Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-05-23
CCUIAs AND ss ES.
Uncle Jake Puts Up Ezts1e Job on the
 Boys.

1MNA@ Jake EH&G up m Little H0@ on tho
 Some of the boys had been out coon hunting on Jim's mountain and they had taken twenty-eight coons ont of one tree. Such a run of luck seemed unprecedented and so one of them asked Uncle Jake Shibler how it was. :.
 tHah!'' said Uncle Jake. ssThe things ez clear ez ice. If any O you fellers'll jist take the trouble to investi- gate you'll find that the tree that shed all O them coons is holler. Holler trees is where coons live durin' the winter, jist ez many ez kin comfbly pile in together. Now them twenty eight coons that you gathered in was lookin' up winter quarters. Some on 'em, mebbe had nestled in that same tree afore.
 sThey happened to all meet there to- gether about the time the first dogs struck the tree. Now, why wasn't them coons in the holler O that tree? We'll, if you'll take the trouble to investigate you'll find Chat the holler had been took up previously by family or so O blacksnakes. I hain't sure, but Pm willin' to bet farm that you'll find a couple of O dozen, mebbe, of black snakes huddlin' in that holler. Now. coons hain't the kind O critters that'll stoop so low ez to bunk in with snakes, an so them twenty-eight didn't choose quarters in that tree. The dogs kim 1 along ez they was considerin' what they had better do, and of course, ez long ez the dogs was there no coon would leave the tree till he was forced to.
 'That's all there is to them twenty eight coons bein' in one tree. You'll find it's so if you take the troublesto in- vestigate. I knocked twenty-nine coons out of holler chestnut tree wunst. They was fillin' the limbs jest ez the coons O your'n was. Mex mornin' cut hole in the tree, near the bottom an lit some straw an stuck it in the hole. kep' the fire goin' lively, an it wasn't long before black snakes began to come out of the holler,at the top, and thrashed the life outen thirty-three big ones-over two hundred and fifty feet O black snakes, I'll bet farm. Sump'in like that's what you'll find in your tree if you take the trouble to in- vestigate."
 That information of Uncle Jalke's set me to thinking that there might be l got Sam Gruly and twoor three more of the boys to go over with me and test Uncle Jalze's idea about the tree. We built a fire, and it wasn't long before that tree was about as lively sight as one would care to see. Black snakes { began to boil over at the top of the hol- low trunk and come wriggling and con- torting themselves to the ground. l Forty-three immense fellows were routed out and only two got away. After the snake colony had been routed out we went back feeling jubilant, and warmly congratulated Uncle Jake on his knowledge of coon and snake lore.
 ''Oh, I knowed you'd find it that way if you took the trouble to investigate" said he. But you're pack of disgust ed idiots for doin' it.''
 "How's that9'' says Sam Gruly, in sur prise.
 "'Cause if you'd left them snakes in the holler," replied Uncle Jake, you'd a found another wagon-load O coons holdin' council in the tree tonight, an I'll bet farm on it!'
 ''So it seems that in wanting to get too much fun out of that tree we spoiled heap of it, but that was the funniest coon hunt ever heard of."-N. Y. Sun