The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-06-07
Snakes and Rural Finance.

The rural intellect Of two counties in
New York is bravely but vainly trying
to penetrate the mystery that en-
shrouds a local question. It is a ques-
ton of snakes, and his simple fact
is sufficient in itself to account for the
seriousness with which it is consider
ed and the difficulties encountered in
it's treatment. For the history of the
human race may almost be said to
have begun with a snake trouble. "The
serpent beguiled me and I did eat"
and from that eating came "all our
woes, with loss of Eden" And with
the departure of the primal pair from
Paradise the AGRICULTURAL industry be-
gan In this initial chapter of history
we have an explanation of the special
and peculiar destestation in which
snakes are held by all the descendants
of Eve. No matter how beautiful or
harmless a snake may be, he is a hor-
rOr to the average man or woman. To
ward the beasts of the field and woods
and the winged denizens of the air we
discriminate, Degrading some as USE
full or pleasant friends and others as
dangerous, but feeling toward none the
repulsion and dread that we indiscrim-
inately feel toward snake
But it is one of the really vicious
families Of the serpent tribe that is
now troubling the agriculturists in
Washington and Warren counties, N.
Y, and the matter is complicated by
a question of finance. The latter may
be less complex than the one now en-
gaging the attention of the United
States senate; but. as the senate is
not called upon to simultaneously
wrestle with a snake problem indis-
so1ubly connection with event. and
finance, it's course is palmer and it's
duty clearer than that of those per-
picked farmers.
It appears from the lucid statement
prepared by the able INC accomplished
snake editor Of The New York Mai
and Express and published in that pa
per on the 30th ultimo hat Warren
county pays a bounty of a dollar a tail
for dead rattlesnakes. We are not ad-
vised as to any practical use hat may
be mad of those tails. Owing to the
deep and universal prejudice to which
we have referred they could not be
prOfitably sold for babies rattles, and
they do not seem adapted to any othei
purpose in the ~Ctilitarian line. The in
ference, therefore, is hat the dollar
| per tail is paid to get rid Of hated OBJ
| jects. But this result is not attained
The more dollars paid the greater the
influx of tails, the more snakes killed
1 lIe SIedlcI llc HuIlDcT Ol I'VE snakes
Washington county, just across Lake
| George from Warren county. also
hates snakes, not so much by half a.
Warren county, but enough to pay 81
| cents a tail for their taking off. Blu
it so happens that Washington coun.
tvs lesser bounty is seldom called for
that her formerly immense surplus O.
rattlesnakes has disappeared, while
Warren county'S surplus is CROWNS
and the funds in her township treas.
ureS are being exhausted.
The Warren farmers appear to be
lieve that the snakes come from Wash
ington, either swimming across LAX,
George or crawling around one end o
1T; but they do not attempt to acoun
for such migration by Offering
reasonable motive. We know tina
snakes are cunning. for "the serpen
was more subtle than all the beasts O
the field" but it would not be reason
able to suppose the Washington coun
ty snakes were moving into Ware,
county, by either the land or waite
route, just for the honor of havin,
their detached tails bring twice a
much as they would il they stayed il
the locality Of their nativity.-Wash
ington Post.