The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-17
SWAN LAKES SNAKE EXIT.
BEaAN WIEN 4 REPTILB SWALLOWED
AN ILARM CLOCK.

| AAhohB Ns@ENsES
| BELFAST, Me-, Sept 16--Nobody believed
there were many water snakes in Swan Lake
/ until Clark Annoon started out TO avenEe the
! loss Of his young ducks II is o small lake Of
clear water in the heart Of Waldo county. There
! are high hills with orchards and potato fields
! on the sides. The south end borders swamp
| the chief products OF which are crHnberries and
| water snakes. In the summer and early aus
tumn men and women in outing suits and tan
! shoes 60 there TO get UP their muscle and lay on
! q coating Of birdseyo frocklcs, gaining all the
benefits Of a trip 70 Bar Harbor al less than half
| the cost
| No snakes seen In the lake until the sum-
mer visitors came As soon az the fishermen
began 70 stock the waters with smelts for the
landlocked salmon tho banded tailed snakes
| Of the swamps took aris,ocratic tastes in
| vadng the lake for the purpose OF catching
smclts, and soaring umid men and women QUE
| of their wits side issue.
| Miss Minnie Colcord Of North Searsport and
| three Wellesley Coll, &c girls padded 10 the mid
| die of the lake one hot day In August 10 catch
square tailed trout and have a long swim in deep
| water AS they wore their bathing suits. they
took an alarm clock along to notify mem when
! il was dinner time 1t was Misunderstanding
cylinder, OF nickel which did not cost more than
fifty cents when new, but which was capable
| Of giving out $40 worth Of noise every time 10
was wound up After the girls had cauEhs
| all the trout they needed they had a dip in the
lake, acting as girls generally do when they know
there is no man within mile Of them. They
| had lately read In book an eloquent discourse
on how 10 get into canoe when il 10 afoat with
out tipping II No Wellesley college girl
would ever dare to follow the printed directions
when there around but here a
free field with no handicap, and one Of the under
graduates made bold vault landing tho
bow Of the canoe In attitude that could NOT
be called graceful
Hit was easy 10 Jump into tho boat II was easier
TO get out With yell Of snakes" and a tragic
| uplifting Of hands she fell back into the water.
Her companions piticd her and took the needless
precaution of throwing water into her face until she
had reeained her composure. Then they took look
over the gunwale of the boat shrieked snakes
in chorus and struck out for the cottage a mile
away, beating the best swimming record ever
made on the lake Three men who went to rescue
tho abandoned can oe found dozen or more great
! banded snakes coiled up under the thwarts among
the remnants of a trout dinner While they
discussing how TO kill the snakes without niuring
the canoe loud. metallic sound began to pour
out from among the sleeping reptiles. II purred
and whirred and ratified until every snake was
wido awake and frantic with fear They darted
at one another, striking their yellow fangs deep
into the flesh Of their com panions, and coiling
and uncoing 80 rapidly that the men could hard
ly take note Of the movements. As tho rattling
din continued the smaller snakes turned on tho
largest one and bit il so hard that il leaped
| board for safety, followed by the others The
men saw the line OF serpents fleeing across the
lake and gave chase With a man each side
10 ply the paddles and another at the stern to
steer they made good progress but fast tho
canoe went the snakes gained upon them, reach
ing the shore quarter of a mile in advance
The cottagefs,who we're cutled up In hammock1
or sitting in easy chairs shady piazzas await
ing the dinner call. were treated TO q strange
spectacle as the giant snake, driven from tho
water by the assaults OF its companions, came up
the grassy paths to the little village with the
avengers in hot pursuit Tho big fellow wrig-
| gled In and out among the shrubbery with the
minor snakes behind, the aggregation making
| line Of reptiles fully three rods long. When
| ever the serpenune procession crossed a piazza
| It's passage punctuated with yels Of terror.
| The men who saw the snakes hunted up clubs
/ and revolvcrs Some OF the women tainted
| Others locked themselves in their bcdchnmbers
To await a terrible death. Men who had resolved
TO lead better life swore with spontaneous en-
| phass, some Of them at the snakes and others
at the folly of the women. When the tuniult had
subsidized four OF the snakes including the leader.
| lay dead upon the lawn. The others escaped
| TO the lake OF hid away under the cottages No
| ticing swelling midway in the body Of the
| longest snake II was cut open, revealing nickel
alarm clock which recording the passing
minutes in unrnffed composre
Before this thrilling event came of Manden,
the custodian Of the grounds, had been laying
a cunning plan TO slay the snakes Manden
had large flock Of young ducks with tan bills
and feet and neat outing suits of pale green The
| ducks liked to swim in the waters OF the lake,
| and the snakes liked to see them swimming there,
! because whenever the snakes and tho ducks met
| the snakes had a hearty meal and Mandens
duck tally didn't come out Since quitting
the swamps the snakes had fitted up apartments
| for themselves in the cleft Of ledge that butted
into tho lake The entrance TO these chambers
under water. except in very dry seasona
| This year the drought combined with big drafts
made upon the lake by the mills at the outlet.
! had run the water very low, exposing the door
TO the den Of snakes and leaving four five rods
Of sandy beach exposed to the sun. wet snake
| is not fond OF crawling over hot fine sand Tho
! sharp grains cling to its skin causing much
annoyance, Manden had noted the reluctance
| OF the snakes TO enter their home With tho
memory Of lost ducks still fresh in his mind he
laid plan TO accomplish the destruction Of use
less creatures that destroyed his property and
drove paving patrons away from the cottages.
One morning he attached his horse to a dump
! cart and went away to the east side OF the lake.
/ When he returned late in the afternoon his cart
| held half ton of broken glass which no had
| begged from the proprietor OF the blowing
works. He made similar trips every day for .
week. dumping tho sharp fragments over the
bank near the home OF the snakes Then he
waited for windy day. knowing tho snakes
would not care to venture abroad in rough watek
on the afternoon Of Sept 5, when the gale was
throwing sailing craft against tho shores of New
/ brunswick and Nova Scotia, Manden went to