The labor world., 1898-07-09
SNAKES OF THE VERDlGRIS.
A Queer Meat Provided For Score Of
Razorback Hogs In Kansas.

Razorback Hogs In Kansas.
Hes a mean snake, the water
moccasin - cottonmouths we call
them in Kansas, because the inside
of his mouth is white like cotton, -
said j. F. Hildreth, once of Law
renee, Kan. "He's meaner than the
rattlesnake, for he strikes without
warning, and if he is not SO deadly
it is because he is smaller-can
load his poison gland up with so
much venom. He is bad enough,
lying round as he does in paths in
the swamps, and in southern rivers
wherever a log lies partly in the
water you are likely to find a pair
of moccasins summing themselves
upon it.
IT got an idea of the number of
these reptiles that can inhabit a
stretch Of riverside by what I saw
once down in the Verdigris valley,
in southeastern Kansas. 1t was 30
years ago, before the country there
about was much settled by white
people. It was in the early spring,
and was there with a wagon TAX
ing up young trees for transplant
hg. had a negro boy with me for
helper, and one day, as I logged my
horses along the river bank, looking
out as I drove for likely saplings, l
sent the boy to dig up young tree
that stood by a ledge jutting into
the valley about so yards from the
water. He started, but stopped
when he got near the ledge
"'Golly, boss, I dasn't 60 darl
he called to me. DE place is plumb
squirmin wifi snakes
Z "A negro breads snake as much
as a monkey does and is apt to take
fright at false alarm. But l
thought I would 60 up and see what
the boy had found. I left the team
and went to where he was, and
we'll, there were snakes, as he said,
and to spare. Such sight had
never seen or imagined. In the face
of the ledge was deep crevice, and,
the day being warm, the cotton
mouths that had denned up there
through the winter were crawling
out into the warmth of the sun.
Most of them, on coming out from
the ledge, crawled to join their fell
lows in great ball of snakes that
had formed on the ground few
PAGES from the crevice. It was as
large as half bushel basket. 9th
ers Of the snakes were lying about
on the ground and were hardly to
be distinguished among the dead
leaves. The boy and I picked up
sticks and stones and for full half
hour pelted the ball of snakes. They
did not try to get away, but as Of
ten as one of our missiles struck
among them every head would dart
out and the mouths open white,
Jess like cotton field at pickin
time, the boy said, and he ex-
pressed it precisely. q
"The young negro got scare
that spoiled his fun for a bit. He
picked up what he thought was a
dead stick and dropped it with a
yell as it bent up toward his hand,
opening up white at the end as it
did SO. Luckily he had taken it by
the right end, and the snake, being
half torpid, did not strike at once
with it's fangs, SO the boy was able
to let it go in time to save himself.
We killed considerable number of
the snakes, as we could tell by their
being cast out Of the ball by the
others as fast as they were disabled.
''At last we left off our snake kill
ing and went on. A half mile up
the creek score or more Of razor
back hogs were roofing among the
trees for last years mast. Seeing
them, the idea occurred to me of
starting them down the river bank
to the ledge, for there is nothing
that southern hog likes better to
eat than a snake. AS for its venom,
he pays no attention whatever to it,
being apparently poison proof. The
boy and I left the wagon and with
some trouble drove the hogs down
to the ledge. After the foremost
came to where the snakes we're they
did not need any driving. To make
the story short, in a very few min
utes they cleared the ground Of all
the snakes in sight and were nosing
about the ledge for more. I reckon
that the crop Of cottonmouths must
have been thin the next summer
along the Verdi girls. New York
Sun.
The Trapdoor Spider.
One of the most singular speci-
mems of insect life is the trapdoor
spider of Jamaica. His burrow is
lined with silk and closed by trap