The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1897-07-08
A BALL OF SNAKES.
oNe HUNDRED AND FoRTY-ssvEN IN
ALL WE'RE CAPTURED.

they we're out Summing Themselves When
p,.covered- Their Desire to get away
rnev Rolled Down nm Embsnkinent
~,sh suffioient Force 20 stun Them.
Henry Moseley, who Is at present
resident of Wolcott captured more
,nan bushel and half of semi-tor.
mid rattlesnakes at the foot OF Hattie
snake Hill, below Thomaston, early
This spring. The snakes were being
tbawed out by the rays OF the warm
sun. The haul was an unusually large
one even for that snake country.
"I nm not much Of a hand at spin
ming A snake yarn" said Moseley mod
.stly but there were some things
about this last catch Of mine on Kat
tlesnake Hill that were unusually In
teresting.
Ever since first came into these
parts 50 many rattlers have been tax
en- about Rattlesnake Hill that have
known there must be hibernating
and ancestral den on 1t somewhere for
the reptiles. Besides, | was told that
there was, and I've been trying to
find the den, of and on, for long
time.
"a rattlesnake Is hcat-loving crea-
ture. YOU know, and as l had never
heen able to get any track of that den,
lust made it my business this spring
10 watch for the reptiles when they
came out of their long sleep. AT last
one day came across monstrOus Dig
,Iy In tha Qti on ton
of a fiat ledge near the highest part,
where the air was as warm as toast.
'"It was by all odds the greatest
sight ever saw or ever expect to see.
There they were, all interviewer, heads
and points, just about half alive ana
half dead, like 80 many strips OF thick
leather. | suppose their being massed
together in this way helps to preserve
them by keeping them warm. The
bnll was sort of relaxed and was fiat
tened out in shape like great big
chair cushion. Not far away was IA
narrow fissure in the ledge, which
saw ut once was the entrance to the
long -looked-for den. There was not a
snake in the place, all having Joined
III tHt VI thS baAi. NN' SN".'
as the snakes saw me they seemed to
give a signal, for the bail tightened W
all at once and started to roll right fol
the fissure in tile ledge
"As for me, l didn't know what tC
do, | was so excited. There was sol
of $75 worth of snakes there, all ballet
up for me, and didn't have thlnt
kA Eill thnn / nnyQ1
felt SO disappointed in all my life. fo'
see | never expected to have so mucf
to do in the way of snake hunting 81
early in the season, and all could la!
my hands ON was piece or wld'
board, which was lying there. All tn
time those snakes We're a-getting vi
more Roadway and a-rolling taste
and faster right for the entrance to tn
den. IN another moment down the
would fall into the cavern, and like
not | should lose three-quarters q
them.
81 acted ON the impulse Of the ml
ment. Said, l to myself, III try IN
best, and Wen see what l can do wit
this board At that l ran as fast a
could ahead of the snake ball an
managed to throw my board down an
cover up the entrance to the cave jus
before the ball reached the spot. Tn
big ball struck the board with such a
impetus that it bounded clear over I'll
fssure aud the next instant was Oh Il
way down the hill and across the to
OF the ledge. Before the snakes coul
untangle themselves the ball WE
bouncing down the footpath on IL
east side OF Rattlesnake Hill. 1t SOC
,whizzed so fast that the snakes ha
to tighten their grip for safety.
II stood watching the ball as 1t We
down the path II was a big Will
ing brown mass. All went we'll wi
it until it reached sharp turn in Il
path, where 1t fiew OF the track al
shot over the brow " the cliff, whi'
is about fifty feet hIga. The bah II
into mud bank below, and the thu
seemed to stun the snakes, for VIII
l finally got to risern they had n
moved, so l bad no reason to fl
afraid Of them. bad good deal
trouble in untying them and straigl
ening them 30 chat | could cut
throats OF the lot
Mr.. Moseley secured 1i7 snakes
an.-Philade!phia Tines.
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payina