Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1898-04-23
SNAKES OF THE VEROlGRiS,


i Queer Meat Provided For II Score Of
Razorback Hogs In Kansas.
Hes mean snake, the water
inoccasin cottOnGuuth IN we call
them in Kansas. because the inside
OF his mouth is white like cotton
said j. f. Hildreth, once of law
renee, Kan. Hes mcancr than the
sat.leSnake, for he strikes without
warning, and if he il not so deadly
it is because he is smallcr-cnn't
load his poison gland up with so
much venom. He is bad prullGh,
lying round as he does in pa, lis in
the swamps, and in southern rivers
wherever Il log lies partly i'll the
water you are likely to lind II pair
of moccasins summing themselves
upon il.
Il got an idea OF the number Ot
these reptiles that can inhabit Il
stretch of riverside by what l saw
once down in tho NerdisrlS valley,
in southeastern Kansas. 1t WAS 80
years ago before the country there
about was much settled by white
people. 1t was in the early spring
and | was there with wagon TAX
ing up young trees for transplant-
ing. had Il negro boy with me tor
helper, and one day, as l logged my
horses along the river bank, looking
out as l drove for likely saplings, 7
sent the boy to dig up young tree
that stood by ledge jutting into
the valley about so yards from the
water He started, but stopped
when he got near the ledge.
"Golly, boss, l dasnt go darr
he called to me. De place is plumb
squirmin wifi snakes
"A negro breads Il snake as much
as monkey does and is apt to take
fright at a false alarm. But |
thought | would go up and see what
the boy had found l left the team
and went to where he was, and
well, there were snakes, as lie said,
and to spare. Such sight | had
never seen OF imagined. In the face
of the ledge was deep crevice, and.
the day Icing warm, the cotton
mouths that had denned up there
through the winter were crawling
ont into the warmth of the sun
Most of them, on coming out from
the ledge, crawled to join their fcl-
lows iii a great ball Of snakes that
had formed ON the ground u fow
PAGES from the creviCe. 1t was as
large as Il half bushel basket. 9th
ers of the snakes were lying about
on the ground and were hardly to-
be distinguished among the dead
leaves. The boy and l picked up
sticks and stones and for full half
hour pelted the ball of snakes. They
did not try to get away, but us of
ten as ole of our missiles struck
among them every head would dart
out and the mouths open white
Jess like Il cotton field at picki,
time, the boy said, and he eX.
pressed it precisely.
"The young negro got a SCARE
that spoiled his fun for bit He
picked up what he thought WIS u
dead stick ana dropped it with a
yell M it Lent up toward his b; nd
opening az white at the end a. it
did 50. Luckily be had taken 1t by
the right end. and the snake, being
half toi ;,id, did not strike at once
with its far9s, SO the boy was able
tn lot it go in time to save himself.
We killed. considerable hu,nltr of
the snakes, IS VIC could tell Ivy theil
being cast cut CT the ball by the
othci as fast as they were disabled.
AT Last Wclelt eft our snake kill
ing and went on. n half mile up
The creek II score or more OF razor
butl, hogs were roofing among the
trees for last years mast. Seeing
the III, the idea occurred to me of
starting them down the river bank
to the ledge, for there is nothing
that southern hog likes better to
eat than snake. AS for it's venom,
be pays no attention whatever to it,
being apparently poison proof. The
boy and ] left the wagon and with
some trouble drove the hogs down
to the ledge. After the foremost
came to where the snakes were they
did not need any driving. To make
the story short, in very few min
utes they cleared the ground of all
the snakes in sight and were nosing
about the ledge for more. l reckon
that the crop of cottonmouths must
have been thin the next summer
along the Verdigris. New York
Sun.