Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1894-09-15
DOWN IN THE SHAFT.
sWARMS OF RATTLESNAKES
IN A DESERTED MINE.
Tie wa1 Hard Up, so lie Took his job
OF Cleaning Them our for One Hum
dred Dollars wonidn't Care TO Repent
the ExpsrIenes at Higher Rates

but had 10 kin l26 rattlesnakes TO
do It. wouldn't do the job over
again for less than 81 per snake.
was in hard luck on the coast. and
happened to drift into the fine gold
district Of tie san joaquin. where
a company was working the White
Quartz mine. Al the time ! dropped
in on 'em they found that they had
TO bring back into the service again
a shaft that had been abandoned sew
cral years before. The shaft was 80
feet deep. and there was tunnel at
the bottom OF the same length.
Through long disuse the shaft
had become chOked with debris at
the mouth OF the tunnel. and it had
10 be cleaned out before the shaft
could be used again
1.-The very day got there the
company had sent two worknen
down the shaft TO dig out the debris.
but they bad hardly landed at the
BE- ttom before they signalel frantic
ally 70 be hauled up When the
bucket got to the top the two men
were covering in the bottom Of tn G
bucket, pale as ghosts, and so nearly
scared 20 death that they had TO be
helped out Ii was some time be-
fore they were able 70 give any ex-
PLANTATION.
.Rattlesnakes was what allied
them The shaft. they said. was
full Of rattlesnakes. lying about
everywhere. big and ugly. They
were so thick. they declared, that
the noise OF their rattles ia the
depths Of the shaft when the men
disturbed the colony. almost made
them deaf The men had not dared
step from the tub. but had signaled
hastily 10 be raised TO the surface.
"a lantern lowered 10 the bottom
Of the shaft showed that the men
knew what they were talking about
l Tho depths we're literally alive with
\ big rattlcrs, and they writhed aud
1 tumbled about furious at the lntru
sion OF the light among them. Some
1 % the savage old chaps struck their
iangs against the glass OF the Ian.
tern. SO that we could hear the sound
Of the contact where we stood gazing
down on the cheerful sight from the
month Of the shaft. and the noise OF
the ilcrce chorus OF rattles was like
the rasping OF field full OF
locusts The sight aud sound made
me homesick I haven't seen OF
heard anything like that Tor years -
not since left my native place ia
the big coon country. tennessee,
That rattlesnake music at the
] bottom Of the mine shaft wa out on
the Pacific coast made me homesick.
began 30 pine for the big cooE
country. but hadn't a cent. II
hadn't been so homesick don't be.
lieve I'd have jumped at the Offer
the superintendent OF the mine made
after he found there was no other
way 10 get those rattlers out Of that
shaft
"l will give 500 in gold. he
said. 80 any one who will clean Out
them snakes"
II stepped TO the front
make Il 800 In gold and quart
OF WHISKY and I'll GO youm said !
..IIe added the whlsky and we
closed the deal right there Dor.
rowed a pair Of buckskin leggings
and pair Of buckskin gloves Arm.
ing myself with long club aud the
bottle Of whisky. aud taking a Ian.
tern. jumped into the tub and they
lowered me to the bottom Of the
shaft hadn't intended TO be hoist
oil until had bagged all the rat.
tiers IN sight But. after thrcshinG
away for twenty minutes ut thc
snakes as they hurried away 10 hid
ing places or showed fight, and kill
ing all that could get my club on,
the poisonous odor that exudes from
these deadly reptiles when they arc
angored was too much for me. Ever
Pacific coast whisky couldn't couu
teract IL. and felt myself growing
dizzy and faint
~ had thrown into the tub the
rattles had killed, ana was getting
into Il myself to signal for a hoisi
before ! succumbed to the noxious
rattesnalse air | was breathing,
when. in niche In ono side Of the
shaft. even with my shoulder, not 4
foot and half away from my throat
| caught sight OF big RATHER COLES
and ready TO strike
Mechanically threw my head
and shoulders back just as the snak {
launched his big. arrow.lilSe head al
my throat. That movement of mine
saved me. The rattler's aim fell
short His fangs we're buried in tn,
collar OF my coat an inch from my
, iugular | instantly clutched the
, reptile with one hand around It's
, neck, and with the other. as ! tum-
! bled unconscious into the tub.
/ pulled the rope.
: II did not know when reached
the top, but the superinten 'cnt TOLD
me when came TO that when the
men who were at the windlass saw
me ia the tub and what | was bring
ing up with me. they dropped the
crank aud ran But for the fortu
nate presence of stalwart Mexican
I ia giant miner named Valarez), who
caught tho crank as 10 came around
and held IL, would have gone
plnnring back TO the bottom OF the
Z .A.fs a.,d ~, fata wnuld mt huvt