Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-08-14
DOESN'T MIND SNAKES.
MINIS. LIE PLoNGeoN,s ADVENTURE.
AND EXPLORATIONS IN YUcATAN.

nor honeymoon Studying Spanish
i"en Had yellow Fever-Archseolorfca N
researches With Her Husband in n Cor. i
trail American Forest.
Archaeology is the last thing ons
Would think of in connection with
Nhle. lie Plongeon. There is no fayo,
oi ruins and antiquities about her: or
'ne contrary. she is modern to her fiue
er Ups; yet she has endured untola
"iscomiorts and dared a host of dan.
sets III the interests of science. and al.
'a'hs or prehistoric peoples and Of vi.
'a'ah oas reliefs as Familiarity as moeu s
women talk Of clothes.
She was not born to archaeo,oex.
put married it, in the person of Dr
LIE Plongeon, when she was a Dir, ~
~ Or. LIE Plongeon had spent many
years IN the study of American an.
'lQul.ies' ana his stories Of the life and
work made his bride look upon arch
/, aeoioey as most fascinating pursuit
i-ateF' she cultivated the serious zeaj
vi the antiquarian; but, when one
hears her tell OF her years In Yucatar
ana Honduras, with their difficulties
ana dangers. their discomforts and de.
nshts. one cannot help thinking thai
~ was the poetic. picturesque side OF
the experience that appealed most
strongly to her. though she made rev
erent obeisance 10 the ugly gods which
her husband uneartheu.
At the time OF his marriage nr -
Flohgeon was planning an examination
OF the ancient ruins OF Yucatan. but the
honeymoon was spent in New York In
order that Nine LIE Plongeon might
learn Spanish. Yucatan is only two
hours SAIL from Cuba, and has recent.
~ made long strides In progress; but
when the lie Plongeons arrived in Msr.
ida In 1873 the town was far from I'm.
posing, and the smaller places were
painfully primitive The first use
Nine. lie Plongeon made OF her oppor.
tunlty for acquiring new experience
was to fall i'll with yellow fever This
natives cheerfully insisted that she
could not live. and made preparation.
for her burial on the sixth day; but
thanks to the fact that her husband
was physician as well as an archae.
ologst, She pulled through, and on.
}oyed the proud distinction OF beEna
the only white victim Of that particular
epidemic who escaped the undertaker
When she had recovered from her i'll.
ness, the delayed expedition started
and Tor eleven years the husband and 1
wife worked earnestly undauntedl il to.lS
ss ward e. s s2il tIonaf ohlena.l
Chichen. s.
The life, was hard" said Nine La +
Plongeon. There were fatiguing
journeys. uncomfortable quarters
troublesome insects, omnipresent dirt,
frequent dangers. and often gnawing
hunger. Sometimes we would be
where we could not get supplies, not
even the moudy tortillas and black
beans which We're our usual resource.
We would hunt for deer or other game.
but somehow or other game always
eludes a starving man. I've seen the
time when | was so hungry that I was
in abject despair because a rattle
snake escaped me"
ed call that a cause for thanksgiy-
Ing" said the reporter.
But l wanted rattlesnake stew.
Oh. you needn't look disguised It's
very good. assure you: and a rattle
snake is much hnndsomer than an eel.
II you are looking at the aesthetic
side OF the question. Then, rattle-
snakes escape would be no special
cause for Thanksgiving. anyway. They
are amiable creatures"
The reporter looked dubious and re-
marked: I've always understood that
they had few little peculiaritles that
were annoying"
mot at ALL" Nine lie Plongeon in
sisted. "A rattlesnake never bothers
any one if he isn't nsulted There were
hundreds OF them down in Yucatan,
and never had a moments Disagree
ment with one except I wanted it for
stew remember we were once going
through the forest in search OF deer.
DR.. lie Piongeon was ahead, / came
next, and an Indian lad followed 7
stopped to examine a gigantic toad
stool, and was hungrily wishing it was
self-respectng mushroom, when the
indian shouted. Go away l sup
posed he thought the toadstooI was
poisonous and ! would touch it; so I
treasured him on that point. but hs
kept on saying. Go away!' and looked
up so frightened that hurried on to
| join my husband When / stopped to
| look back l saw, just beside the toad
| stool, a huge rattleSnake coiled.
must have been touching him where
| stood. He was moving his head back
and forth and darting out his tongue
| in a peevish way. as though he meant
to say: Now, get out Of this. You're
bothering me- l apologized to him
| and went away. You see, he wasn't
vicious. For that matter I never saw
| snake that was, and yet the country
down there abound5 in poisonous va
| rieties. / still feel rather creepy over
| an angleworm. but | got so that I
/ 60. OF oil % 41aIax,,