The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-11-20
SNAKES AND NOTHING Else
The Sole Product of LinkviIle Near the
Southern Boundary of Oregon.
From he San Francisco ChronicIs.

From Rs San Francisco Chronicle.
"Linkville." or klamath Falls" Is situated
IN an obscure corner over the California border
line in Oregon. and may be reached In twenty
four hours' travel from San Francisco. You
have only to take the northern bound train for
Aver. thence q stage line Of about twenty miles
conducts you TO your destination.
1t Is impossible to associate snakes" with
the beautiful and varying scenery through
which you pass as far as Klamath Hot Springs.
Trees and streams and all the glories Of noun
tain scenery greet you on every hand. You
drive through q luxurious growth OF ever
greens and shrubberyi you cross and recross
numerous streams; you breathe the soft air OF
Shasta and SiskIyou. But when you have left
klamath Hot Springs q few miles behind. there
Is an appreciable difference In the landscape.
Sparsity OF vegetation is the first observable
change. At every turn OF the road the aspect
6 6esoIRes m Fipai RSrT yoa % sssf iiSrI Sain s soI a R tpss
or a shrub. and at last, dust;covered and
weary. you pull W, at a dry. yithsred village
but revolving snakes, You have reached Link
Wills, the haunting retreat 9f serpents: ~.
math River. From this bridge, which Is a
vantage point as far as view Is concerned, .
most eStraordipary sight meets the eyes;
a few yards. are seen dark balls ranging from
? foot 70 three feet q Glsmstsr, They arc sta;
tionary anu as ,pasblSo AS u BOULDER. Whlcn
hurled at any Of these strange spheres. to
your horror snakes will crawl on In every di-
~rection, and the ball will melt Gway as lard
melts in q frying pan. The repulsive crea-
lures that have thus been ooiled up In a per-
feet sphere glide away under rocks, and one
minute later not Q snake ts. to be seep In that
particular spot. But tho other balls Of snakes
In the Vicinity afo little disturbed by the stone.
head or twitching tail IN tho mass that before
looked like an:immovable boulder Those that
were scattered, however. may later seek the
neighboring spheres or In a few minutes stink
out OF their hiding places and reasonable
themselves In balls.
AS has been said. Llnkyille ls In a very bar
the river banks. which are a mass OF drlitwood
and rocks. seem q betttlng place for snakes.
But It is surprising that they should develop
In such great numbers When not rolled in
balls, they may be seen Slipping In and out
among the rubbish. and the ground for yards
will be n squirminR. wrigglinR mass.
Thefe snakes are perfectly harmless H.,
would not be habitable, for. while the imme-
dlAte nelEhborhood 81 the river IL their favor
lite haunt, they roam for many hundreds Of
yards away. and NAV be seen along the road
Ways and around the houses and creeping over
the porches. They possess a marked degree
OF tameness. You, may pick them up with
immunity. and children play with them on the
The Iinkyille snakes are dark in color with
two ellowish stripes on their hacks. The
average size Is about an inch and q half in
diameter and a yard in length. though many
are smaller and some attain mueh greater
~nranartinhA