The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-10

making down the river 1t was appar
emily two feet or more in diameter, and
its head rose twelve feet above the water.
On the bank of the river are two large
maple trees by actual measurement ll9
feet inches apart from outside to out
side. When seen by Davis the erected
portion of the monster was perhaps ten
feet below the lower tree, while the tail
was, he thinks, a few feet north of the
upper tree. Mr.. Davis thinks without
doubt the monster was at least $50 feet in
length, with chances that it was from TO
to 20 feet longer.
Thinking that the serpent had left its
haunts, by reason of the long-Cnntinued
drought, and was seeking new fields, and
that probably it would pass Mantua Sta
ton in the early evening, Davis rushed to
the house, informed his wife of his dis
covery, and requested her to inform the
neighbors, while he hurriedly harnessed
his horse and started for Mantua Station,
first, however, preparing his trusty gun
for the fray. A little way south of
Davis residence is a deep ravine leading
to the river, across which the narrow
road runs, and so densely wooded with
brush on either side that it is twilight at
midday When Davis had reached the
foot of the north hill there was an awful
hiss, tremendous cracking of brush,
and his horse became unmanageable and
dashed across the rdvine and up the oppo-
site hill, when by some means Davis was
thrown out and rendered unconscious, and
was found an hour or so later by neigh
bOrS who were following on just as he
had recovered consciousness. After re-
covering the horse they concluded it was
TOO late to follow further and they re-
turned to their homes to discuss the event
Of a lifetime.
Years ago the Rapids was a thriving,
prosperous village. 1t had as good a
water power as there was in the country.
There was a large Touring mill, the pat
rOnage of which extended for miles
around. There was large lumber mill,
wooden mill, stores hotels, and numerous
mechanics. The mill dam was a source
of contention between the owners and
the people above, the owners of the
marsh and the lands alongside. 1t was
claimed that the dam oVerhowed the
marsh which covered thousands of acres
on either side of the river, and extended
north TO a short distance beyond Burton,
and even into ClaridOu. The water above
the Rapids is deep and sluggish, caused
by the natural dam Of rocks of the rapids
"a tit oode for such a monster. A long
and expensive litigation followed,
ending in compromise by
which the owners of the marsh be-
came owners of the mills. An incendiary
applied the torch and the splendid mill
was in ashes. The dam rotted away, but
still the waters covered the marsh. There
was an outlay of several Thousand dollars
to blast a channel through the rocks of
the rapids in order to draw the deep
water above, but without avail, save to
hasten the lowering of the water in times
Of foods. The drying up of innumerable
springs, and perhaps the channel above
referred to, together with the long con-
tinued drought, so dried up the marsh as
to make the stay of the monster unnat-
uril as it probably cannot long remain
on dry land.
Parties are being organized to hunt the
monster, and if it is yet in the marsh we
shall expect soon TO hear Of its capture.
Mrs Comehome-You say you are a good
washer and ironer; how do you tell when the
irons are too hoty
servant docking for a place)-Howg BY
smelling the burning linen, mum of course