Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1897-04-28
A MOnster Snake Eucount.
tered.

Last Friday, April %, Westley
Heller, killed the largest snake ever
in Juniata county. He
was taking out railroad ties on Tus-
carora mountain about 2 miles from
Thompsontown. Suddenly he heard
, movement among the bushes and the
next instant snakes head az large az
mans hand stood up four feet in
front of him. It was moving toward
him. mouth open 8 or 10 inches.
Is it a dream, he asked in his
own mind. With the instinct of des-
peraticn he took up the cross.cut
saw that lay close bye and as the
snake came on he gave one frantic
lunge. It was a short decisive battle.
The head of the snake was almost cut
of bv the saw. The force of the on
rushing snake, tumbled its ponderous
body about his legs and its tail
around and about him, and
for second or two he thought he
was the victim of o horrid night
mare, and as he had run away some
distance, and the thing did not follow
him, he turned, walked back to the
place Of the encounter to see if he
was then awake and in his sober
senses. It was all too true. Such a
snake as he had killed, he had never
seen, and again he began to ques-
ton his sober senses, and to satisfy
himself he took a handspike and
the snake and took q cord
and measured it around the body.
The snake measured 1S feet long and
81 inches round, that is Z inches IN
diameter, being as thick as the largest
stove-pipe. He almost tainted. He
became sick with nervous shock, and
with difficulty went home and went
to bed and when I. N. Bistline came
through Thompsontown on Satur-
day morning, he said his friend was
not yet able to get out of bed. The
nervous shock had almost killed him.
Bistline also said that DR.. Grubb and
other prominent citizens were pre-
pairing to 60 to the mountain to
bring the snake to town, and if he
Bristline had had time he would have
gone with them. The narrator of the
event said his friend Heller could not
tell much about the snake, only its
size, which has been given above, and
that it is almost black.
Mr.. Schlegel was the next citizen
from Thompsontown, who related the
dreadful experience of Heller and the
nervous prostration that overlook
him, after the encounter with the
snake. About the time he was leav-
ing Thompsontown, prominent clti-
zens had raised several dollars to be
given to men, who would bring the
reptile from the mountain. He said
the citizens down there were talking
Of two things about the snake: That
the skin should be taken off and stuff
I'd or that 1t should be preserved in
alcohol He thought taking the skin
off and stufing it would be the cheap
pr way. 1t would take q hogshead of
alcohol to preserve snake of that
size. Someone thought any half doz-
On men, who should invest in . hogs
head of alcohol could easily see more
than one snake 18 feet long and z
inches thick.
The next prominent citizen from
Thompsontown on Saturday, was
A. b. Evans, Esq. II. had heard of
Heller's experience from others, and
he knows Heller to be truthful man
but he had not spoken to him, since,
he exciting reports prevail b, said:
Other men now tell of having seen
IN enormous saake or two on Tusca-
rora mountain, but at the time they
saw the snakes they said nothing,
being convinced in their own minds
hat people would say the snakes they
nad seen had been msgnifed in their
ayes by fright. By Saturday sven-
ng there was more talk about the
snake than any other
subject. The size of the reptile as
;onisied everyone. Where did the
come from. Did it come
rom the tropics! Was it q snake es-
'aped from q show? Did it develope
is ponderous proportions on Tusca-
ora mountain? If it is Tuscarora
spontaneous development,
'thers of the same size may lurk on
is mountain side, a thousand feet |
Ibove the valley. and some day per-
'hance, just as Heller did, some 9TH
r citizen may have a still more des-
,erate battle with a snake giant of |
hat wild section. A snake of that
ize could swallow man az easily a.
J garter snake as thick as q mans
humb swallows q toad five times
Kicker. 1t would be no less strange
or Tuscarora mountain to spontan
'ously dsvelops snake of such q
rant size than for human body to
levelope louse or for human bed
o dsvelope a edbug. All that is
necessary is to have the proper con !
litions and nature gives life and de.
'slopment. Start an army of SOL
lisrs into active servic., clean and in
lew clothes from the stocking to the
'ap on their heads. By uncleanly
,abits the body louise will be devel.
ped among them spontaneously and
10 with the bed in human babi, alton.
l new bed in a new house under GER
ain conditions will develop the bod
,ug. Where did the lice and bed |
Bugs como from. If they were spon-
aueously developed through certain
it would not be o difficult |
eat for nature to develope monster
makes in Tuscarora mountain, if all
be favorable for such de-
'elopment. 8. Boyd Murray, pro-
'rietor of the National hotel, rode to
on Sunday ON his
Wheel to see the snake, but it had