The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1892-08-24


There were three Of four Of them talk
ing, and one suggested that they find Ou'
who could tell the biggest impromptu
snake story. SO it was arranged that they
should get behind a petition wall in som
building and listen, without the knowl
edge of the fellow who talked. The man
who told the best story was to be pre-
sented with a leather medal. Colonies
Reed and Harris, stenOgraphcrs for the
Dukes were employed to take down YER
batim all hat was said.
Colonel Jim Southgate was the first
lie remarked that as he had always been
a prOhibitionist, he had seen but few
snakcs-yet he would say that one time
he saw a ra%ttlesnake in q field, climb up
on the back of a COW and get on her
neck and take a bell from around the
neck and strapped it on his tail. And
whenever the snake wanted to rattle it
would ring.
And Mr.. Colonel jim silently, like the
night, passed on.
Col. V. Ballard was next. He said
that he knew all about snakes-knew
when they started and where they came
from. He said that he was digging a
well once, and after getting down sixty
five feet he thought he struck water or
quick, sand. He yelled for them to haul
him up. Just as he alightcd safely on
terra iirma, the sand, as he supposed,
was coming out Of the well. He was re-
ally happy as he saw that he had struck
an a~ricsian well. But it wasn't. They
were snakes. Millions upon millions
and still they kept coming. And before
they were all out he declared they coy
cred the ground for many miles from
fifteen 10 twenty feet deep. He said that
all his ~neighbors had to sleep on the
roofs of their houses for two weeks, un-
til the snakes could crawl away.
And Mr.. Ballard with a look free from
guile walked away,
The next man was Henry Wise. He
said that one time when he was in Africa,
a snake twenty.seven hundred feet long
got after him. He ran two hundred
miles without stopping but the natural
fatigue in that terribly hot country
caused him to walk for a rest, and while
walking, the snake which seemed 10
have great speed overlook him. He
honestly affirmed that the snake could
talk, and merely said Excuse me
please, but | would like to borrow your
umbrella. Mr.. Wise loaned his umbrella
To the snake, and the snake thanked him
aud said he was sorry that he had put
him TO all that trouble.
The next gentleman was 4. T.. Lloyd
He said that he sold a man a very expen-
sive threshing machine, about two years
ago. He had, or was to have had, two
thousand bushels of wheat. lie wa busy
setting up some reapers in another part
of the country ami could not 20 out to
see them start OF. The man to whom he
sold il had never seen a threshing ma.
chine, but Mr.. Lloyd explained to him TO
feed it at one end, set a measure under
the spout and the wheat would come out
at the other end. They started the ma.
chine and the wheat did cot come GU
They kept trying and trying until about
fifteen hundred bushels had been threshed
and then, in desperation, sent for Lloyd.
He at once saw the cause. 4 snake ten
thousand feet long, with a hopper mouth,
had crawled up and was taking all the
wheat. Just as Mr.. Lloyd pointed out to
the man what was the matter, the snake
saw him point, and ~supposing he was