The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-04-10
A Rock That Yields Snakes and n Mine OF
Snakes Eggs.

Snakes Eggs.
II want to get up into Bill Van Fleets back
meadow in few days to see his famous snake
rock open up" said John Gilbert. the travel
ling groceryman. That's the greatest curl
osity ever struck in that part OF Pennsylva-
mia. and haven't missed enjoying it every
spring for ten years and more. 1t will begin
to open up before long II tho weather keeps
mild. and people will be going from miles
around to have their sport at the snake rock.
They first discovered tho capacity OF this
rock In Bills back meadow about twenty
years ago. and 1t has never weakened Bit in
all that time. 1t Is about twelve feet long.
three feet above the ground. and full OF ifs
sures. These assures arc perpendicular. and
lead down the face OF the rock. apparently. as
far as 1t goes in the ground. How far that is
don't know. Nobody had ever noticed that
the rock had any more points than any other
rock In that locality. and there are plenty Of
rocks there to choose from. until one day.
something like twenty years ago. man who
was working for Van Fleet was walking by 1t.
along in April and saw u big milk snake COM
ing out OF one Of the assures. The man stood
watching this snake ms 1t drew itself out OF the
crack. and wasn't great deal surprised when
he saw another following 1t from tho rock.
But when right behind the second snake.
snakes Of all sorts and sizes began to issue
from the assures the hired man picked up his
feet and hurried to the house. He told Van
Fleet what the old rock in tho back meadow
was doing. and they both went back with
fails. and when they had killed 225 snakes
the rock yielded to them they got tired.
There was blacksnakes. rattlesnakes. milk
snakes. garter snakes. copperhends. blowing
Adders. and think fow other varieties and
fHhe sy were nI coming from the rock when Van
vent went up to the meadow and added 300 morS
the rock Kept shedding snakes. and Van Fleet Feet
How many got away they could not tell.
snakes out into Van, Fleets meadow lust rs
lIbera!ly as II had tho year before. and al
tthIi2,ngh the farmer spent most Of the month in
smaller any spring since OF course ne fame
back sss & meadow as regularly as Aprl comes t9
'2Rf ths% Been
shere sRis Year. fse y Sleasht any away tro%
s'k f. RSs' saaq 0 Ssd f 9So
skins SIX instead Of giving them away could have
s 0f snse GSt tsa
snake that come out Of It svery W spring; no
CCuo hao oNoi .ycLscbu u blHklb hudh6 70 INTO
they get there without, discovery Is, a mystery
wat wat NJ no one up there has been able to solve
season When I Yields Is crop aes '' Souldns
Then there IL another interesting thing up
sas ha Locality h Dennis
do for Van Fleets snake bearing rock. This
snake-egg mino Is Of recent discovery. A
couple OF years ago OSullivan was digging out
dirt on his farm where bridge crossed q
creek on his promises. He unearthed lot Of
eggs. but with soft she'll He broke one OF
them opon and found inside OF 1t q little snake.
curled up snugly. Tho snake was. alive. and
when taken to a warm place it uncuried
itself and developed q length of more thar, six
inches. Then O'Sulivan counted the collec.
ton OF eggs he had uncovered and found that
no had 800 Of them. Every one tina. he broke
had living snake In it He smashed u couple
OF bundled OF them and took the rest home
ana put them In box. Matched them out. and
kllled the snakes as they appeared. He dug
up after that peck OF snakes eggs. and as he
destroyed them ail he thought there would be
was called upon To kill $50 mature water
snakes. that season near whore he had I'M
covered the egg mine he concluded that there
must have been an important lead In the
mine that he hadn't struck. He was sure OF
y when durinE the same season his two boys
killed BIS Of the same Kind OF snakes; and
Syen,the family cat discovered and captured