Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1900-02-22
VANQUISHED A SPOOK
BILL ScRoGGlNS DID IT AND THEN
DISAPPEARED.
The Singular History OF a Peculiar
Character Who Located Wells For
Missouri Farmers and Juggled
with Trained Snakcs.

fix and what he did under the title
were stories which used to be told in
the farmhouses of what is now known
as Cass county.
They said he had been a snake
charmer when he was young man,
that he Travelled about the country as a
sort of magician and that he showed
farmers with his divining rod where to
dig wells.
The people Of what was then a from
tier country assembled once a year in
their respective communities and held
camp meetings. On one Of these reli-
gious occasions Bill followed the crowd
with his bag Of reptiles. The minister,
an old man whose face was like that Of
a patriarch, told the story in sermon
of Moses lifting up the brazen serpent
in the camp Of Israel under the COM
mand of Jehovah. The Missouri farm
er who used to entertain travellers with
the recital said that the congregation
was not particularly moved by the ap-
peal, but after its delivery Bill Scrog-
gins got up and announced that he had
a bag of real, crawling, kissing reptiles
which he would exhibit after dinner
just outside the camp ground, and he
claimed that he would show the people
some snake tricks which would beat
the Mosaic story they had just heard.
In spite Of the protest Of the minister
the people turned out to the live snake
show, and Bill gave them an exhibition
which was great success. 1t Is said,
or it used to be said, that there wasn't
a snake trick which Bill Scroggins'
serpents didn't do. When the exhibit
ton was over. Bill told the people that
he was a sort of missionary himself in
connection with his business Of locat-
ing wells and that he would call on
each member in the evening and advise
with them as to their spiritual and
worldly wants.
When he called, his first question
was. "Have you got wellT" II the
reply was in the negative. and wells
were scarce. Bill Informed the member
that he must have one located, and
then he opened his bag Of snakes and
as they began crawling Bill lifted up
-, A.
MS voice anu caleu ,ne peopie " re-
pentahce' ne toiu them Tue snaAes
"ouiu 20 10 harih II 'ney Vne peoplel
would give him the job Of locating
wells.
1t was a tax on human belief, but
'ne Missourian WIZ 'o'u 'ne e.o'!
,oueneu ior ',ie .u'n y, nis as'ei .ion
tnat the people gave nlIi more oruers
tnan nn eouiu III IN one SEASON. anu
,la' ne ploAe UP 'ne camp meens
ne was 'ne nrst nere'ic ~ 'ne West'
aitnousn Tue worn was unAno"n IN
tnat country .nen. ne pecane ialnous
anu was ~ ue,ilunu. wnereves ne uaS'
eieu he nau us oas VI oaineu enaA
anu ne "aAeu ia' anu oeeanne HUG
penuen''
whenever .nele was any uoupt ANU,
tne SUCCESS y. auS mo'e mu, s .ne WIZ
was passeu mat ne'' DIN oeioes'"'
'nouiu NC sui.non u. =
reopie III that sec'lon peheVeu III
snosls' as many mo,e enu 49, peo,
PIE oel'e'e ~ 'n. ~ ms u ne,''
was que snos' "nicn nau uone = w.
~" aions .ne ne."a' .
.he eoun'y eeat anu rive. A"n "
tnis Jay as near eIeeA' ~ wa, nc
eus.on Vi 'nis gus. " ena'e ue,A .u
nois eiaen o'er 'ne nisnMay .n' NJ. VIC
,oru az Dear cleeh was ST. reucneu .nel s
'ne enase sloppeu' lug sno'' ne'ei
erusseu 'ue stream nh,
Nnen 'ne iame u Ns'' On oeioe
gins nau spreau aoivau, was
ses'eu mat NC .ae. We .ne
ereeh foa n,,, anu uy n's nnn W INC
sph'I DIN aeeep.eu .ne can. nc
maui nuDe, y, 'ouins VIC
guys, hia'eriai'Neu' anu me- W.
peopie WY Dsan eouU , VIC -
ence VI n,,, 'ne sno'1 WINE u'nes ei..u
ne1. pin as one WY eou,u o'e nas
an NY, ing, us anu ~ .a A.. .o $50 I,sa
niuue .ne snos. 'ahe ~ '.e moo''' Ane
coni nuui'y was eIuaiiy ui'iueu'
no"e'.l, ene snos' ono"eu W ons
hisnt ~ .ne nl,us' VI u s'or,n anu e uai
,r, nv On ~ .'e ~. US
,ne enaAe eeees ,us n,,,,I
,neie was eon.es' ~ "u,en On
noise wa. ANeu' anu NC was . 49,
Inc snos' sot 'ne Das Y. sn On, au
escapeu " 'ne io,u' Mneie Dh o,e'
.ooh n.in On lne ioiiowins uay, anu .ne
son.es. was Iene"eu. lug sr m,v
uertooh " .uin 'ne s n,,, on Din. uu'
'ney ieiuseu " ae. ON so' pos'ess.vn
vi mem anu ,uineu mem VI JUG epn
sP.