The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-10-12

old man went on. When you kill a snake jest let him lay there and then the others will come round and you can get them, too. There's two kind of snakes that rattles-brown and black. One is poison as the other. The biggest one ever killed was bout five feet. Gin'erly they are from two and one half to three feet We've killed pas sel of 'em on this mountain" What do you do with the snakes?' asked the interested visitor.
 Why, we cut 'em open and get the fat out and bile it down into oil and sell | it."
 What is the oil good for?" The ailments which "Cy" and the others of his family named would fill q volume on materia medica. It was Nes- pecially valuable, they claimed, for deafness and rheumatism. Time was,' "Cy" continued, when l used to get something for killing em when I went down to town. don't get anything now. I heard man say he was goin' to have leaf put in the lay | book for me bout lection time, but when he came back he said he got the | leaf all right, but that big man down there"-meaning the governor | wouldn't put his name to it, and now | I'm got to wait. But I wish you'd tell
 em that 'Cy' Sommers would like to get fifty cents apiece for all he kills, and maybe that man will put his name | to it then"
 That would help us out" remarked ] the old woman, as she entered the room again, holding between her teeth the reed stem of a clay pipe, while ire 1 quent puffs of tobacco smoke emerged from her lips.
 q s'pose they told you" she contin- ued, 'all about their killin', but nary one of em could beat me when was young gal was born down in Gainesville. I met Dave dawn there Dave was my husband and then we come to Shaggy mountain, where I'm ben ever sence Ellen Jane and 'Cy' 1 got their snaken' from Dave and me The first snake ever see began to play with with my bare foot. It was in l the hen house. Nanny came along, and LOT, child, it skeered her pretty nigh to death. The way she did lick me never have forgot, and that thing makes me hate snakes to-day"
 None of the women in the Sommers 1 family have ever been on the steam cars in their life, although the railroad runs less than six miles from their l home. "Cy," when asked whether he had ever been away from home, drew I himself up and said:
 "Oh, yes; durin' the war I was in 1 Wheelin' That's as far as I ever ben from home.'
 You're jest as well off," added Nanny"
 I The visitor asked "Cy" whether he was gold or silver man.
 'I raise a little buckwheat,' he re- 1 piled, evidently not knowing what the question meant, "and snake-hunt fer 1 livin'. A good snake season will bring l us in bout fifteen dollars" ] The nature of the financial question was then explained to him, and he was asked what kind of money he would rather have
 Money is only good down in town" he said. ''T would rather have gold, I guess, if I could get any one of 'em, but I ain't heard anything bout this busi- ness.'
 The snake hunter did not know who the democratic and republican nomi- nees for president were. J Just then Nanny opened the door leading to the next room and called to Ellen Jane, Bring the strangers out"
 A neat table, covered with clean white cloth was spread. Upon it were dishes of several kinds of jellies and wild honey, an earthen jug containing milk, a dish of bacon, and a plate of l snowy, home made bread, together with dish of golden butter. In spite of the rugged surroundings and the primeval innocence of the family, there was in this crude mountain home a warmth of hospitality which, like pleasant memories, will always finger with those who enjoyed that modest meal
 After saying goodbye, the visitors returned where they had left their team, and then b egan the descent of the mountain "Grenny" and Ellen Jane were seen standing in the door, way waving an adieu.-Baltimore Sun.