both Of these
queer snake doings The snakes
weren't rattlers. Of course; but II com
mon, everyday, no-account snakes are
able 70 doctor themselves up IN this
way, how can anyone dare 10 doubt
that wide-awake, giftod snake like a
rattlesnalse can do it2''
And there the subject rests at pres
ent. But the party who visited Farmer
Ansiey are congratulating themselves
that there are two dollars more 10
Roulette than there would have been
If the farmer had taken the bet, and
shuddering TO think that there might
have been ten do lars less in town Il
| thew had foLev, 4ha fa,-,.,Ia f.s,t II