The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-12-19
anasrsat. gatsltigeaees.
SOME sOCIABLE SNAKES.
A Moocasin That Inadvertently
Swallowed Mans Thumb.

Others That Get In Boats with Fishcrrnen
"A Fight In Dugout with Sig
Foot Diamond-Back Rattle.
snake-Tan Tales.
"Speaking Of snakes" said sun
burned man the other day, 'there are
more Of them to the square inch in the
st. Francis river basin in Arkansas
than there are 6ddlers in Gehenna."
Nobody had been speaking of snakes,
says the st. Louis Globe-Democrat,
and small man with contentious
chin said he thought man could 60 to
Heaven even If he did play the violin,
but the sunburned man gave no heed
to the interruption and continued:
'aThere ain't any use in keeping an eye
out for snakes in the sunk lands--leastr
ways except for rattlers and cotton.
mouths. There are so many mocca-
sins that if you dodge one you'll run
into two others, and your best chance
is to keep right on your road and trust
to the Shiny devils giving you room.
Moccasins amt vicious except in Aug
ust, when they go blind, and then they
are mostly staked out under logs and
in other secluded spots whero man
hasn'tgot any business intruding.
zone day niger who was employed
at club house on Blackfsh bayou was
sitting in dugout cleaning fish.
When he had moved the entrails he
would reach over the side of the boat
and wash the blood away by shaking the
fish in the water. Snakes are fond of
fish, you know, and there was school
of moccasins swimming around the
dugout, scrambling for the entrails.
One big fellow-he must have been six
feet long-with mouth like an alli-
gator gar, swan up just as Dock-the
nigger's name was Dock-dropped his
hand over the side of the boat and
splashed it around in the water to get
the fish scales off of it. The big snake,
thinking that meant more free lunch,
grabbed Docks thumb and swallowed
it. When he got to the fork he natu-
rally stopped, for he couldn't take in
the whole hand. Dock felt the snake
swallow his thumb, and he jerked his
hand out of the water. The snake
carae with it, and for about ten Sec
onds there was the most mixed up lot
of colored man and snake in that dug
out I ever saw. 1t was hard to tell
which was the worst frightened, Dock
or the snake. Finally the moccasin
gave up Docks thumb and crawled
back into the water, and Dock
scrambled ashore"
.'Did the snake bite the negro2" said
q listener.
s.Naw. Els enting teeth sorter
scratched the skin off the thumb, but
he didn't have chance to use his
fangs. The snake didn't mean any
harm; he was just hungry and sociable.
There is no end to the sociability Of
moccasin when he's in good spirits.
Many time have seen one drop into
q dugout from which man was fish
ing, and know, as well as l know my
q b cs that the snake meant no harm,
but never have seen man who would
stay In the boat long enough to find
ont exactly what his fellow-passenger
did mean; that is, unless he resorted to
violence and killed the snake, which,
Of course, precluded the possibility of
getting an explanation.
"A man / know had an adventure
with'a rattlesnake in dugout once that
wasn't funny. East-that's the mans
name-was getting out timber during
the high voter, and was about two
miles from camp in submerged cane
brake. He was in the bow Of the boat
and stopped over to get drink of
water. When he arose he started back
ward to the stern. What it was that
made him turn and look behind him
East never could tell, but he swears
that something told him to do 1t. Any
way, he did it, and he hasn't quit being
glad Of it yet, for, coiled up in the boat
about two feet in front of the stern
seat was a tremendous rattlesnake.
East says it made pile bigger than a
bushel measure, and I guess it did, for
It measured five feet nine inches and
was as thick as the calf of my leg.
''East started to jump'overboard, but
it was early in the spring and he knew
the water was cold. Besides, he didn't
know but the blamed snake might take
o notion to stay in the dugout oil night.
The snake had no notion Of getting out,
and was singing its war song at great
rate and holding himself in readiness
to spring as soon as East got within
striking distance. Calling for help
would have done no good, for there
was no help to call within two miles.
There was an ak in the bow Of the dug
out, and East grabbed it and prepared
to strike one blow at the snake, any
how. Did you ever try to stand up in
q sassafras dugout and fight an angry
six.foot diamond-back rattlesnake with
an ak? If you ever did you know how
East felt. I never did, and don't
know. and I'm not anxious to find out.
East knew he would have chance to
strike one blow and that must be o
sure one. .He advanced as close as he
dared and waited until the snake gath
cred for its spring; then he struck.
The sharp steel met the serpent as 1T
sprang and cleaved its body about six
inches below the head.
"What happened for the next hour
East never knew. AS soon as he saw
he had killed the snake he squatted
right down in that dugout and tainted,
like heroine in an old-school romance.
When he came around the snake was
dead, and he was so weak and nervous
that he could hardly paddle to the
camp. where he told his story and
showed the snake to prove it.
ssAnother time I saw snake" but
the crowd wouldn't Gnger longer, and
the nextreminiscence of the sunburned
man was lost to posterity.
Must Teach Turkish.
Henceforth the Turkish language
must be taught in all schools in Tur-
key. An iradeh of the government to
that effect was communicated recently
to the Greek and Armenian patriarchs
lo,5 ~ %bo To,r;ch ohiaf ra hhi The