The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-18
Observation-Disclosures
THINGS THE GoVERN0R HEARD
WIEN HE ASKED Il QUESTION.

tho Yonngxoman's Creek waters, in tho Hem
lock bolt, he killed. a rattlesnake ono day whilo
trout fishing, and that led to a little conversa-
ton on snakes.
Major" said tho guest, ARE there many ret
tlcsnakes about heref'
"woli." said he, shaking his head and hesi-
tatlng, as IL he wasn't exactly certain whether
he ought to 60 into the subject very far, "ll
tell You. Old Gov. Goary used to como up here
long In the fall, gener'ly in October, to hunt deer
with NO. One day he says to me:
"'Maio,' ko says. is there any rattlesnakes
round horoi"
"Iuo and told him tho hull h!st'ry o. snakes
In this corner o. the earth, and he suddenly re-
meinhcred that ho had forgot sumpin' torriblo
important ut Harrisburg, an no pulled out an
went back homc, though he had como to stay n
week, an he hadn't ben here two days yit; SO
mobbc wo better drop tho subject O. snakes fer
fear you mowt remember sumpin' that you've
forgot, an hnvo to go right of homo an sec
about It,"
The guest assured the Major that there was
no danger Of that.
"II tell you what we'll do, then" said he.
"Ill give you tho Same hlst'ry l give the old
Governor, an you kin believe 1t or you needn't.
1t won't BIO to you I'm tellin' 1t, but to him. as
told 1t then. So, II It strikes you as q little on
sarcumstantinl why. you can't say l was tryin'
TO BtrCtCn tn1ngS 10 mako II SOunu bhR tosou.
That was satisfactory, and the Major pro-
ceeded with the talk he had with Gov. Geary.
"'Maje.' says the Governor. is there any
rattlesnakes around heref
"'Is there any rattlesnakes = says l.. We'll.
Governor I says. If you're on the scent for rat
tlcsnakos. an want to git some right bad, kin
take you to q place not moron a mile from here
where you kin git all the rattlesnakes you want.
Why, Governor I says. If there wasn't no rat
| tlesnakes around here how do you s'pose / got
| this yaller grease that ! wouldn't take the best
two-dollar bill for tina: over was made \ says.
You don't s'pose 1 fry 1t out O. ground hog tai
Ter, do you And I showed him a little bottle of
snake lie list like this un here"
The Major took a small vial from his pocket.
1t was filed with a pale yellow oil.
Governor I says" continued tho Major.
"'that 10 the genuine. simon pure juice o the
rattlesnake. / tried 1t out myself. an the snake
that shed the most on 1t surrendered to me right
in front O this cabin door here. I picked up a
few more of en- I says, right back here on tho
rocks. You kin get all the prescriptions, Gov
ernor.' I says, that's ben put up sence Adam
had his rib healed, an you kin rub on all the
intments that has ben made since Aaron had
his whiskers CREASED 1 says. but when you
want sumpin' thatll take a holt O. the roomytiz.
like a houn' pup takes a holt of a rabbit skin,
an that'll leave list about as much OF 1t when
it's done with it. I sayp. list grab on to a bottle
O. rattlesnake ile.' I says. Why, Governor I
says, roomytiz an rattlesnakc lie can't live in
the same bailiwick! An that's so. sonny!
Eyes, Governor l says. there's quite a few
of the rattlin' beauties left yit in this corner o
the footstool, but nothin' to what there used to
be. ! kin remember ] says. when al, a Teller
had to do was to walk up the creek here not
more'n three-9uarters Of a mile, iist where the
serenado it was there. 1t sounded. i says; a good
d fsIds ii kSs seq fhe es re- t ERl | as p4ies' o s,nk abom In n Inc |
Governor. as they shook EN- at one an.
