West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1897-02-25
"sr' SUMMERS AT THE CAPITAL.
He NisitskingwoOd and Takes Dinner
With Edmund Messenger.

just imagine for one moment how
you would feel il you were living right
over rich gold mine aud had no way
of getting out the gold. You might as
we'll DC living over that much yellow
clay, for all the good il would do YOU
Well, that is just the situation of ''Si'
Sutnmers, the famous Shaggy Mountain
Snake Hunter now of la Broad Street.
Corinth, ". Va. AS has heretofore
been stated in these columns, ''Sr' gets
an immense amount of mail these DAYS,
most of which consists of orders for
snake oil and requests for prices and
rates by the bottle, pint quart or bar
rel. "Sf' has wealth within his grasp.
SO To speak. The public are holding
cut TO him the coin of the country and
all he has to do to possess il is TO fur
nlsh the snake oil >" There is the ru b.
In he could get hundred dollars n
drop for the lie" be could not have
enough To buy "A small section of star
Plug" Owing to the nature of the
snakes (Which at this time seems a
very unkind provision OF ProVideuce)
they are alternating during this sea-
son OF the year. Shaggy Mountain
fairly alive with snakes, and Isl" Sum
mers unable To get one poor little gar
ter snake Aud snake 'ile" i'm demand
al over the civilized world Alas how
my sterions are the ways of God.
81 was in kIugwood last Friday
and paid visit TO this office, also call
ing on his old friend, Gus Bolden He
had to decline Mr.. BSlden's invitation
TO dinner because he had previously
promised to dine with Edmand Mess
enger, the eX-me nnber of the county
court, who lives on High Street Mr.
Summers looked rs il he had seen sew
eral summers, and winters too He
was neatly and becomingly attired in n
10th century costume and yet seemed
very much at hone i'm an ancient suit
or clothes, which probably had be-
longod to his ancestors ages ago, for
Isl" has a genealogical tree to be
proud OF, or courae "Sf' talked snakes
lie aoologized for talking shop" on u
social visit, but THE ARGUS was glad TO
hear him branch out into the details of
his snake industry. 1t seems dreadful
to think of this man, now on the high
road to prosperity, unable TO enjoy the
luxuriss of life, because his reputation
and business came to him late in tho
fall. after the snakes had gone into
winter quarters.
"Sw actually carried two bushels Of
walnuts on his back from Corinth to
this place, hoping TO sell them in order
to raise enough to pay his Office rent
and photographer hire for month
longer. He did not sell the walnuts
here, but trudged on to Terra Alta
where he loud he cud sell 'em, for
they know u good thing over at Terry
Atty when they seed it"
When the warm winds blow from the
south and the beochen buds begin to
swell, then the black snake and the
RATHER will creep out from their dens
and fall into the clutches of Isl" who
will be on hands early, ready for bus
ness. He has already contracted for
forty barrels of snake oil. good for
govt rheumatism. phthisic, badness
aud bashfulness) mostly TO be shipped
to- the west. ISL saws he will not
adulterate the "ile," because he don't
believe IL would be right He says
Shaggy Mountain will produce reptiles
enough to supply his trade. We regret
that lack of space forbids "a more ex-
teDsive account of the visit from this
Portland district genius, but Isl" will
be heard from again. Mr.. Edmund
Messenger wanted to buy some stock
i'm ISIS" new company. but he declined
to take him in, saying he was afraid of
Messenger 'for he belonged to that
Kingwood Ring now"