The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-02-21
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Observation-Disclosures


5r grow itself together again 80 that
/ il can travel AWAY Just g. good snake
IS It ever was
There either was not ten dollars
among the visitors. or any one Of them
who had Che amount was afraid 70 take
the bet. for il WAS not taken.
.Tilbe you two dollars, : said one Of
the party.
40, slrr' said Farmer Ansley. II
don't put any Of my snakes 70 the
strain 81 that operation for less than
ten dollnrsl"
So the men came away They were
from Roulette, and when they arrived
home aud told the story Of Farmer
Ansley's bet they were glad he hadn't
/ taken him mp on the two-dollar bet
they offered 70 make, for Dan Hanley
told them something that convinced
them that II Farmer Ansley had taken
them up he would have won the stake.
Dan Hauley Is the village blacksmith
] He Il . well-to.do citizen, and his word
has never been questioned in the COM
munity least II never had been up
70 that time. II II has suffered any
since then the fact Is. due entirely tothc
circumstance that snakes are able TODD
i queer things.
There Is no doubt that the rattle
snake could have done just what Farm-
/ CIR Ansley offered to bet II could" said
Blacksmith EIanley. ~ know II from
whatI have seen myself was sitting
on my stoop ono day, when one Of these
common garter snakes came out Of the
| grass on tothe walk. had hoe In
my hand aud got mp and whncked the
4 snake iii two with II. The part with
4 the tail on squirned about good bit.
but the part that had the head on
! wriggled away as lively as could be
and hid under a board ! sat there
awhile, somewhat surprised at what
had seen, and ~ and BY saw the
head Of the snake peek out from under
the board Pretty soon the snake came
1 boldly ont and made its way with that
part 81 its body 10 where the other
Ihalf lay. II backed itself up against
the severed end of the other part,
pressed the two ends together and
then bent its head back to the place Of
separation, and with It's mouth and
tongue covered the wound with Shiny
substance all around about the severed
spot, II plastered itself in this way
for minute or more, then straight
ened out and lay quiet for somc time.
j Then the snake started away. appar-
emily as whole and firm as it was be-
fore ! chopped the hoe through it, and
disappeared in the grass and bushes.
i Another time came across snake
4, that had been cut In two or squashed
in two by something, | don't know
what Now that snake had been hurt
!. III such way that it was unable to
turn itself ard perform the surgical
operation had seen the garter snake
i perform; but another snake was there,
and was trying to do the act for the
severed snake The well snake worked
with will, trying to join the two
parts of the other one by plastering the
wound with its mouth and tongue. The
effort was a failure though, and after
awhile the good Samaritan snake gave
up the attempt and went away. have
sislssl witness to- the garter snakes mend
Ting OF itself, and | win 60 with any
one and make affidavit TO both OF these
queer snake dcfngs. The snakes
weren't rattlers, of course. but If COM
mon, everyday, no-aecount snakes are
able To doctor themselves up in this
way, how can anyone dare to doubt
that wide-awalxe, gifted snake like a
! rattlesnake can do it?'
And there the subject rests at pres
! emit. But the party who visited Farmer
, Ansley are eongratulating themselves
that there are two dollars more In
Roulette than there would have beer