Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-07-23

year promises TO break all previous re-
cords, but the snake crop is beng mar
vested as well as the crop of snake stories,
says the Times. AT the Glenolden snake
farm, in Delaware county, DR.. Mcfarland,
of the Medico-C hirurgical College, has an
extensive and interesting experimental coll
lection of living copperheads rattlers and
other venomous serpents. One of his rat
tlesnakes measures eight feet in length
and foot in diameter. Once week DIR.
Mcfarland manages to obtain from this
monster snake enough poison to Kill
thousand people.
Capturing snakes for DR.. Mcfarland has
become a business on the Loydslock,
where rattlesnakes are so numerous this
season that many woodsmen have quit
work for fear of being bitten. As many as
sixty rattlers have been killed near one
camp in that region. Most of the ship
ments of rattlesnakes from the Loyalsock
are made from Pine station, but over four
hundred rattlers and copperheads were re-
Gently shipped from Fayette county to the
snake farm at Glenolden. While catching
snakes on the Loyalsock for DR.. McFar-
land ]. J. Garris was bitten on the hand
by RATHER He plastered the wound with
chewed tobacco and putting his finger in
his mouth successfully drew out the poi
son.
This years snake stories nearly relate
some eccentrcity on the part of the rep
tiles. Benjamin Vannoy, of West Falls
township, Monroe county, while driving to
Milford, came across d rattlesnake four
feet nine inches in length. 1t had eleven
rattles. This snake was evidently fond of
spring chicken. for after killing it Mr..
Vannoy found that it had its fangs fasten-
ed in a young fowl.
At Pine Grove church, perry county, a
snake made its appearance among the wor-
shippers while they were at prayer. 1t
was not dangerous reptile. but it caused
a panic in the church Near Salladasburg
a 4-year-old son of Luke Olmstead, who
was picking berries in a field, complained
that something had stung him.
The swelling soon showed that it was the
bite of RATHER
Mrs. c. II. Bussom, of South Williams
port, was attacked by a five-foot rattle
snake while wheeling a baby carriage in
the street. The snake cooled itself around
her ankle and was preparing to strike
when she thrust a parasol through the
sQuirming coils and thus loosened its hold.
AS soon as she was free she ran screaming
down the street, but a number of boys took
up the battle and succeeded in killing the
snake. Near Hanover, Mrs Anna Haver-
stock had the courage to kill a huge black
snake. Less fortunate than either of these
ladies, Miss Mary Kegerrels. of Fannetts-
burg, Franklin county, was so unnerved
by seeing a snake crossing her path while
she was making her way across the noun
tain on a bicycle that she fell from her
wheel and may be crippled for life.
In the South Mountain over which Lees
army crossed on the way to Gettysburg,
there is famous backsnake known as
the Mont Alto monster. 1t was already
good sized snake at the time of the battle
of Gettysburg, and now it Is described by
the mountaineers as being as thick as a
stovepipe and long accordingly" The mon
ster was last met by Dr. w. Z. Holland
of Fayetteville The reptile was stretched
IN the dust across the road. At the sight
of 1t the horse DR.. Holland was driving
became frantic, but instead of attacking
the plunging animal the snake curled into
the underbrush and slowly crawled away
When the doctor told of his encounter a
posse of qnountaineers started In pursuit of
the monster. Armed with guns they
vowed that the snake would not escape
them this time, and they succeeded in find
ing the reptile. The snake was evidently
expecting them. for it received them stand
ing on its tail-end. menacing them with
noise like that of a''crazed bull in a fight"
One of the posse, Bill Smith, fired and
then the whole party beat hasty retreat
At last accounts the Mont Alto monster
was still unhurt.
"a or pf oh 7ss-
encounter with the Mont Alto monster one
of his neighbors wrote to the Chambers
burg Repository in defense of that much
abused reptile the blacksnake. Indeed
this authority on blacksnakes does more
than defend the reptile-he points out it's
virtues. He says the blacksnake is the
mortal enemy of the RATHER and the cop
perhead and declares that if it were not
for the fact that in ninety-nine cases out
of hundred the blacksnake is the victor
in fight with rattlesnake or copper
head the mountains of Southern Pennsyl-
vania would be so infested with these
deadly reptiles that it would not be safe
for any one TO go there during the sum
mer Il have met many one he says
of his favorite blacksnake, ''in my tramps
through the mountains and l am sorry TO
say that have killed great many, and
some monsters, too. Sometimes they
would show fight, but oftener pull out at
rate of speed that was marvellous.
have not killed one for many year and
will never kill another one, for l have
learned their good qualities and now hold
them in high esteem
That the blacksnake can be very vicious
in spite of the many good qualities is
shown by the experience of the little two
year-old daughter of Richard Branning,
Of Deep Hilover. Columbia county Mr..
Branning has u pet rattlesnake. This
pet" has a history. Early in the spring,
while Mr.. Branning was blasting away
cliff with dynamite he uncovered a nest
OF rattlers All of the snakes except, three
were killed and 81 that saved their lives
escaped except 3 & This one was so bad
ly wounded that 1t could not get away. 1t
was big fellow of a remarkably anna
Bile disposition. and with 4 keen sense of
gratitude. While recovering from its
wounds the snake coiled itself into Mr..
DRAWINGS good graces. and constituted
itself the special guardian of his little
daughter. The latter frequently fondled it.
and 1t always manifested marked fond
ness for the child.
One day last week q large blacksnake at
tackled the little girl. EMBEDDING her in its
deadly embrace. As il was drawing its
coils more and more tightly about the
Child the net RATHER MT in an ai1nea rance