The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-19
FROG HAD BEEN TO SCHOOL.
HE KNEW TOO MUCH FOR THE
WISDOM OF THE SERPENT.
wouldn't BE SwaIIOwed-SO He Pick
ed IN "A 1'Nvig and Held "a I'm His
Jaws and the snake Was Com
PEELED 10 Disgorgs, Him at Last.
BON IL PhIIadelphIa &c

Clinton, y. j., Sept. l2.-The south
branch Of the Raritan river runs through
this city and along the picturesque Lehigh
Valley railroad. 1t is famous for It's back
bass turtle and water pilots; and its
wooded. picturesque shores are great re
sorts for fishing and picnic parties. At
Kershaw's Mills there is large dam.
over which superfluous water empties into
a sort of raceway. Thousands of huge
rocks and boulders support this dam
and. during a very dry spell. when very
little or no water is running over the
dam, scores OF huge ugly looking. brown
colored water snakes use the rocks for
sun baths.
1t was at this point that Nick Sampson
witnessed a singular scene recently. He
was watching the snakes and had his
eye on an old fellow who. he declares.
had scales on him like a salamander."
when his attention was drawn from the
spot to a frog that was hopping along on
the bare ground between the rocks and the
river. The frog was nearing the snake.
unmindful of his peril, for snakes love
frogs and toads But this frog had EVIL
IDENTIFY been TO school"
IS guess the old snake had an eye open"
said Nick, FOR as soon as the frog came
I'm reach, he sprang for him. The frog.
seeing him, essayed TO get away, making
a high leap toward the water. But the
snake was too quick for him and got be-
tween him and the water. 1t was then
that the frog manifested his schooling.
lie picked up a twig about four inches
long and held it I'm his mouth like bit.
I pnI hot for md xxThs Il "a
tanned said l to myself:
Mick is the smartest frog in the United
States"
The snake seized the frog by the fore
leg and frightening out, proceeded to get
outside Of him. He opened his jaws and
wriggled forward. Inswent the frogs leg
and then, after many efforts, the snake
got the frogs nose and part of his head in
until he came to the twig, which, extend
ing an inch beyond and across his own
jaws Queered him and saved the frog. The
snake writhed and wriggled frantically.
He relaxed the muscles of his jaws, but
all in vain.
II laughed so hard and so long that l
became weak in my knees and had to sit
down and rest before l looked for club
TO help the frog out of the difficulty. Then
l got a big stick and moved quickly down
upon the snake who was too busy to hear
me
with one strong. well directed blow.
/ broke his spine and paralyzed him,
and his jaws relaxed, the frog backed
out, dropped the twig, looked up at me
and gave a croak of thanks. Before 1
could reach him, he gave two leaps and
was in his element"
There is a plague of snakes in Hackle-
barney township, Somerset county. There
are always plenty Of big snakes in sea-
son In and around Hacklebarney, but the
recent dry weather has caused them 10
swarm the mountain lodges In unprece-
dented numbers until now the warning
noise of the rattler is as frequent as the
songs of the locusts. During the season
the reptiles have waged a relentless war
on the berry pickers and a vicious lot OF
them have finally descended into the val
ley and captured Farmer Henzels big
chicken house. The Henzers big hennery
is attached to the great barn at the foot
of the mountain range The first intlma-
ton of the presence of reptiles about the
place was conveyed to Farmer Henzel
through the unusual actions of his ami
mails confined in the barn. The sleek
horses were frequently seized with vio-
lent fits of trembling, which lasted for
hours.
There is no use in talkin', Mandy"
remarked Farmer Henzel in alarm to his
faithful helpmeet, them horses has got
that anthrax disease"
Mrs. He1zel incidentally remarked:
"Sakes, jos n, it must be that the anthrax
has got among the chickens, too. The
small broods are simply meltin away.
while the gather of eggs each day Is so
small that it amt worth the findin'."
One morning lately Farmer Henzel was
watching the developments of the an
thrax among his animals in the stable,
when he espied a seyen-foot black snake
crawl from beneath the hennery into the
stable and glide toward hens nest. The
single egg remaining in the nest was
taken by the snake in its coils and dis
patched quicker almost than it takes to
write it, A hickory whtiietree welded
by the strong arm Of Farmer Henzel soon
dispatched the snake. Mr.. Henzel notic-
ed an unaccountable bulge midway of ths
reptiles symmetrical outlines. A hasty
post-mortem performed with his jack
knife brought to light two small china
nest eggs.
Mr.. Henzel now had a clue to the trouble
among his animals and poultry, and he
started out to investigate. Taking a bean
pole he probed cautiously under the big
chicken coop and was startled by seeing
the heads Of dozen ugly reptiles poked
out from as many openings. The noise of
several rattlers which glided out on either
side of him brought hts investigation to
an abrupt end and caused him to sprint
for the house in a manner that did credit
to his rheumatic limbs.
Billy" Farmers Henzefs Oldest boy,
was at once dispatched to the cabin OF
Ike" Cooper on the mountains. Ike is
known the country over as a snake
cnnrmer He has studied the character
istics and habits of huckleberFy snakes
until now by some hocus-pocus he is ena-
bled to entice the reptiles from their dens
and to capture them alive. Every season
he realizes a snug sum from the sale OF
rattlesnake oil Ike arrived on the scene
and was soon under contract to rid Farm
err HenzePs place of the obnoxious rep
tiles.
The snakes were fat and saucy as the
result of high living, and Ike's accult
power, which never failed to work in the
mountain fastnesss, was of no avail in
enticing the snakes from their vantage
ground beneath the hen house. Next he
attempted to route the enemy by tearing
UP the floor of the chicken house. Every
time he tore up a board there was a
warning rattle and one or more vicious
strikes at his great cowhde boots which
invariably resulted in several snakes be-
ing beheaded by a huge corn knife which
Ike welded with unerring aim. AS the
battle waged hot Ike was reinforced by
the Henzels yellow dog, Zipp.
For time the battle was nip and tuck,
but finally the snakes got the upper hand
and after a series of yelps Zipp retired
so saturated with snake poison that his