Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1893-08-24
FOUGHT f0R'HIs LIFE.
The Largest Reptile in America Makes il
Lively for a Snake Dealer When Taken
Out of Its Box.

New York special: Mr.. Burns got
from a White Star steamer last Thurs
day, the regular old papa snake, a
boa captured in Africa and taken by
traders to London, whence he jour-
neyed here. He is the old, original
snake, Mr.. Burns says, that ran the
apple stand in the garden OF Eden.
Burns sells snakes to shows, and
when he tried to transfer the big boa
down stairs yesterday and get him
into a box in the store for shipment,
he found to his sorrow that the snake
was in training. The reptile since it's
arrival has lain quiet in a wire Melted
parlor up stairs, digesting a couple OF
rabbits which had been fed to him
alive. But when Burns went up to
move him at 10 o'clock yesterday
morning, and opened the door, he
pulled up the lid OF his eye and looked
TO see if it was his breakfast that had
been brought to him. Seeing that it
was an empty handed man he oozed
his shiny twenty-five feet OF PERSONAL
lty around and vent to sleep again.
Burns, who is powerful, being six
feet and two inches tall, grabbed the
snake tight with both hands by the
neck. The whole long, scaly body
was flashing like a mad thing In a Sec
ond. The flat head was writhing
back andforth and the hideous mouth,
wide open, showed the double rows OF
keen teeth. The eyes were like great
let beads. His forked tongue flew in
and out as he strained to get at the
hands which held HIM so tightly.
Burns called for his son James and a
helper. They came running, and as
the big proprietor dragged out the
mighty boa, each grabbed a section
and held on with might and main
In line thus they started for the
street. The middle OF the serpent,
which young Burns was carrying, is
as big as the thick part OF "a good
sized mans leg, and the young man
had TO put his arms around the
creature. Slowly they worked their
way down, the snake still struggling,
and Burns, ST., still throttling.
The snake seemed to take on new
strength when his captors strove to
get his powerful body into the open
box. They wanted to put the tail in
first and hold it there by the lid until
the head could be forced in, and then
the cover could be dropped quickly
and the lock snapped. Thesnake had
a different idea. He was for freedom,
and he dashed away. The hired man
was told to release his hold as nearly
half the snake was in the box. He
did so and the tail flew out like a
shot, nearly knocking him to the
floor. 1t wound about young Burns
and the whole snake writhed in the
effort to gather him and his father IN
its folds. The Burnses fought and
hung on like men who knew the need.
But for half an hour nearly theirgreat
antagonist dashed himself there and
amid the bird cages and boxes. Burns,
senior. ordered the store door closed.
The hired man did this and hen
rushed into the skirmish again.
With infinite difficulty he regained a
firm hold on the boa's tail N thrust
it into the big box and kept dragging
the thing further and further in. They
all worked the boa along until the
tired hands OF the big proprietor got
the neck close to the side OF the box.
The cover was down as close
as possible. The hired man secured Ii
piece OF board and raised it, and as at
a signal Burns pulled his hands away
the great boa got a blow in the face
and jerked his head in instantly. He
was Gagged. The hired man clapped
the bolt down and both the Burnses
sat down to rest. The older man
could scarcely open and shut his
hands for ten minutes, so long and
severe had been the strain.
That's the biggest snake in the
country" said Burns afterward. 81
didn't know, at one time, whether We
were going to get the best of him or
not. And the worst of it is we've got
to move him again. It's a job Idon't
care much for, | can tell you. If help
and experienced help-hadn't been
at hand today, | should have been
squeezed to death. There isn't a man
living, Sandow or anybody else, who
can fight that snake single handed.
We were mighty lucky to get away
without injury. Both my son and
myself have been frequently bitten by
snakes, but we don't do anything for
it unless they are OF some peculiarly
poisonous variety"