Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-03
NOT FROM THE WOODY WEST,
But From Virginia, Comes This story
of Snake and Of Cow.

But From Virginia, Comes This story
of snake and Of Cow.
A reporter for The Star shook hands with
Col. Joe Jeans last night at the Metropoli-
tan and got a snake story in return The
colonel halls from the blue ridge country
of Virginia, and believes that his favorite
piece Of geography rests directly on the
collar-bone of Atlas. He is a typical Dfxian
from the creased crown Of his SLOUGH hat
to the high heels of his thin soled boots
Geysers of tobacco-tincture gush from him
Mt regular intervals, and he can nit Knot
hole at every squirt. He has very positive
way, which Is calculated to give listeners
an overdrawn idea of his truthfulness- The
reporter applied to him for story which
would look well In print. and Col Jeans,
shifting his guild and splashing a brown
blot on the tiled floor. said: I'D talk poler-
tics wuth yer. but I'm er dimocrat and Just
feel mighty tired. Anvil my folks air dino
Gratis, sir. from the root Of Their family tree
tsw its highest crotch, and no one Of US, sir.
ever brought Their vermillion blush o
cestree by votin' anything but Their dino
crat ticket. but this here administration
gifts me. Yer know that we have q power
full lot o. snake down in Ole Virgtnny. God
bless her, sir, WHARF / live. They air as
thick as leaves in Vaiiumbrosa or flies In
fan time"
The Quality Only Suffered.
Then Col Jeans launched forth into his
narrative. which ran as follows:
The particular hobby OF mine IS raising
fine cows All Of my family have this hob
by; it's family trait. Sookie, one of the
best cows. had been in the habit Of giving
about four gallons Of milk daily. One
morning. however, when bathed her and
got down into position for business, found
that she had gone dry. She seemed sort of
nervous, and switched her tail and twisted
he head around and lowed as though try
ing to offer an explanation OF course, in
the country, when anything goes wrong
like that, we always say 'Tramps" the first
thing, and that is just what said. Well.
the only way 1 could see out of the diff
Guilty was to pump In some more water and
shin the cans to Washington.
Next morning Sookie seemed to be suf-
ferirg from nervous protration, and she
was as dry as tariff speech. That night
j loaded my gun for bear. but the tramps
diin't show UP. The next morning Sookfe
absolutely Ill, and refused her break
fast. This trouble was not only wearing
me out. but II was playing hob with the
washer in my new cucumber pump. That
night | Shoveled sawdust all over the COW
barn floor and raxed it down as smooth as
conccete- The next morning. instead of the
sawtust being cut up by the foot prints OF
tramps. squirmy. wisgling trail led from
SoCiIle to hole just above the barn sill.
Followed the wiggie.
II followed it. Out along the dewy grass
1t led Wiggle. wiggle 1t went across the
road. ove- ditch and through an upland
meadow for half a mile to an old fallen
tree at the base of a mountain top. The
old log was hollow. started a smudge fire
at one end and pretty soon the smoke was
rolling into the decaying trunk. I sat down
at the other end to await developments
Socn brown, fiat head lifted itself through
the opening. The little eyes were blazing
anu starting from their sockets. The mouth
was expanded and forkei tongue was vi
DratihS- That snake was mad and choking
Just as the scaly neck became exposed
puilei my cOuble-barrel-bang-b bang. The
shOt took effect and the reptile bsgan to un-
VINO MS coils and founder and flop More
ana more OF the body came out and from
the Shastly wound in the head a stream OF
mEA SCShed forth. 1t boiled out BY the
sdIinh- ana poured down a decline to where
niue brook was babbling With this il
joined currents and rolled on through the
meadow. IN a whitened flood. After MANY
minutes OF conto-tiOns the snake died II
was a RATHER. twelve feet long, with sixteen
IdttleS ana button, and its body had been
clStehded by it's tactical diet so that when
it aiSzorSsd, IL was fiabby as a TOW ba /
Icon after the first night. SOokie recovered
am the milk which l shipped to Washing.
tSa NeAt DAY had more lat in it"