The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1895-01-03
NEAR UNTO DEATH.
Snake Hunter OReilly's Close Gall
with a Copperhea ad.

with Copperhead.
Up in Putnam county, just a short
distances east of Cold Spring on the
Hudson, is q famous place for the most
dangerous game to be found in this
part of the Countrywide copperhead.
So common are these venomous snakes
that hunters when intending to tramp
through the thick underbrush or the
tall marsh reeds which flank all the
roads about there wear heavy boots
reaching above the knee for protection
against the bites. In the very hot and
dry weather, when snakes are liveliest
and fercest, sportsmen scarcely ven-
ture in the thicker part of the woods
at all. The snake fame of this locality
reached the ears of G. r. O'Reilly, of
the Royal Geological Society of Ire
land, an ophiologist who is in this
country studying American snakes,
and he decided to 60 up to Cold Spring
and try to get some copperheads alive.
Mr.. OReilly has had experiences with
the cobra of Africa, the fer-de-lance
| of the West Indies, the diamond-back
rattlesnake Of this country and most
| IL
to science, but never did he come
nearer to a disastrous termination Of
his career than on his little jaunt to
Cold Spring. Also he was treated to
q repetition of a lesson in snakery
which he learned long ago, that one
must be prepared for anything and
everything in hunting snakes.
1t was not a very favorable day
when he reached Cold Spring with q
companion from this city. The two
went directly to !. Z. Hanyen, of Mel:
sonville, who knows more about
snakes than any other man in Putnam
county, and asked him for informa-
tion regarding the haunts of the cop
perheads.
''Go right down to Muddy bridge,
about three miles from here" said the
veteran. You can find more copper
heads there than there is in q barrel of
applejack. What are you going to
catch 'em with?"
Here's our outfit" said Mr.. o'Reilly,
exhibiting long stick crooked at one
end, and big bag. 81 nail the cop
perhead down by putting the stick
across his neck and then drop him
into the bag, and there you are
"Well," said the old man, "Pd hate
to issue an insurance policy on your
life"
The snake hunter laughed, and
after thanking Squire Hanyen for the
information, walked on with his COM
panion. Toward noon it came on very
warm, and the hunters going to Muddy
| hrsI al sv,v Il
Lasher. O'Reilly's friend went on
about a mile to explore an open field,
while the snake expert stayed to make
some inquiries of Lasher.
II don't know how it is when you're
hunting for them," said that young
man; "but when you're looking for
other things there's more copperheads
than you want in this patch of woods
at our right. Thick boots have saved
me more than once in there. If you're
going in I'll stay here in the road and
watch for snakes crossing over. But
you want to be mighty careful where
you STEP"
This advice was shouted after the
scientist, who had already plunged
into the thicket, taking his long stick
with him. Progress was very slow.
The explorer was pretty tired when he
had forced his way through a hundred
yards Of the thick tangle, and the sight
Of little clearing where q big tree
had fallen was very welcome. It was
not quite clearing either, for near
the tree . thick netting of howery
creepers had sprung up, through which
only small patches Of ground could be
seen. In one of these openings Mr.,
; O'Reilly saw what appeared to be 9
good-sized copperhead. The snake had
seen him, too, and with its head raised
few inches from the coil was watch
ing him with interest. One of the
peculisrities of . copperhead 10 that
when it will stand and fight. Evi
IDENTIFY this ones policy was to fght
1t struck the naturalist even then that
from what he could see of the coil there
was an extraordinary lot of it. O'Reilly
pressed the thick growth of creepers
over to either side and then shot hii
stick in right above the reptiles nose
The catlike eyes glittered as they
moved in following the motion of the
} stick, and the forked tongue shot out
its yellow points trembling nervousl,
like the antennw of an insect. Other
wise the snake never moved at all
though the man could see it was al
ready to strike. OReilly stood within
; yard of the reptile in position suf
: ficiently dangerous to make him eau
tious, for the thicket in which he wa
entangled grew SO exceedingly dens'
that he could not move with cclerit,
in any direction. Although the snake
, head was in the middle of the coll,
, very awkward position for catching
the hunter nevertheless brought dowr
the stick over its neck, intending t.
gently but firmly press it to tn
ground. The thickness of the coil
was greater than that Of the neck. 81
the copperhead was able to shoot ou
its head beneath the stick fully 81,
inches beyond the coil. a. II COMING
right toward the hunter ouickl.