Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-02-11
SNAKE STORIES.


An exchange says that on February
9th the snakekecpcr ut the zoolo gicai
gardens at Cincinnati put . mouse
Into n young mathematics cage to
serve rs . meal for the reptile. The
mouse lodged the snakes effort to bite,
anu bit the snakes neck and body.
The fight went on desperately for m
hour, the mouse being too quick for
the snake, which finally gave up from
exhaustion and mouse bites. The
mouse was left In tho cage oil night,
aud next morning the keeper found II
had bitten tho rattlef's head entirely
ffand apparently escaped injury Itself.
Though chaIrincd ~ tho ioso OF the
snake he recognized this bravery OF the
mouse by setting II ~ liberty.
This story lisa very pretty one from
the standpoint OF n sympathizrr with
his snakcshiI's intended viutim, anu
has AN air o. probability with 1t. The
latter IL not always the case, however,
when tue sui Ject Of snakes Is being
considered. IL Is frequently regarded
Ms n field for the ffeo indulgence OF
bypcrbolism, as in tho instances OF u
resident OF one Of thu eastern counties
OF Utah visiting the London geological
gardens few months ago. He came
up 10 where u company Of tourists
were admitting a mag niflcent boa.con.
strictor, about twenty-five feet long,
which had recently been hdded to the
collection. After gazing Mt the huge
reptile for a few moments he OK.
claimed, In u tone OF disgust. "Why,
that's no curiosity. The people In
Provo Valley kin hundreds OF them
every year" When substq uent.
ly demonstrated with by n friend,
he explained that Le thought
the reptile was u rattlesnage. In
tho class Of exaggvrations deuomi.
ma ed "yarnr," the reader will be
strongly Inclined to place the follow.
Ing, which comes from South Mel.
Vile, New Jersey, under date. of Feb
9Th:
"Mits Rachel M. Moore, 80 years old
anu weighing 1856 pounds, Ia a. last 70.
lieved OF y snake which she swallo we'd
twelve years ago anu VIII CHI has since
lived aud grown larger In her stomach
despite every effort 10 kill II or get Il
out. This tact OF Miss Moore having q
snake In her stomach has bcen known
by her friends for years. In the sum.
fner VI 1850 she attended n garden
party near Cedarvllle, where she then
resided. The party was given ON
iarm, and In the spirit Of Jun she
drank out ofa bucket which was used
to hoist water out OF tho we'll. Sne
felt something slipping down her
throat nj the TINS, but forgot tho occur
renee until year after, wnon she aud
her frients noticed her raveuous
appetite. She always felt hungry
n ate nearly enough for two
persons. She soon felt the moving
OF some creature within her, aud the
occurrence OF her drinking out OF the
bucket ut the well was remembered.
Physicians were consulted and they
decided that Miss Noore's toby was
the dwelling place OF a snahe. They
tried by vari us methods to kill the
reptile, but without success. As rhe
continued 10 On oy good health aud for
weeks nj time was not bothered by
the creature II was decided best 10 per.
NIT nature TO take its course In hOpes
the snake would come out OF itS own
accord. Years passed on, but the
snake continued to make IT. abode IA
the young woman. Once when sh. at
honey II crawled into her mouth anu
part way out between her lips. Its
body was not more than quarter OF nm
inch thick; there were no eyes, and tue
general color was green. Her mother
grasped the hideous reptile ind at.
tempted 10 pull II out altogether,
but the slimy body slipped through
her hands and down the girl,s
throat, ne though II Ind been
CREASED. Miss Moore frequently ale
honey after that in hopes OF the snake
again making Its appearance, but 1t
never came up farther than her mouth.
A year ago while In bed she was
awakened In her sleep by something
crawling over her breast. She
screamed and the snake quickly drew
itself back in her mouth ald down her
throat. Late Saturday night she was
seized with a choaking sensation,
which continued periodically during
the night, aid early Sunday morning
the snake crawled out OF her mouth
several inches. With great presence
OF mind she closed her teeth ON the
body OF the repulsive creature and ran
to her, mother, whO succt eded In en-.
tlrely relieving her daughter OF the
4 nint. The snake was
fifteen inches long, and died n few
minutes after being In the air. Miss
Moore tainted several times on Sun.
day, and during the night became
violently III. Her stomach refuses 10
hold food except In liquid form since
the snake came out, and she IL grow.
Ing weaker, so that II seems she may
die as the result of getting rid OF the
hideous reptile, which has made her
Internal anatomy its home for so many
years.