Evening journal., 1900-05-02
YANQUISHED A SPOOK
BILL ScRoeeINs DID 1T AND THEN
DISAPPEARED.

Characters Who Located Wells For
Missouri Farmers aud Jussied
With Trained Snakes.
Rev. Bill Scroggins was a character
in a border county Of Missouri in 1874.
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 snake
charmer when he was a young man.
that he travelled about the country as
sort Of magician and that he showed
farmers with his diyining rod where to
dig wells.
The people Of what was then a from
tier country assembled once 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 Ike that Of
a patriarch, told the story In a 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
n snake trick which Bill Scroggins'
serpents didn't do When the exhibit
tion was over. BIZ 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 be called, his first question
was. "Have you got a wellY 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 bis 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 (the people,
would give him the job Of locating
wells.
It was a tax on human belief. but
the MissOurian who told the story
vouched 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.
eled be had his bag Of trained snakes
and he waxed fat aud became inde-
pendent.
Whenever there was any doubt about
the success of any movement the word
was passed that Rev. Bill Scroggins
should be summoned.
People in that section believed IN
ghosts, as many more enlightened peo
pie believe In them In this day. There
was one ghost which had done a lively
business along the highway between
the county seat and a river known t
this day as Bear creek. 1t was tn,
custom Of this ghost to chase belateC
horsemen over the highway until thl
ford at Bear creek was reached. TherI
the chase stopped. The ghost neyeI
crossed the stream.
When the fame Of Rev. Bill Scrog
gins had spread abroad. it was sug
gested that he travel over the Bea
creek road and try his hand on thl
spirit. Bill accepted the call. HI
made a number Of journeys before tn
ghost materialized, and there wer
people who began doubling the exist
ence of the ghost. while others cite'
Rev. Bill as one who could overcom
anything. and by that token he hat
made the ghost take to the woods. Th
community was equally divided.
However. the ghost showed up on
night in the midst OF a storm and chal
lenged Rev. Bill to ride for his life
The snake eccleslastlc refused. an
there was q contest in which Bilf
horse was killed. and he was left afooi
The ghost got the bag Of snakes an
escaped 10 the ford. where Bill over
took him on the following day. and th
contest was renewed The ghost VI
dertoolS to turn the snakes on Bill. bu
they refused to act. Bill got possessio
of them and turned them on the splri
They drove the spirit into Bear cree
and across It. and the spirit aed. an
that was the end Of the ghost 10 tha
country.
Bill returned in triumph 10 the couT
~ seat and told the story. II was r.
ceived with some doubt but as year
slipped by and nobody was chase
people began to believe Bill. and apo
ogies came IN rather late. But Bill wa
vindicated. Then he mysteriously d
appeared
Some years later den of snakes wa
discovered in what is now Bates coul
~. Mo. the adjoining county on N