Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-10-27

sWe kin FIX them snakes eff you uns
IL do jes' es say"
Of course the committee was unani-.
nous on that point
''Wal, less go to Dillum's house. said
Jack, and off they went without ask
ing a question. for, although every body
was filled with curiosity to know what
Jack was up to, they knew him well
enough by reputation to satisfy them
that he had plan of some sort in his
head.
When they got into Dillum's yard
Jack told him to get two or three gal
Ions of lard; and while he was getting
the lard Jack set another of the COM
mittee to work heSving a wooden
trough out of a small six-inch log about
four feet long. Two or three others
were put to work getting out strips OF
timber about twenty-five or thirty feet
in length and three inches thick. These
pieces were dressed smooth OF one side
with plane, and then creased with
lard until they were smooth as glass.
''Pole, you bring that lard; an Bill
Wheeler and Hank Harris kin kerry
them poles. Gale, you ken fetch q
bucket nv pitch: an you, Tom Billups,
kin kerry kupple of mallets an stone
chisels,"
Wondering what in the name of Jim
Vance he wanted with all this stuff, The
men picked up their loads and started.
When they returned to the cliff Jack
sent every man out after pine knots.
These were fastened to the ends of long
poles and then lighted. With the burn
ing pine knots blazing at the ends of
the poles the committee assembled the
cliff. The rattlesnakes set up a terrific
racket, kissing and rafting, and laid
themselves out for a fight, but the
burning torches We're too much for
them and they broke for tEeir holes,
and in five minutes not a RATHER WAS
seen. AS soon as the coast was clear
fire was built to keep the rattlers off,
and then Jack set the men to work.
The broad. fiat stone, which was found
to be almost smooth, was, as they had
supposed. hung upon a stone near the
center which acted like pivot, allow
ing the stone to rise and fall nearly
three feet at a time. The long strips
of timber were plastered on one edge
with pitch, and then laid on the face of
the stone somewhat in the shape Of
', but with the apex left open to a
| width of about three feet at the lower
edge. The upper ends were ten feet
apart. The face of the stone and the
| smooth inner surfaces of the strips were
then coated heavily with lard. which
| the warmth of the broad surface soon
melted sufficiently to cause it to run
| and fill all of the little irregularities on
| the stone
Beginning at the sides of the strips
of wood about four or five feet above
the lower edge of the rock a shallow
groove was cut, terminating at point
at the lower edge of the rock. The
wooden trough was placed underneath
| the lower edge and the work was done.
| By that time the sun was disappearing.
I'VE kin all go home. now said
Jack, IAN we'll kun back in the morn
| in, an then you all will see fun"
BY daylight the next day Turkey
Bend. Niger Branch, Snake Ridge
and Simpson Creek had turned out en-
masse, filled with curiosity to see what
| '.all them contrapshuns Nv Jack Felrs''
meant The crowd gathered about
anxious and impatient.
"Wait till the sun gets hot" said
Jack, and as it grew hotter and hotter
the snakes could be seen collecting at
the mouths of the dens and crevices
until hundreds of rattlers lay about
and glided here and there Their rat
Ting sounded in the ears of the crowd
like the buzzing of dozen hives of
bees. Presently big RATHER crawled
to the top of the rock overlooking the
swinging stone, and began to rattle.
Then a couple of dozen snakes crept
out on the upper edge of the stone and
began to prepare for fun, but they were
mistaken in the sort OF fun they were
going to have, for no sooner had they
struck the creased surface than they
shot down one after another over the
rock, struck the edges walled up
by the wooden strips, shot back
| toward the center, and then off the
rock, sliding and slipping ten or fifteen
feet further on the sandy slope below.
| The sight SO astonIshed the big snake
| IN the rock above that he inadvertant-
iy began to rattle again, and that sign
| being understood by the snakes above
as call to crawl up and enjoy them
| selves, another squad crept upon the
rock. and away they went sliding down
| the incline The old fellow ratified again
| and again. and as fast as he gave the
call others crept up and took shoot
down the slide. By that time the first
8 Inv