The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-08-28

But how are they useful?" I asked
principally in the orchards. Don't
know how we'd get along If 1t wasn't
for them snakes. All we do is let them
alone and they simply go in and just
help themselves to all sorts Of bugs,
ants, gophers and small animals that
play the mischief with fruit trees. And
the snakes don't stay on the ground
either. Not much. If there's any AMI
NAL up a tree that they want they go
up and get him. And these snakes will
tackle any other kind Of snake that
they meet. RattlerS are their favorites,
and 1t don't take them long to do 'em
up"
We were standing on the sidewalk
In front of Sherring's saloon and I was
listening eagerly to all the old resident
Of klamath Falls had to tell me, en-
tlrely oblivious to surroundings.
Suddenly he took hold Of my coat and
gave 1t a gentle tug. Step off here
a moment and let them pass by"
he said.
did as told and stood in the gut
ter while brace Of large snakes
rapidly passed along the sidewalk
In the direction of the river.
But don't these snakes ever do
any harn?" / asked,
oh, yes; everything has its draw
backs, you know" the old timer re-
piled. ION these warm days, after
cold night, the snakes climb into
the trees and hang there in a sort
of network. AS long as there are
only a few 1t don't matter, but
sometimes they get so thick they
break the branches and ruin the
trees.
There's another trick these
snakes have" he continued, after a
pause, but you won't see 1t until
next month. That's rolling them
int hoI lie dc -
them get together and mix them
selves up so badly you can
tell which Lead and tail belongs to tn.
same snake. And 1t takes them a Ions
time to get apart. I've seen some mer
roll ball of them as big as barre
and tumble it kerplash into the river
How the snakes on the inside manage
to live is more than 1 can say"
Snakes are not the only queer things
they have in abundance at klamath
Falls. This is also the toad" season.
At this time myriads of the tiny sau-
rians come down on one side of the
river. cross the bridge, go right through
the town and UP on the other side.
Where they come from and where they
go to no klamath resident knows.
These toads are about one inch long,
and are a feast for the snakes. The
reptiles swallow at least a dozen of
them apiece, and still there are always
nlluOnS Oh IOdOS leIl, hopping, mop
ping toward the bridge, across it and
into the country beyond.
AS well as snakes and toads, Klam-
ath Falls also has a periodical visit
from a bullfrog wave" This comes
every three or four years, and mil
lions" again is the only numeral that
Will describe the quantity of the rep
tiles. They always come during the
skin shedding season and wander far
from the river bank On warm DAYS
they will get on the sunny side of a
house and pile on top of one another
as high as the window sills. Here they
pull off their skins and eat them. After
this act is accomplished they disap-
pear no man knows where.
All summer the inhabitants OF Klam-
ath Falls have some aquatic visitor to
interest them, and when the long win
ter days come and the rain comes
down in torrents many grow quite lone
ly and long for the return of the snake
season.