The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1894-01-06
AN EXPLORERS SNAKE STORY.
As a Friend of the Rather He Sets Naught
Down In Malice.

As q Friend or the RATHER He Sets Naught
Down In Malice.
81 have before stated that was a.
friend to the snake and especially to-
the rattlesnake," said John Muir, the
noted scientist and discoverer of the
great Muir glaciers in Alaska. This
may sound strange to you, as it APP
parently has to others that have told
1t to. but l cannot help that if would,
and, candidly, don't think / ought if
could.
"The fact is, the rattlesnake is, a
much maligned animal Most people
think he is lying around all the tune
on the watch to see whom he can bite.
It isn't so. A rattler won't bother
anybody if he is let alone, and he will
always get away if he can.
II had striking illustration of this,
one time in the Yosemite Valley when
] was doing some engineering work. II
was in midsummer, and the pretty
valley was all abloom with vari-colored
flowers. The grass was knee-high.
There We're blue bells and yellow ane-.
mones, buttercups, daisies pansies in
Vulnerable and many more.
1.-The scent of the pines was in the
ar. ~ RchIlS DICSLC was ploW}HS, duu
patches of shadow dotted here and
there the sunlit, hower-adorned val
ley. was walking along, musing on
the beauty of the scene, and with the,
sound of the Yosemite and Vernal
Falls in my ears.
| Looking over the verdure toward
the base of Ell Captain, 1 saw pecu-
liar black mark, sticking straight up,
against the horizon. At first sight it
| looked like stake, but / knew that.
there were no surveying stakes there.
So said to myself: This surely is a.
snake, and in all probabilities rattler.'
81 stood and looked atihim. He was,
Just as erect and still as though he-
were stake driven. in, tha ground. i
| continued to stand and loolS, and pref.
ty soon saw him move his head about
slightly as he eXamined!into the situa-,
ton. Then l knew it was snake. He,
didn't know but that Il would go for
him, and was studying me at safe
point of vantage.
81 remained and watched him. II.
was interesting. The snake displayed.
all the intelligence of a. man. He grew,
more confident of his, position. Pretty
|
he jerlled down into the grass, and
couldn't see. him. all right l said,
and l kept Oh walking. Before Lgot
to where ha was. stopped and waited.
He didn't show up immediately but
stayed below some time.
"At length L Saw the mercst object
like the end of a stick above tina grass.
1t didn't move, and for a momentaI i was
half inclined to think it had always
been there. and that till noK had
overlooked it. AS stood and wa tGhed,
however,. it heightened out and behold
my old friend the snake was before mo.
~ could see n0w that he WAS large,
handsome fellow, beautifully notified
| In eplored flowers and gseen grass he
was, exquisite walked toward hina
= again, and then there was a peceliar
e winding, wavy motion sf the grass, y.
) OF the wind playing i. it. My flien6
\ WAS crawling away. had a stick II
vi my hand and could have overtaken ant
slain him, but wovldn't do il
NJ have hal maay experiences with
. rsttlers in tho high Sierras while on
the United States Geological Survey
and have une xr,ectedly come across
g hundreds of them. There was alwayl
v a scurrying ts get out Of sight. No
/, this eXperience with the Yosemit'
!, snake taught me valuable lesson. u
/? Is inqnisitive and curious, but that
n oil. He won't fight II you let him q
Il his way.n-N. Y. Journal.
e Anxious to Please.