The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1893-10-21
AT HUCKLEBERRY HILL.
nartierS Cause Trouble and Ter
rify Grandpa Conner.

rily Grandpa Conner.
Every year people flock to Huckle
Derry hi. from away up in Steubel
county, N. T.; from clear over in Nc
Aean county, the furthest parts of Pot
Yer county, and distant sections O
Aioga county, says Roulette (Pa
correspondent Of the New York Sun
Huckleberry hill is the only plac,
within radius OF fifty miles where tn,
Aruit for which it is named grows in
any Quantity, and the people of all tina,
country being especially fond of buckle
berries they think nothing of driving
ali night and part of day to get on
the prolific barrens of Hucklcbcrry
hill, where several square miles OF
nothing but berry bushes and sword
like brakes spread beneath the scorch.
ing sun. The hill is one thousand feet
above the valley of Pine creek, in cast
ern Potter county. and abounds in
scanned lodges and tumbled heaps of
loose rocks. Whole families camp for
days on this forbidding barren to pick
hucklebcrries for market. As MANY as
one thousand five hundred persons have
been on the hill at one time, where
dancing platforms, hurdy gurdles, open
air gin mills, brass bands, and all kinds
OF taking schemes are in full blast to
amasc and fleece the visitors.
Like all good huclflebcrry districts,
Hucklcberry hill is favoritc haunt of
rattlesnatcs, and they grow there to
extraordinary size and v:rility. These
snakes keep many piclsers on the move
from one part of the big berry patch to
another part, for they are always
around, and some huckleberry visitors
do not care to dispute territory with
them, but retreat to other points as
soon as they can discover RATHER or
hear one in their vicinity. Others,
though, are loath to give up a good
picking place because rattlesnnlxe or
two are taking things. comfortable
there and don't care to be disturbed.
and they pitch in with clubs and rout
or Stay the reptile tenant of the spot.
So at almost any time of day visitor
may see men, women and children,
some of them pale and terror.stricken,
moving away from some particular To-
cality with much haste, and others
thrashing away in the bushes with
clubs and holding their own against
the snakes.
Not a day passes that some one isn't
bit by RATHER When the berry pick
ers return from the hill to their various
homes they fetch with them stories of
queer and exciting experiences with
that some one has had.
This recital has come to be known
as the annual crop of snake
stories from Huckleberry hill The
gathering of this crop is awaited with
more interest by many people than the
picking of the huclxleberry crop.
Among thc-best of these stories that |
have reached Roulette, which is thirty |
miles from the hill. but which sends a
caravan of hucklcbcrry pichers there |
every season, arc these:
Mrs. Justcn, of Lcetonia, had found |
, patch where the berries were cspe-
tally fine and abundant She was
,apidly filing her twelvc-quart pail,
much to the envy of Miss Still, friend
# hers, who hadn't struck extraordi-
nary luck. Suddenly Mrs. Juston picked
Up her pail and walked away from her
'ich find without saying word. Miss
still gazed after her in amazement, and
lsked her If she wasn't coming back to
hat lovely spot.
mo" said Mrs. Juston. "You can
AVE it ii you want it."
Miss Still thanked Mrs. Juston effu-
lively for her great generosity and uu-
elfishness, and was soon sweeping the
erries into her pail just where Mrs
uston had picked up her pail so sud-
emily and walked away. Miss Still was
4 a position that brought her face
lmost even with her pail. and as she
'as picking away, two big rattlesnakes
,se up from somewhere behind the
all and stuck thcirugly noses over the
de of it, not two feet away from Miss /
till's face. For an instant the young
oman was unable to move, but then 1
ae recovered herself, spraDg up, aad /
ia.
ssIIello, Emmyl' said Mrs. JustSs 4
ON her new picking spot, laughing 81 !
hat she thought was q good joke. l
Did you see emp" ~
The secret of Mrs Juston's generos- /
y was revealed to Miss Still, and it a
ade her SO angry that she stopped '
inning. hunted around until she '
und q club. and FASTENED back to her b
lckleberry pail The snakes were Z
III thezc, and Miss Still pitched into c
EN-. They were ugly and fought her e
ok so fcrcely that she had to thrash il
ound in the bushes for several q
nutes before she laid them out, o
a after she had laid these two V
{ she had to kill another big "
9 that came on the scene to see n
lat was going on. While Miss Still r;