other her, Il ,oot that s.,,s old nr, bCF !aras d Ia, mG snEs;
ayeryhanfscme picture when he reached .'other
S would Be- II he'd lay down in front Of a buzz saw
r T%e% a second. I dnnno what's ihinned
the snakes out so. 7 says, but I know have to
Go soY Isr Z n h e spp mGye . f9S Sreass p 'bsn wh ! did ! start n 1h S"s
.r IoBd ,ss the s, ]sa5tles r. si IL s., the ;oo only ss snshS' , Gsx;
parts I says. There's the pilot. The pilot is a
sarpcnt that always sets in the front row when
With The iishs shinin' on il Just right it does put
lie. p%srvldin' the tea kettle is KEEP as shiny as
my Of woman keeps her'n, says; II you ever
Yo"nsweman' s Creek district, Governor' an ali
OF a suddcnt you smell cowcumbers. KNOWN
tha. there hadn't ort" be no Sos eowsumeers there;
en- may be within, reach Of you. or he may be
on t'othcr side o the medder. but he's there
s snd Kit al " club. pervldin HeS You hain'tt got your
Fun. Some folks sticks to 4, says, that fer
h lSsn ben bent f Kim; : eu! F" ! 7 dun n'"' I PANS says. an n
an O. course can't give no opinion from actual
experience. Old Sol Gregg. who made a alvin
sHS'f thnt sn piiot's an P'i sc,SaT Wonld ok Xii iiT'f a rs stM 7 5
hire ali out Of "a pilots. Cerryin' out this idec;
z. .!S,h h,%s one 60 soc. &C S ss%s q Els ! III e i NH !Ps 6 ; : ne
There's another merry little sarpint that
cheers up life in these rural districts. Governor
] says. and that un wo call the BLOWN adder.
know much about him. lie likes mcdders, too.
F4osn s0 an! ns Ssy IN l 81 Il d his hi afrf It 1 sits to the be
about the size o your hand an then a.9ufin' and
BLOWN like steam %s.gittin' loose, Some folks
hfss Will While hes Ie ii It 20 W"i It's sure SHe' death, an
that 1t kills grass an leaves, an fetchcs down
n iist ,h sna' MeGSy that's ,N sc So n' Go, e erHss 'fes sa S%
but, betwi1t. me and on, don't much believe
hay mads scarce or the woods cleaned out o,
birds BY these orfnl snakes q b%renthin' on en- l
Governor, but as lazy as, a mud turtle. I'll hunt
one up and lot you see him puff some day when
me and you Is out; but, i says, don't get too
nigh him. He'd jist as soon try 10 hit n Gov
ernor. / says. as he would a coon hunter.
"'But the most interestin' snake to me, Gov
ernor.' / says, is n little small one that hangs
out around hero that we call the spotted adder.
He's got more spots on him than n leopard, The
strong pint about this TELLER. though, is his
singer, He don't ehaw his p,ison an spit it
does, Governor. but he tsbs it into you with his
bout halr an inch long. sharp Ms a needle, an,
hollor as a dry gourd. That holds his pison, an
| hN inf rod 1905 II intn Xnnf ayStpm nv thrpwin'
that horn up with his tail an 'dippin' YOU with it.
I've teased Elm with n long stick = heap o times;
/ says, list 10 scc'cn sock their horns In ii, till
It was as full O. holes as q tree where q wood,
pccker'd been workin'. Then II you shove that
stick into u piece q raw pork tho porkTl turn as
black as your hat. Tho spotted adder is nice. Ia
look AT, Governor | says. but IA touch o! his
singer will summon u Coroner's jury
"'I guess mcbbc you've heerd. Governor ]
says, that there amt no love lost 'twiXt al
I~rfshman an az Englishman. but they're nnec.
tomato twins ! says. : ~lonssidc of the fcclin'
that tho blacksnakc nm tho RATHER holds to'rds
zach other. A hlacksnnkc an a rnttlcr can,
live ten minutes IL tho same ten-acre lot with
out thoir hnvin' a fight. The blacksnake-nn