The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-06-27
TURKEY AND BLAoKsNAKE.
Regular Cofbett-SulIiyan En-
counter-Tbc GobbIer Victorius.


Orrinn Hazelton'ss big turkey gobbler.
Eli, got mixed up in a fight with a six
foot blacksnake the other day that came
very near ending the existence of that
valuable bird.
Hazelton operates a truck farm near
Scudder. Mercer county, and raises tur-
keys for the fall trade. He has built up
quite a reputation for his Thanksgiving
birds, and Eli has fathered many valu-
able locks. He is a monstrous turkey
and revels in the opinion, judging by
his pompous manners that he is some
pumpkins.
around the pasture getting. red, white
and blue in the face accordingly, as his
estimation of himself varied. and rub
fashion of all gobblers when perfectly
satisfied with themselves.
suddenly, he came upon a blacksnake
put up a lively fight when cornered. Eli
promptly made a bluff at the snake, who
started for a nelghboring stone wall at a
The turkey gave chase, but was unable
to oyertake the snake until the wall was
reached. Then. just as the serpent,s tail
was disappearing between two stones,
Ell reached out and grabbing it between
hi Pd5 5Sws st set fba aa ee,n on the h: snake took cog
nizance of the law of self protection,
and slipping its head through an open
ing between tlG SlJAeS SIipOtC LII On Ii
head with a force that set the bird down
on it's tail for an instant and made its
red jowls turn blue.
and, quickly emerging from the wall, t
e9.led and All aimed d. Z another pal bl8T at me
caused it to unwind hastily and seek a
new location.
Eli followed It up and pd,a onee more got
~ released his hold, when the reptile
drove its. head into its neck. The gobbler
going off his feet, but recovered in time
TO dodge another blow that the snake
had aimed at his body.
tween the two befligerents, and Eli be-
gan to spar for wind. He strutted around
The snake. displaying all his eolors ana n
action, kept a bold front 70 the bird
ns sadde cbsrF shs F gHe snaE Nl'h but t'f the WHY
SERPENT stretched out and slipped under
the. bird. This made Eli madder than ever
the snake and picked a chunk of flesh
out of its back. i.
This was too much for the spirit OF
in the direction of an old apple tree hat
the wind had pushed over to angle Of
the snake ran, and when it reached the
branches it stretched out and looked de-
family down at the gobbler.
pairing a plan of battle. Spreading, his
wings, he went into, the tree and IL
sauarely on the p snahe, whieh td fell oft
it started once more for the stone wall.
It had been injured by the tumble from
the tree, and it's progress was slower nan
before, while the gobbler was as fresh
as a daisy. n went after the snake with
colors flying. Seeing that he was not
going to be able to reach the wall with
out exposing its tail again to the sharp
bril- of the bird, the snake stopped and
once more prepared for battle.
The turkey plunged at 1t, but the snake
evaded the blow and managed to give
ing into the air, the gobbler came down
on the snake with the idea, probably, OF
ciutching it in his. claws and picking, II
to pieces but he had no. sooner LANDED
than the snake twisted rs body around
the gobbler's neck and began TO squeeze;
Eli had not looked for this tactic, and
gasping and coughing like a cat with q
bone in it's throat, began to run around
the lot like a hen with the blind staggers.
THE snake held on, occasionally 1abbing
Ell in the jaw with dts fangs. The COB
| bier was fast losing its wind, when he
| suddenly stopped. and, turning on thai
| geing on the ground, drove his bill into it
| with ali the force he could command. The
| bin reached the snakes vitals. ana II IN
| cooled from the birds neck. Ell played a
| lively rat-a-tat-tat on the writhing, body
of its adversary until it was as dead as a
door nail; the he put a rich red color INTO
his head and strutted around, as # ne
was the ~conqueror of the orld.-Phli
delphia Times.