The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-09-08
The EXPERIENCE
OF PETER BILLS
A Cascade Boy Has a Snake for a
Pet.
FARMER GOODWINS MAD TREE
A ASusquehanna Woman vetoes Her
Husbands Proposed Trip to Klon-
dike--TOwnship Treasurer's Bank
Account--James Cow Swings the
Cradle at 9O--Odds and Ends.

| o""S"'P h'c"su'ci D"nh
| Account-.James Cow Swings the
Cradle at 9O--Odds and Ends.
| Special to the Scranton Tribune.
| Susquehanna, Sept. For the last
| two weeks a son of Peter Bills, living
near the Cascade, has been in the habit
| of leaving his fathers home every
| morning at about 8 o'clock and not re-
| turning until noon. The parents of the
| boy have questioned him as to where
| he went, and the lad would reply, ITO
| play with a neighboring boy, named
| Springer" One day the father watched
| his son and followed at a short dis
| tance, and when about half mile from
| the home entered piece of thick wood
| land. in from the turnpike some two
| hundred yards, where he seated himself
| upon a large rock, and in less than ten
minutes the father was horrifed on see
| ing a monster black snake crawl upon
| the boys lap. The boy had taken bread
| with him and was feeding the snake,
| which at intervals would stick large
| tongue out. as if Kissing for more to eat.
| Then it would coil itself around the
neck and body of the boy and play, with
| its neck and mouth, the boys hands.
| Bills had often heard of snakes charm
ing children, and that if they were dis
| turhed while in the act they would kill
| the child. As the father turned to leave
| his boy with his deadly companion, he
| turned back, and the snake, hearing a
noise at once uncoiled itself and raised
| it's body at least four feet from the
rock, and looked in all directions, and
| then it returned to the boys lap, and
| the father returned home and awaited
| the boys return. When told that he
| had been playing with the snake, the
| boy said that the first morning that he
met the snake he liked to play with it.
| Then he took il food, and he was so
much pleased with his companion that
| something told him he must meet the
| snake every morning. One morning he
said he was late, and when he reached
| the place the snake was standing up,and
it came out to meet him, then followed
| him to the rock Next day the father
| and two of his neighbors went to the
| place of rendezvous with guns, and at
| the usual time the snake made it's ap-
| pearance, when all fired at once, killing
| the charmer. When the boy saw his
| late companion cold in death he cried
| bitterly, but soon seemed to be glad
| that he had been relieved of his strange
| companionship.
IN OLD SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY.
The annual reunion of the Ryrearson
| family will be held at the home of
| Arthur Ryrearson, in Hartford, Sept.
| u.
| Bauers famous Scranton band will
furnish music at the Hartford fair
| 4 petition has been filed in our
county court for the appointment of
| commissioners to establish a line be-
| tween Susquehanna and wayne coun-
| ties.
| Gospel tent meetings continue in
Hallstead with unabated interest.
The Bridgewater Baptist associa-
| tion will meet with the North Auburn
| Baptist church, near Auburn Four
| Corners, Sept. Z, s, 0. The Sunday
| School association will meet Sept. T.
| The gospel tent has removed from
Montrose to Smiley Hollow, Gibson
| township. Meetings commenced on
Saturday, in charge of Revs. Scovlle
| and Macarthur.
| James Cow, of LenoX, aged 80 years,
has been swinging the cradle in the
oat field. He's of the good old stock,
now so swiftly passing away.
| number of vicinity young men are
| preparing to go to the Dundaff gold
| fields They will start early in the
| fall, so as to avoid the great winter
snow drifts among the mountain
| passes of Ararat. They will take
along a Gatling gun to protect them
| selves against the Dundaffite mission
aries.
THE ECCENTRICITIES OF LIFE.
Farmer Goodwin, of Starrucca, the
other day noticed his valuable bird
| dog acting strangely. Securing the
! dog by stout chain to a young tree,
he waited to see what would come of
it, In less than two hours the dog was
raving mad. He flew at the young
tree and bit it furiously in a dozen
| places. The dog soon died. In about
three weeks the tree went mad. Its
| limbs waved and threshed about, all
the bark fell off and the tree died in
horrible agonies.
| A Susquehanna married woman was
quite willing that her husband should
go to the Klondike until she read about
the Dakota man who is going to take
300 women out there and auction them
off. After that she vetoed the trip.
A township treasurer over in Brad =
ford county had no faith in banks, so
he hid $500 in a jug in his cellar One
day he desired to draw on the jug for
$50, but somebody had made a prior
| draft for $500 when he was at church.
The moral will appear in our next
chapter.
MATTERS IN BRIEF.
Edward F. Pride, for several years
an attache of the Susquehanna Journal,
has taken a position as shipping clerk
with the Standard Coupler company in
Bridgeport, Conn.
The corner stone of the Presbyterian
church in Susquehanna will be laid on
Thursday next, with Appropriate cere-
monies. Rev. Charles Lee, of Carbon
/ dala will praanb tho Sar,,o,