The herald., 1895-08-18
And He Isn't Done Telling
Friends About
1t Yet
MIGHTY MOUNTAIN RATTLERS
And Lizards That Terrify the Timid
TenderfOOt---AlsO,a a Few Fish
Stories---As Told by q
Chicago Man


from California. That's why Truth has
burrowed down into the mud at the bot
tom of the well until she cannot be located
with a pike-pole, and that's why the
lucheon hour at the Columbus club is
daily merging.into the dinner hour for
number of the boon companions of the
Rhine Vein club.
General w. Augustus Hutchings is back
from California; The somber buildings
nalong La Sale street smile in happy
knowledge of that fact, and the punches
of grapes suspended in front of the RAN
dolph street vein stube have been re-
gilded in honor of the event.
He wasn't general when he went away
a month or so ago; not he. He was
brevet colonel all right, and an ex-elec-
tion commissioner, and above all he was
himself-"Gus' Hutchings. raconteur,
bon vivant, politician. clubman and gen.
eral best fellow in Chicago; rival of Judge
Scales IN the realm of Hiternian wit, and
foil for Judge Goggin in the field of
unecdote and epigram. But back he
comes from the state of climate, fruit.
flowers and folly, with several balos of
entirely new and wondrous yarns, and
the brevet rank indicated by two stars on
the shoulder strap and three on the bot
tie. And all Chicago is glad to see him
back again-that Is, all Chicago except
few puritanical persons who would clip
the wings of romance with the shears OF
naked Truth and limit the JOYS of listen
ing with fence of Authentic fact.
Speaking of California" said the gen.
eral. and the perfecto started burning
freely and the koellner had departed with
and and lizards. Not that it doesn t remind
me OF other things, but just at the pres
ent moment, as l look upon that sign adj
vertising Senator Stanford's brand, / am
particularly moved to memories of Cali
fofnia snakes and California lizards.'
Judge Scales winked solemnly at Den
mis- Hogan, and hush as heavy as a
piledriver fell upon the little company
around the table.
1T was in the Rainbow mountains
along in the early part of the month"
continued the general, introspectiyely.
1.-The Ram bow mountains are part OF
the San Beinardino range and afford the
finest furnished lodgings for snakes and
lizards imaginable. Our party was
coming down through pass with soft,
liquid Spanish name and hard, rough
bottom OF sandstone. There were two |
ladies. another gentleman, guide. five !
burros, or Rocky mountain canary birds, |
and myself in the outfit. 1t was high |
NOON anu very With. Inc UurrOS were |
sagging along after the somnolent fash |
ion of their race and our lungs were
drinking in the incompatible climate as
our eyes were taking in the Incompatible
scenery. Suddenly my burro paused. He
paused so suddenly, in fact, that l came |
near dismounting over his head and into |
the bosky canyon which formed the |
boundary of the narrow roadway. Ii L
had done sothis experience would have
been lost to history and valuable speci-
men to zoology. But | didn't dismount-
not just then. | tried to urge the burro
the cause of his inertia. though burro
doesn't really require any visible cause
for becoming inert. Ten feet ahead of !
the burro's nose, coiled up IN the mid
die Of the rocky path, ! saw q snake. 1t
was big snake, too. | didn't know |
.noned assistance. AS it was, l dis
mounted on the hill side of the trail and
detached "a large specimen of auriferous
rock from the neighboring landscape.
sThe snake heard me and reared his head
an attitude of defense and defiance.
"He also worked his tail. and the low,
peaceful music which proclajms the war
like intentions of the diamond back
Rocky mountain rattler made the small
and Immediately contiguous welkin ring.
i did not approach the serpent. | had
heard of his like before, and knew that /
,ously. | placed myself in the position of |
the diskthrower down in the art lnsti-
tute. 1t is strongly reminiscent of the |
attitude of Chief Babenoch when about to |
put the heavy shot at the annual Scot.
'tish-Am erican picnic. Then | omposed |
amy nerves, took careful ann and heaveu
that piece of gold veined rock in the di-
rectlon of his snakeship. Arson could |
not have done better. 1t landed fair and |
square, and the largest rattler IN the rec
ord of California snakeology lay dead |
and grisly on the sun-kissed rocks before
me. We measured him and skinned him.
He measured Just feet 4 inches and
skinned like an eel. Notaries public |
being scarce in that neighborhood / se-
cured this attestation under an oath |
which | myself administered to the other |
mem bers of the party. and took the |
pains to have this pocketbook made from |
the skin of the monster"
While the corroborative evidence passed |
from hand to hand the Koellner Ernst |
slipped gently around with the Lieben-
fraumilch and the vichy bottle, and it
was noticed that Judge Scales passed the |
wine and filled his schoppen with the |
sparkling water. Judge Goggin simply |
sighed and the'Ion. Dennis Hogan said |
something about "shades of Saint Pat
rick.
"Lizards are plentiful in California |