The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-08-15
A cure for every disease
DEADLY FIGHTING SNAKES.
MICHIGAN's VENOMOUs RATTLERs
UNUSUALLY UGLY THIS YEAR.


Snake on Log.
From the New York Sun.
jackson. Mich.-The continued dry wea-
Their seems to have stirred the black rat
tlesnalSes. or massasaugas TO unusual ac-
tivity. and several cases have. been re-
ported of thrilling encounters with these
sluggish but deadly serpents. They are
always particularly ugly. at this season.
and this year they have been more venom
Gus than ever, while they have, in many
instances, developed an eccentricity in
their movements such as the Oldest ia
habitant does not remember in the past.
Ordinarily they are found in the marshes
of which there are thousands of acres in
this county. and every year during the
haying season hundreds are killed Not
infrequently a careless laborer, ignorant
of the significance of the deadly rattle,
is bitten. Undoubtedly the most prolific
breeding ground of the ''sauger," as it is
commonly called about here, is the Por-
tage marshes, tract of thousands Of
acres of marsh land, including several
good-slzed lakes. Saugers are found in
greater or less abundance all over the
marshes, DuL llefe Is one piece OF ground
in particular, near Mud lake, which In
very wet seasons is SO infested with them
that person risks his ife in venturing
upon it. 1t is piece of high, partly tim
bered land in the midst of the marsh,
comprising hundred acres or more, and
is known as Whitewood Island. The
ground is very fertile, and In dry seasons,
such as the present, it can be cult
waited with excellent results, but in wet
seasons when the high water forces the
saugers out of the marsh, few farmers are
bold enough to attempt to work it.
II is related that several years ago, dur
ing a very wet season, over 200 saugers
were killed in the course of gathering
the wheat crop. Two men and three
horses were bitten, but, fortunately, with
out fatal results as heroic remedies were
instantly applied In spite of the great
est care, some saugers were bound up in
the sheaves of wheat, and so many re-
manned in the wheat AT the subsequent
/ thrashing that it was difficult to fin1
| any one willing to cut bands or feed
/ the machine. Finally two men, after pro-
/ tecting their hands, arms, bodies and part
| of their faces, even with stout, heavy
wrappings, undertook the work; and 1t
] was well that they were SO protected, for
| before the thrashing was completed sew
/ eral saugeFs had driven their. fangs into
the improvised armor. The thrashing ma
chine had to be stopped several times to
remove the mangled bodies of the SER
penis. 1frs alt
The present dry season has caused the
saugers to seek new haunts, and they
have in many instances developed a sim
gularly odd taste in choosing them. A
case in point is the recent experience of
a man named Hull who rents a small
farm bordering on the Portage marshes
Below his house and near the marsh is
an old tumbledown log stable which has
not been used for years. Part of the roof
has fallen in and the interior Is filed with
a rank growth of weeds. Hull raises a
good many chickens, and the old stable
used to be a faVorite resort for them.
Recently, however, Hull noticed that they
seemed to avoid it. and, inasmuch as he
had been missing chickens frequently, ne
concluded that an old fox or coon had
been in the habit of surprising them
there. until they had become frightened
and avoided the place.
one day about noon as he was pass
ing 1t on his way to the house, he noticed
an old hen just at the edge Of the door in
evident distress. Curious as to the cause
he walked up to the door to investigate.
Just as he stepped inside he heard the
warning rattle of a sanger, and as he
peered cautiously through the weeds he
saw a few feet ahead the body of an
enormous snake coiied tightly about the
body of a small chicken. He instantly
backed out of the door, and after securing
a good stout stick returned to the at
tack. Advancing cautiously TO where the
snake lay he struck 1t a sharp blow with
the stick. The SAUCER had been rafting
fiercely for a minute or more, but as the
stick struck 1t, it gave utterance to a pc
culiar, sharp, prolonged hiss. Almost
Immediately the whole interior of the sta
BILE seemed to vibrate with the sharp rat
Ting of numberless saugers, and in
another moment Hull saw the weeds In
seemingly by common consent, rushed to-
ward him. sf-
Terrified beyond measure he dropped
the stick and fed from the place and
never ceased running until he had reached
the house In a short time his hired man
Joined him, and Hull related his startling
experience. A council of war was held
and after providing themselves with high
rubber boots and heavy clubs the two
men sought the old stable again with the
determination of exterminating the brood
within. They had scarcely entered the
door before the saugers renewed the at
tack. In a moment several OF them were
upon the men, and the battle began. The
saugers renewed the attack. In q mo-
ment several of them were upon the
men, the battle began. The saugers, un-
mindful of the death dealing clubs, sprang
viciously at the men, sinking their fangs
deep in the rubber boots and coiling about
lneif legs Win neTte energy. what
with the dim light and the nauseous over
towering odor emitted by the snakes,
/ the situation was more than the two men
could stand. deadly faintness began
to come over them, and, recognizing that
their safety depended upon instant fight,
they started for the door. Their move
ments were hampered by the snakes
which had coiled about their ankles and
lower legs, so that when they finally had
despatched them and reached the open
air they were both on the verge Of coll
lapse. They were so weak that they
could scarcely reach the house. and It
was hours before they recovered from
the effects OF their encounter
The next day several neighbors were
summoned and. after consultation, 1t was
decided that the best way 10 dispose Of
the snakes was TO burn the old stable
Accordingly il was fired IN several places.
after which the men Withdrew to a slight
distances and. arming themselves TO
tI..,4