The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1894-01-13
1--WE CARPET RAGS.
4 Mothers Suspense as She Saw Her
Littlo Girl Playing with . Copperhead.

For some reason it has always been
The general belief among the people
who 1.-Two in the mountains in York,
Lancaster and other counties wherB
eopperlead snakes abound. that this
venomons snake will not bite children,
and there ~ numerous wonderful
stories told. especially IN the Wish
mountains, about the copperhead's
leniency toward children, says a Har-
risburg correspondent of the N. Y.
San. Outside Of the mountaincers
these stories have never received crc-
dcnce. but a wcll-known family living
oil the York countryside of the Susque-
hanna are ready to accept them here
after. The family consists of Jacob
Loan, his wife and two children, the
youngest a little girl 8 years old. Cop
perheads are always uncomfortable
plentiful in that locality. but this sea-
sou they have been more numerous
than usual. The haying and harvest
hands have killed from three u ten q
day during the last week on the Loan
farm.
One day last week the little 3-year-
old was playing in the front yard, and
her mother noticed her sitting in the
grass neal the front gate. Every now
and then she would be heard laughing
glcefully, and Mrs. Loan finally walked
out to see what was amusing the child
so much. When the little girl saw
her mother coming she called out to
her:
Come, mamma, and see tho live
carpet rags"
AT the same time she held up TO her
mother a snake, which she graspcd in
the middle of the body and which
twisted and squirmed in the air. Mrs.
Loan saw at once that il was q copper
head. Although she vas almost swoon-
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 out to the child the
latter would undoubtedly become
frightened, and the change that would
naturally follow in her handling or
sudden dropping of the snake might
anger the copperhead and cause it to
bite. With n great effort Mrs. Loan
said, quietly aud coaHingly:
"Fctch it TO mamma, dear. Don't
hurt it,"
But tlore is two of 'cm, mamma"
replied the little girl. "l'il fetch 'em
both"
She reached down and picked up an
other 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-
tanned her calmness, and when tho
shild was within 4 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, md
sllc placed the coppcrheads in tho
path. The two snakes caught sight of
Mrs. Loan, and instantly their manner
changed. Tho copper spot on the top
Of their heads began to deepen in
color, as it does when this snake is en-
ragged, and they both made toward the
ehild's mother, showing great rage.
The little girl clapped her hands aud
started to catch the snakes again. Her
mother rushed out of the path aud
around the snakes, and snatching the
child up in her arms fled to the house
AhN INV ~ SloSSu VIC VOOl UCIllllu
her, and fell to the floor in q dead
'aint. The other child, a boy 8 years
Did, was in another room making q
Sitc. He heard the noise of his moth
er's fall and his little sister crying,an
nc ran into the room. His father was
at work near the house, and the boy
quickly summoned him. 1t was some
time before the farmer succeeded in
restoring his wife to consciousness and
learned the cause of her %swooning.
Farmer Loan went into the yard and
the copperheads were still there, and
still in belligerent mood. They were
'oon killed. So great was the shock
20 Mrs. Loan that she is still confined
10 her bed, and the little girl mourned
Tor her deadly playthings for two or
three days.