The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-13
MYTHS ABOUT KETTLES.
Extinct Species of Snakes That Were
BOyh0Od's BuEaboO.
From the Chicago Tribune.

From the Chicago Tribune.
The destruction of the forests, the in
creased area of land devoted to agr1cul-
tural purposes, the building Of towns, and
the extension of railroads and other i'm
provements during the last half century
have greatly diminished the supply of
snakes. Once in a while a RATHER, a mo-
casin, or a copperhead is killed, but some
of the more vicious kinds, especially those
that troubled the small boy of a genera
ton or two ago, are almost if not wholly
extinct Nowadays a boy can roam the
prairies at his own sweet will with scarce
ly thought of the dreaded blue racer"
a reptilian scourge that In days gone by
abounded in places that boys were wont to
haunt II the youngster happened upon a
strawberry patch of more than usual
richness he generally met with a blue rae
er on his first visit, and had to flee for his
life. and if in his subsequent variations
he magnified the encounter just little
Il was solely with a view OF lettering 9TH
er urchins from visiting the patch and
not from any desire TO depart from the
truth of history.
The blue racer was an ophidian calcu-
lated TO cause the hair of the small boy to
stand on end like the quilts of the fretful
porcupine. Nothing could exceed the
fiendsh malignity of this snake, whose
powers of locomotion were incredibly
swift. and whose appetite for boy was
forever on edge. And 1t was only by re-
lieving himself of all impedimenta, such
as the bucket containing his small store
OF berries or his fishing tackle and can of
bait, that boy was able to avoid capture.
II was the current belief that when the
blue racer came up with his prey that
he swiftly EMBODIED the unlucky wight in
his deadly coils, crushed the life out of
him, and then devoured him at his lois
ure. So far as history goes and the NOR
tuary records show no boy was ever cut
Off In the bloom of his youth by blue
racer, but disasters OF this kind were only
avoided by the remarkable fleetness of
foot displayed on such occasions.
His terror gave him supernatural
strength, and added wings to his feet, and
the blue racer was incontinently left In
the shade. Indeed, instances have been
known where boys afflicted with "stone
bruises" on both heels so painful that
they could not perform any OF those mis-
cellaneous household duties allotted to
them, commonly known as Chores" and
could do nothing but hunt and fish, have
been chased by blue racers, and yet es-
capped by reason OF their superhuman
agility and lived to tell the tale many
times. The blue racer, according to
cloud or youthful witnesses who have tcs-
tilted thereto. was a snake ranging from
eleven TO sixteen feet long, the average
length being about fifteen feet. It's as
pcct was threatening In the extreme, and
its eyes cleaned with a baleful and hun
cry light. AS Il reared it's ugly head four
or Eve feet above the surface in search OF
tho trembling youngsters his underslde
was seen 10 be OF bright blue color, ana
from this fact and his swift movements
he received his apt and distinguishing
name. Blue racers are as scarce as hens
teeth now, but there are plenty OF the
harmless black snakes which scientists
say are the slender foundation upon
which the myth Of the blue racer has been
erected.
But the most deadly, tho most grew
some, and the most appalling snake
known 10 boyhood was the fearful "hoop
snake" now happily extinct. This scourge
o. tho forest was tho bette noir OF the tr
chin, who was continually IN mortal ter
ror OF encouhiering Il az he wandered
through the pleasant woods or angled In
the waters of his favorite stream. The
hoop snake roamed the darksome shades
OF tho forest like an avenging Nemesis,