Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-02-20
JADE COOKS TWO RATTLERs.
He Caught One Asleep. but Never
Could Tell How He Got
the Other.
From the New York Times.

From the New York Times.
NO. young man. I can't tell you MOTH
in. not but there's things enough hap
pened along the Delaware an for tina,
matter, right here in Callicoon. to fiji a
hundred little books chock full, but 1 amt
no composer. But / wish to land you'i!
come around before Jabe Cook died. HI
could a 'commodated you with as many
yarns as you could shake a stick at. True
ones? or course. Jabe van no greal
hand on lyin,--not ginerally. He ferried
gun when ! wa a boy. Run a small boat
an when there was teams or many people
took them over in a big scow.
There amt Scasly any heft of work
bout runnin a scow. Jabe wouldn't a-took
to Ii II there had been. for he was a cort
Of lazy coot-didn't banker after WORK.
scowIl run itself, an then there's time for
swappin' horses an talkin'. That's where
Jabe's talent come in-on talkin'. He could
match at it. It beat ali how much he
knOwed about everybody for miles around.
An when he begun on one O. his stories
he was bound to go through with it. Never
knowed him to leave a story half way Du;
onct.
.one day a passed. of his young chaps had
been up HOllister brook fishin'. When we
got back to the ferry Jabe want to be
seen, an We set down on the beach to Wait
for him to come an a us acrost the
river. We'd been sittin' quite a spell, when
calm to us. He was comm from an old
stone quarry. an l swan if the Teller didn't
have a live rattlesnake in each hand. We
were fast enough bout runnin' to meet
him. but a little skittish bout gittin' very
clost to the snakes, until We were sure he
had each one gripped clost enough to the
head SOS it ouldn turn to bite. It's sarc
enough carryin' %rattlers that way-if you
hold on tight.
1.-The day was hot an Jabe was that ex-
cited he fairly suffered a-tryin' to tell us
how he ketched the snakes, an the way
we slung questions at him didn't help to
cool down none; A city chap. he said. had
promised him $ an a good jackknife for
a live RATHER. He'd kinder calkerlated oil
findin' one that day. because all the signs
Say interrupted 81 Brown, amt you
gittin' to know most too much bout rat
tlersg
you're growed up was Jabe's answer. This
was a sockdolger on 81. for. though he was
nigh on to forty. he was a little cuss.
bs SW ELLA I IatSs5 s story WAS and aWfml Long sSr, fo OF
a hunt. but the upshot of 1t all was he
found the first RATHER asleep behind a hol-
Ter log. an. said he. L crept. up as still
forked stick an nabbled him. And, suiting
his actions to his words, Jabe brought his
right hand over-brousht it over too near
Robinson the left-hand snake stuck his
fangs into Jabe's right hand. an the right
hand snake did the same for his left hand
'.Jabe's yells. which was enough to wake
of arms an snakes. scarf US boys till every
one of US went lickety split up the river
bank. We went back when the snakes were
doctor, an 1 was soon a-lesgin' it up the
road after whisky.
NO, Jabe didn't die; though he come
wi within tbnu an the ace hull IF business isi Ms fe an. a to this d fIt
we don't know how he ketched that other