Birmingham state herald., 1896-06-18
FATHERS AND FLAMES.
Terrible Ordeal Through Which a Fisherman Passed-Hemmed in byFire, Reptiles
 Guarding Only Avenue.
wllliamsport, Pa. Letter to Philadelphia

Williamsport, Pa, Letter to Philadelphia Times.
 The boss snake story of the season came in from the Panther Run region the other day. The hero of the yarn is old George Welshaus ho has killed "regi- ment O rattlersn in his day, but on this occasion the old fellow encountered too many reptiles for him to slaughter all. Welshaus was out trouting when he ran against his exciting experience, but fierce forest fire made it too hot for com fortable fishing, and it was while he was escaping from the advancing line of flame that he ran on to the snake part of his days outing.
 Now, had noticed an all-flred lot O water snakes as I hoofed up over the rocks and crawled over logs that laid in the stream, but it never struck me thet the fire in the woods he'd anything ter do with this fac. Every durn snake, too, wuz a-layin' in the crick, sometimes a. curled up on a flat rock then agin a-stretched out on a log or a-stickin' to the body of a sapln' thet hung over the water. Ye see, as I've kalkerlated since, these durned snakes tux to the water when they found thet thar wuz fire in the neighborhood, an the cunnin' fellers wuz a-gittin' as near safety as it wuz possible for 'em to do.
 "Waal, I'm not pertickler afeered O water snakes, an Just fished long with out payin' much attention to the bizneSs, an failed to notice thet the fire wuz a. hummin down the holler on both sides O the crick P'raps I wouldn't noticed 1t soon ez I did eff 1t hadn't been for suthin' as happened bout this time. wuZ pokin my way round a clump of alder bushes to get into a durn nice poolI spied. up stream aways, when my 'tention all O cI1ddipf like 'traptQd to the ground by hearin' the warnin' song of rattle snake.
 The Terrible Battle.
 Now, I kin rustic along an kick regiment O water snakes out O my way, but when a rattle sounds his gong l jist gives him as respectful 'tention as I does one O these trolley cars in town. When I heered the rattle it peared to cum from the groun' jist at my feet an l gev a leap. Twas well did, fer the sight that saw minnit later set my blood a-freezln down my backbone. Right on the groun' whar he'd stood was three O the durnd- est biggest, maddest rattlers thet man ever sot eyes on. An they wus maxim music fer sartin. Madder'n nest O hor4 nets when you send a load O buckshot through their nest wus these three rat tlers They wus all coiled up in punches an their heads kep' a-swayin' f'm side to side an up an down till l sort O got queer feelin' in my ole head a-Watchln of 'em. Waal, wasn't long O putin the hull three to sleep, an arter pocket in the rattles I started fer the pool again. But I'll be gol darned eff before tux four steps I didn't cum kerplunk onter an- other rattler He was a-shinnin' long toard the crick at purity good rate, but when I cum close to him he stopped an set tune with his rattles. He was a slick yaller- feller, with a skin as glossy as an eel. sort O shied off to one side to git pine knot thet laid at the foot of a alder saplin' with one hand an kind O reachin' over an giyin' MT. Snake a smack with the other. Waal, got the pine knot an he'd grabbed the saplin', when all of a suddint I felt suthin soft strike my hat then it slid off my head on to my shoulder, an the next minnit the durn thing was a-squirmin an danglln in front O my face. Holy goshes O mid night spooks! 'Twar an all-fired big blacksnake O the racer kind, an the thing was a wrigglin' down over my shoulder on to the groun'.
 Glad It Was Blacksnake.
 You see, the varmint he'd been up on thet alder saplin' an when I katched hold O the tree an bent it over the durn snake came tumblin' off kerplunk on to my head. Waal, ye know, blacksnakes don't bite, an this feller peared to be in mighty hurry to git away. He scooted right smack into the creek an, the next minnit he he'd hid under a lot O roots as nunR over the Ddnk 0 tne CTeeh U e durn good thing fer me thet he wus willin' to go without givin' me a fight, fer I jist stood thar an trimbled. wus as weak as seven cats, an it tux me nigh on to ten minnits to git my senses collected. When I did cum to sees as how the fire wus all aroun' me on both sides O the run. A stiff breeze wus a-scurryin' the flames down the creek an the air wus gittin alfred hot an smoky. I kalkerlated as how I'd best adjourn. What with the snakes an the fire I concluded thet Panther run was a good place to git away froum. Then 1t jist struck me why the snakes wus so durn plenty roun' those diggin's. The fire wus a-chasin' 'em ahead O it into the creek.
 "When I kem to conclude this know'd as how I'd gantlet to run goin' down stream, fer I knows the banks an the rocks in the crick'd be lined with the pesky critters. But down the crick I must go. I couldn't break through the walls O fire thet wus linin' along the stream, so the only thing left fer me to do wuz to make tracks right squar' down the middle O the crick I got hold of stout birch stick bout as thick as my wrist an started. An tell ye, men, thet trip down thet Panther run jist made my hair stan on end. The fire kep' snappin' an hissin' an screechin' out along the
 
 on nigh onto every stone an log an stump in thet stream thar wuz snake.
 A Mass of Wriggling Reptiles.
 Thar wuz rattlers an bla cksnakes an copperheads an watersnakes. They wuz a wrigglin' an twistin an a squirmin' until I ed snakes when I s,sut my eyes. I jist cut lickety split ahead O me, now in path downstream through dem durnation snakes. An afore I got down to the clearin I wuz pukin' i'm the thench thet the durn snakes made in the heat fm the fire. It's a mirakle thet I wuzn't bit dozen times in thet trip downstream, fer I throw'd rattler after rattler aside so I cd step on stones or logs to get along.
 But, say, sees one thing thet wuz as good as circus on that trip. I wuz down whar the crick widens bit. Thar wuz a top O a pine tree as he'd blowed off a lyin' near the bank O. the run. It wuz all ablaze. Jist at the edge O this pile O fvaa fatac T nln cnn rdf,1o af