Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1900-02-06
.VANQUISHED A O
BILL SCRoGGiNS DID n AND THEN
DISAPPEARED.
b singular History of q Peculiar
N no Located WeiIs For
MtssoorI Farmers and
With Trninrd nakea

the singular HtstGry OF . Pecul1AR
Character ho Located Wells For
Mtssoari Farmer. and JuxEied
with Trained Snakes
Rev. Bill Scroggins was a character
In a border county Of Missouri in lS4i-
How he acquired the ecclesiastical pre-
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 snaae
charIner when he was a yo.ag man.
that he travelled bout the country as a
sort OF magician and that he showed
farmers with his divining roc where to
dig wells
The people of what was then q from
tier country assembled once a year in
their respective communities and held
camp meetings. on one of these reli-
gious occasions Bill folio wed the crowd
with his bag of reptiles. The minister.
an old man whose face was like that of
a patriarch. told the story in a sermon
of Moses lifting up the hrazen serpent
In the camp of Israel under the con
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 APP
peal. but after lis delivery Bill Scrog
gins got up and announced thai he had
a bag of zeal. era wing. Missing reptiles
which he would exhibit after I'M
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 CAV them an exhibition
which was a great success. 1t is sai
or IL 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
be 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 n advise
with them as to their spiritual and
worldly wants.
When he called. his first question
was. Have you got a wellT' If the
reply was in the negative. and wells
were scarce. Bill informed the member
tildt ue HUM udNt III otdtt II
Their he opened his bag of snakes and
as they began crawling Bill lifted up
his voice and called the people to re
pentance. He told them the snakes
would do no harm If they uhe people,
would give him the job of locating
wells
1t was a tax or human belief. bu,
the Missourian who fold the story
vouched for the truth of his assertion
that the people gave Bill more orders
than ho could fill i'm one season and
that he broke up the camp meeting
He was the first hereto in the west.
although the word was unknown in
that country then, He became famous
and was in demand. Wherever he trav-
eled he had his bag of trained snakes,
and he waxed fat and became indie
pendent.
Whenever there was any doubt about
the success of I'M movement the word
was passed that Rev. Bill Scroggins
should be summoned.
People in tina section believed In
ghosts. as many more enlightened peo-
ole believe In them in this day. There
was one ghost WHICH nau done a ffvEi-
business along the highway between
the county sea- and a river known to
his day as Bear creek 1t was the
custom of this ghost TO chase belated
horsemen over the highway until the
ford at Bear creek was reached There
the chase stopped. The ghost never
crossed the stream
When the fame of Rev. Bill Scrog-
gins a spread abroad. 1t was sug-
geSted that he travel over the Bear
creek road n try his hand on the
spirit Bill accepted the call. He
made a number of journeys before the
ghost materialiZed. and there were
people who began doubling the exist
ence of the ghost. while others cited
Rev. Bill as one who could overcome
anything. and by that token he had
made the ghost take TO the woods The
community WAS equally divided.
However. the ghost showed up one
night in the midst of a storm and chal
lenged Rev. Bill to ride for his life
The snake ecciesiasric refused. and
there was a contest in which Bills
horse was killed. and he was left afoot-
The ghost got the bag OF snakes and
escaped t the ford. where Bill over
tool him on the following day. and the
contest was renewed. The ghost I'M
dertook to turf the snakes on Bill. but
they refused TO act. Bill got possession
Of them and turned them on the spirit.
They drove the spirit into Bear creek
and across 1t. and the spirit fed. and
that was the end OF the ghost in that
country.
Bill returned In triumph to the coun-
ty seat and told the story. 1t was re-
ceived with some doubt. but as years
slipped by and nobody was chased
people began to believe Bill. and apol
ogies came in rather late. But Bill was
vindicated Then he mysteriously dis