Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-10-25

~
Rev. Bill Scroggins was a character
In a border county Of Missouri In lSi1.
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
ms Cass county.
They said be had been a snake
rharmer when he was q young man,
that he travelled about the country as a
sort Of magician and that he showed
farmers with his diyining rod where to
dig wells.
The people of what was then q from
tier country assembled once n year In
their respective communities and held
camp meetings. On one of these rell-
gious occasions Bill followed the crowd
with his bag Of reptiles. The minister,
mn old man whose face was like that Of
q patriarch, told the story in IA 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 It's delivery Bill Scrog-
gins got up and announced that he bad
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 10 the live snake
show, and Bill gave them an exhibition
which was n great success. 1t is said,
or it used to be said. that there wasn't
n snake trick which Bill Scroggins'
serpents didn't do. When the exhibit.
sion was over. Bill told the people that
he was n sort of missionary himself In
connection with his business or 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
MAS, "Have you got a welig" If the
Deply was In the negative, and wells
were scarce, Bill informed the member
that be must have one located. and
then he opened his bag OF snakes and
as they began crawling Bill lifted up
his voice and called the people to re-
p%entance. He told them the snakes
would do no harm If they (the peoplel
would give him the job of locating
wells.
Ii was a tax on human belief. but
the Miss0arian who told the story
vouchcd for the truth OF his assertion
that the people gave Bill more orders
than ha could fill in 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-
eied he had his bag of trained snakes.
and he waxed fat and became indie
pendent.
Whenever there was any doubt about
the success Of any movement the word
was passed that Rev. Bill Scrogsins
should be summoned.
People in that section believed in
ghosts, as many more enlightened peo-
pie believe in them in this day. There
YVES one ghost which had done a lively
business along the highway between
the county seat and a river known to
this Gay as Bear creek. 1t was the
custom OF this ghost 10 chase be,ated
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 had spread abroad. it was sng-
Gested that be travel over the Bear
creek road and try ais hand on the
spirit. Bill accepted the call. He
made a number of Journeys before the
ghost m~aterlnlized. and there were
people who began doubling the exist
ence OF the ghost. while others cited
Rev. Bin as one who could overcome
anything, and by that token he had
made the ghost take 10 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 10 ride for his life.
The snake ecclesiastic refused. and
there was n contest in which Bills
horse was killed. and he was left afoot.
The ghost got the bag OF snakes and
escaped TO the ford. where Bill over
Sok him on the following day. and the
patest was renewed The ghost I'M
brook TO turn the snakes on Bill. but
hey refused 10 act. Eli got possession
" them and turaed them on the spirit.
fhey drove the spirit into Bear creek
and across il, and the spirit He'd. and
that was the end of the ghost in that
country.
Bill returned In triumph TO the Il
~ seat and told the story. II was re-
ceiyed 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
vindirated. Then he mysteriously dis
appeared.
Some years later a den OF snakes was
discovered In what Is now Bates coun
~. Mo, the adjoining county on the
south TO Cass, and IN this den was dis.
covered The skeleton OF n man In the
opinion of manv the SKELETON was none
ether than tha' Of naV nm S~crGoginS.