The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1896-10-15
TOLD OF A PARK SNAKE.
A Policeman's Explanation of Worn
Spot In the Asphalt Walk.

a kouccmhns ENpAhoatfOu OF u worn
Spot In the Asphalt Walk.
| A Central park policeman was stand
ing near the entrance at Tooth street
and Central park west the other day
looking very thoughtful. He stroked
the leit-hand side of his fine red mus.
tacne with his right forefnger and
gazed in an distracted way at the lower
rims of the wheels of carriages and BIZ
cycles as they passed.
'sWhat is weighing on your mind so
heayily?" asked an acquaintance.
The policeman turned sayagely with:
None OF your" Then he broke off
and said: "0h, it's you, is it?" The
savage look gave way to half smile,
and then the serious look came back
again.
II don't think" said he. II don't
know, and, what's more, don't give q
cuss." Then he stopped talking to look
at his questioner through the corners
of his eyes. After little urging and
much hesitation he told this story:
"You asked me once if I'd ever seen
any snakes here in the park, and l told
you yes, That was early last spring,
wasn't it? Yes, / thought so. Well,
I've seen some snakes since then. May
be You would like to hear about one
that I've got to know pretty well? Yes?
Just as | thought. Let us go down this
walk ways. 1want TO show you some
thing first. Here we are. Do you see
this little knob or hummock in the
asphalt? Well, last spring, the first
time ! noticed it, il was an inch high.
You can see for yourself that it's not
more than half an inch high now. What
do you suppose wore it down SO much? ?"
"The scufiing of shoes on it." the
man guessed.
SWELL, / rather think nit. The feet
of men don't touch the edge of this
walk twice a year. Do you see that
robins nest there in that oak? Well,
the first time saw that snake it wss
just swallowing the last of five eggs
that had been in that nest. Iknow that
there were five eggs in the snake be.
cause they showed in five punches in
the snakes middle-the cuss had swal-
lowed them whole. He was q black one,
by the way, and could climb like gray
squirrel
But, as was saying, that snake had
five unbroken eggs in him, and was
wondering about what he was going
to do with them. l found out pretty
soon The snake climbed down the tree
head first and crept toward the walk
here, getting along pretty slow, for he
was only IA inches long, and the five
eggs made pretty big load for him.
The snake came straight toward this
hummock here, and l was standing
right here by these bushes. He crawled
around the hummock several times,
then stuck his head in this little hole
here in the asphalt, and then drew him
self up into a hump, with his tail stick.
ing in this little crack here-only the
crack wasn'tso large then-and then he
stood up just like letter O upside
down. Then he Strengthened out, and
down came one of the eggs on to that
hummock there. heard the shell
break. The snake raised up again and
another egg was broken, and SO on until
there wasn't a whole egg in the snake.
That's what wore that hummock down,
for all summer the snake broke his eggs
on it."
is that what made you think and
look 30 seriously?" the man asked, az
the policeman stopped talking.
oh, no. / was just wondering IL h
wouldn't be a good plan for us police
men to be made auxiliary observers Of
natural history here in the park.--N,Y.
Firs-Bern Bug.
There are some bad bugs and worms
in the southern forests, but there are
certainly none that are quite equal In
endurance and toughness to the worm
that developed himself from the great
forest fires Of the northwest Scarcely
had the fires cooled sufficiently for the
owners to make inspection Of losses
when they found that this new worm
had got there first, and was already
completing the destruction Of what
the flames had spared. Both standing
and cut timbers were attacked, and the
most vigorous measures have been re-
sorted 10 and with only partial sue
cess This worm seems to have evolved
from the heat, and, 80 far, the cold and
SHOWS Of the winter do not appear to
have affected his health or lessened his /
voracity. He certainly Is 9 new and [
unpleasant feature In the timber ques- /
tion, and nut that scientists have not
yet cracked. Chicago Chronicle.
The Oldest known piece Of wood is
Iormed into the statue Of an Egyptian
I.s 111xo l.