West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1892-02-11
THE WINTER SNAKE.
He Makes His Scmi.0ccasIonal Visit
In BraxtOn County.


In BraxtOn County.
The winter snake has made its
appearance in Braxton county,"
I'd Braxton man at the Hotel
; nthern the other day.
The what 9'' inquired an inouis
1--WE drummer.
= Never heard of the winter
snake p asked the Braxton county
man.
Never. Tell us about him. {"
" Curious kind of reptile is thai.
winter snake" said the man from
the interior. Z" You see it Of
e'nrse makes its appearance in thu
winter, and like the seventeen wear
i'rust II only comes semi OCCASION
ally. This is the. second time ~
nv recollection it has appeared in
Braxton. They are generally
about six or eight feet long LIT
Sometimes reach forty feet in
length. The one that recently
appeared in Brax;on measur, d
thirty nine fest and two inch, 8. !"
4" Right smart OF snake" said
poddridge county farmer who
was industrially picking his teeth.
" Oh, somewhat" said the Brax
I'm county man. 4" You see the
inter snake Is in all respects n
winter reptile. Snow and ice are
his especial favorItes and he fairly
yels In 'em. He will scooi
through the snow and slash il
bout until you would think n
cyclone was about to knock a holc
u she center of the universe. And
SKATE You ought to see winter
snake skate ; why he will shoot
ABOUT on the ice for hours and 90
hsswift as arrow that was ever shot.
take him all in all the winter
snake is the boss rel tile of the
whole creation"
Tell us about the one That re
Gently appeared in your county"
L.'id all interested stranger.
Ell, you see me and Bill
Cine 1.-Two in about the widest part
Vi The county and Bill heard the
other day that some deer had
appeared in the neighborhood. so
lie takes down his old rifle and con
eiuded he'd go out and get some
fresh meat. Something seemed to
say to bim that he had better take
an old navy revolver nc had m the
house with HIM. so he loaded it up
and stuck it in his hunting shirt belt
anu that's what saved his life
You see he was slipping round
pint looking for deer when he
heard the awfullest cracking behind
hlDI immaginable, and then he seed
snake rushing right on him AZ
big round az hegs-head with its
mouth wide open showing a cavlt,
h'g enough to take in an OK. Bill
didn't have time to run or ANYTHING
else and the next second he Wa
Toiug down that snakes throat az
slick AZ 'lasses. II just flashed
into his mind that if he got far
enough down INTO the snake its
gastric jnice would soon do him mn
~ he just stuck ont both arms and
legs and succeeded in stoppipg
himself in its throat. The snake
kept opening and shutting IT'S Jaws
and clashing its big faugs toy, thor
and every time it did it Bill c3uld
sec the daylight and get a lit'lc
fresh air. Then he thought Of biz
revolver and said 20 himgelf n !
don't stir MP The internal organize
ton Of that snake then there ia no
berenfter? And accordingly hc
ln'led ont The weapon and fred I'm.
- The deep DIRK cavern ahcld o.
lin. and il wac then The ci,ens
g 'nmenced. That snake inst
tfooa right up OF toe PINT u ito
f'l end its head lowered up among
30 trees like the trunk of on OH
ok tree. and 'bcn it Jumped Gf,v
feet info The air and came down on
tae ground and made tho earth
shake anil the trees tremblo ike
ihoy do 10 a big storm. ,prrfv
veil done sud 1871. "guoss I5i
NV YOU again, and ;hen Ae let Tho
Old res, DIVER oH second time
This time thg snake coiled fseif