Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1895-08-10
TEXAS LIFE.
How n Looks 10 Well Known Com"
msrclal Traveller

! uovr IL Looks 60 a Well hhoWh N""
msrcInl Traveller
i u Mason. well-knOwn travelling
man who has Just returned from 4
business trip through southwest IeSas'
gives the following interesting account
OF a peculiar phase OF life In that part
\ OF the world:
'There is little strip OF country
/ said Mason. lin Texas, down by the RIO
/ Grande. where snakes are too numerous
10 mention. They are really as thick
as the proyerbial dead leaves OF Valam-
brosa, and the most abstemious man In
existence sees enough snakes In min
ute to knock him silly, | have a friend.
Jim Hugh by name. living down in that
region who owns cattle ranch consist
ing OF 1900 acres OF land, and really
and truly the trail of the serpent was
over them all Jim has wife who Is
the prettiest little woman west OF the
Mississippi, and two OF the dearest little
girls In the whole world, | reckon, and
for long time Jim was put to II to
know how to protect his family from
the snakes. He said that II used 70
be so that during the first warm days
OF early spring, when the snakes we're
just awakening from their tOrpor, he
and his ranchmen, COW boys, etc, would
Just leave the cattle 70 their fate and
form a Gordon about the house to keep
the reptiles out Nowadays though
such constant precautiOu Is not neces-
sary. as he has hit upon device 70
circumyent the snakes 10 a certain ex-
tent. He managed to do this by fencing
the house yard with closely woven wire
netting. To begin with. however. 10
had TO dig ditch all around the place
70 the depth Of about four feet aud
plant cedar posts. letting them stand
about SIX feet above the level OF tho
ground. Then on these posts ho
stretched ten-foOL wire netting aud
threw the dirt back Ia the ditch. By this
means, you see. ne had four feet OF net
ting underground. which prevented ths
snakes burrowing beneath ana coming
into the yard. and six-fo0t fence
above. which only the more adyentur-
GUS reptiles try 10 surmOunt Now and
then a little snake Will manage "
wriggle through the meshes OF the wlrs
and get into the yard. but the big fell
lows are practically circumYented
Every morning. though, man goes all
over the yard on a tour Of inspection
killing ali the small snakes that may
have crept In before Mrs. Hughes or
the little girls venture out OF the house.
Il Is not very pleasant prospect.
either. although sou are seated Ia tho
house In comparative security. 10 look
over the fence and see The reptiles
writing and squirmius Ia the sun.
now and then butbng against the fence
or clinging 10 the wire In hldeous coil.
Ing testoons, About two miles away
from the place Is little bog OF marsb
whence little stream makes into thu
river, and here the reptiles breed
Hughes inyeigied me into golng over
one night 70 the neighborhood OF this
bog, and shall never forget the nor
riOie noises that emanayed therefrpm
The snakes were evidently fighting
among themselves. and the bog seemed
to be alive with them. Deliver me from
another experience like the one OF that
night. and from a home ia Texas doWn
by the Rio Grande Hughes thinks Il
Is the garden spot Of the universe how.
ever and says that when he succeeds
IN getting that marsh properly drained
the snakes viii disappear.