Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1894-01-13
I've CARPET RAGS,
Eshsr Suspense Us She Saw Her
L1 Playing with Copperhsad.

Fo( some reason il has always been
The gEneral belief among the people
who I've in the mountains in York,
Lanchsler and other counties where
eopp3rbead suakcs abound. that this
venohous snake will not bite children,
ana there are numerous wonderful
storias told. especially In the Wish
mouEia,ns. about the copperhead's
leniepcy toward children, SAYS Har-
fisbuig correspondent OF the n /.
SaH. Outside of the mountaineers
these stories have never received ere
ience, but well-known family living
On the YORK county side of the susque-
hanna are ready to accept them here
after. The family consists of Jacob
Loan. his wife and two children, The
yonngest little girl 3 years old. Cop
perheads are always uncomfortabiy
plentiful in that locality, but this sea-
son they have been more numerous
than usua. The hayiug aud harvest
hands have killed from three ;, ten
lay during the last week on The Loan
larm.
One day last week the little Swear
Did WAS playing in the trout yard. and
ner notuer noticed her sitting ia the
grass near the front gate Every now
aud then She would be heard laughing
gscetuily.and Mrs. Loan finally walked
1ut TO see what was amusing the child
so nfncb. When the little girl saw
her mother coming she called out TO
ier:
Come, mamma, and see the live
carpet rags.'
AT the same time she held up 10 her
mother a snake, which she gra.ped in
lhe nIildle of the body and which
fiwfs-s e ~ squirmed in the air. Mrs.
Loan slS at once that il was copper.
mead. Although she was almost swoou-
ing with terror the child's mother act
ed with rare presence OF mind. 1t
occurred to her that If she showed her
alarm by CRYING ont TO the child tho
latter would undoubtedly become
frightened, and the change that would
Dalurally follow in her handling or
sudden dropping Of the snake might
anger the copperhead and cause it to
bite. With a great effort Mrs. Loan
said. quietly and coaxingIy:
Fetch It 10 mamma. dear Don't
hurt it,
"Bnt thore is two of 'em. mammu.'
replied the little girl. ~l'il fetch 'em
Doth
She reached down and picked up an
otber cop2erhead that lay in the grass,
and which Mrs. Loan had not seen,
and came toddling along the path to-
ward her mother with them. She re-
.ained her calniness, and when the
:hild was within n couple of yards OF
her spoke to her and said:
Put them on the ground, darling,
and let mamma see them walk"
This seemed to please the child, and
she placed the copperheads in the
path. The two snakes caught sight Of
Mrs. Loan, and instantly their manner
changed. The copper spot on the top
of their heads began 10 deepen in
color, as it does when this snake is en-
ragged, and they both made toward the
chlld's mother. showing great rage.
The little girl clapped her hands and
started to catch the snakes again. Her
mother rushed out of the path and
around the snakes. and snatchinr the
-ullu UP iu htI arms Heu 10 tue mouse
and into it. closed the door behind
ner, and fell To the floor in a dead
,aint. The other child. boy 8 years
DID. was in another room making a
Kite. He heard The noise of his moth
sr's fall and his little sister crying,and
le ran into the room. His father was
at work near the house, and the boy
luicaly summoned him. 1t was some
.ime before the farmer succeeded in
restoring his wife to consciousness and
learned the cause of her swooning.
Farmer Loan went into the yard and
she .copperheads were sill there, aud
'ootNilIed. so great was the shock
% Mrs.LOan That she j. still confined
% her bed. and the little girl mourned
ior her deadly playtbings for two or
.hIee lays