The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-02

GREAT SNAKES IN ULSTER.
marlborough Man Charmed by
Giant Reptiles.
From the Kingston Freeman.

From the Kingston Freeman.
The range of hills known as the MARI
borough mountains is now visited nearly
every day by men and boys who have a
| peculiar fascination for hunting snakes.
| That there are snakes there and in the VI
| entity of the section known throughout
Southern Ulster as "Breakneck" no one
| Will dispute. Reptiles that have as many
| rattles as one can count upon the fingers
| of ones hand are found daily and the
number in which the enemy is sometimes
| driven back to and under shelter make up
| interesting narratives. Charles Baxter of
| Marlborough tells bit of his experience
| on recent Sunday that sends a chill
| down the back of the timid as II is care
| lessly related by one who says that lit is
| only fun to hunt snakes" Mr. Baxter
started out to visit his parents on Sun
| day.
Mr.. and Mrs Ezra Baxter, Sir, reside in
| the town of Plattekill just over the sum
nit of the Marlborough mountains, and
the son, to cut short track to his house,
crossed through a woody part of the
mountains. AS he was walking along his
mind cheered by the song of the mountain
chipper and wood-pccker he was suddenly
startled by queer noise. Mr.. Baxter had
heard the dulcet tones of the average
snake when stricken with a sudden fright
but this particular sound that disturbed
him in his walk seemed TO be like that of
a child crying for assistance. Without a
moments warning, a snake as large as
ever seen in the neighborhiod jumped from
a log and commenced to climb tree near
by. The reptile was nimble and before Mr.
Baxter could get his pistol from his pock-
ct the snake had wound its body about an
overhanging limb, and at once began to
swing its head back and forth II made a
noise that chilled the blood in Mr. Bax-
ters body. Each movement was accom-
panied by a remarkable fattening of the
neck near the reptiles head. Just as Mr.
Baxter became aroused to the danger he
was in, another snake of the same sort
attacked him from another tree near at
hand. The strange singing of the viper
nearest Mr.. Baxter charmed him so that
he forgot to shoot for his protection, and
it was not until friend of the elder Bax-
ter happened along that the hypnotic in
huence of the charmers was broken.
AS quick as flash a shot from the pistol
that Mr.. Baxter held I'm his hand was dis
charged and the extended portion of each
snake was severed from its body. The rep
tiles were taken down and measured. The
first measured a trihe over seven feet in
length and the smaller one was not less
than five feet long. The peculiar actions
of the snakes aroused the curiosity of the
men In the neighborhood, and an examina-
ton or the species later on disclosed the
fact that they were OF the family known
as the Portuguese cobra de capello"
reptile of the most Venomous nature. Had
not Mr.. Baxter had the assistance of
friend who happened that way at the
proper moment he might have had a ter
rible tussel before he conquered his foe A
search the next day by a party of noun
tain hunters did not disclose the nesting
place of the reptiles, and now people are
wondering where they came from. The
mountains in this locality are fun of the
ordinary black snakes, which are killed
at the rate of thirty or forty at a time.