The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-03-17

snakes!' said John Hale, a noted Della
ware Valley snake hunter and charmer.
There are more snakes along the Della
ware river section than ever squirmed
in Ireland before good st. Patrick gave
them the grand bounce.
with u Hancock friend who digs
roots for doctors, ] was out on the hills
recently. I wanted to get few rat
tiers for u New York museum. There
We're rattlesnakes all around us, but
they did not seem to be very savage.
We would scare them UP by throwing
big stones down the mountain, and they
would sneak away from us. Near a
bluestone quarry we heard a big noise
or rather a combination off noises, and
if we'd been shot the next minute we
couldn't have told where they came
from. The racket was more than that
of boiler shop.
"The noise increased every step we
took up the hill. BY the time we got to
the summit overlooking the Delaware
river it was a little less than terrific.
Looking down the slope we saw sight.
On big rock or moss mound was
regular rattlesnake reunion or concert.
The rock and ground We're just yellow
with them, and il there was one there
We're six hundred snakes in the gang.
They were of all ages and sizes.
THE two oldest rattlerS in the
crowd were in the centre and all the
other snakes were gathered about them.
Each and every reptile had coiled him
self up in such a manner as to allow
his rattles and tail to have good play,
and they We're rattling away as if for
wages. Their wicked tongues We're
darting out and in, keeping time with
the music of their tails.
"All of a sudden, with a flourish, the
rattles stopped. The two old snakes
reared their heads at least three feet
from the ground and looked all around
over the field like generals over a bat
tlefield. After seeing that all the gang
was ready for business they sounded
a note like a country fiddler tuning up,
and the whole crowd began their con-
cert again. Jimminy Peter. what a
racket it was,
"It took them about ten minutes to
finish each overture, and we must have
listened to q dozen. After a while we
got tired of the business and rolled a
big rock into the crowd. This broke up
the meeting. Scores of the snakes We're
crushed to death. The survivors. with
a final rafting, crawled rapidly away
to their dens.
Il have been among snakes all my
life, but that was the first snake con-
cert I ever struck
THE Y. NJ. C. A. MOVEMENT.
A substantial movement is on foot
here for the formation of a Young
Mems Christian association. Several
preliminary meetings have been held
during the past two weeks and a num-
Der Of committees are at work solicit
ing members and financial support. 1t
is expected that should the present ef-
fore be successful the association will
start with a membership of 800 men,
On Sunday afternoon a mass meeting
was held in Odd Fellows hall at which
the speakers We're State Secretary
Buckalew, of Harrisburg, and John r.
Clements, of Binghamton. The meeting
was largely attended and very enthusl-
astic.
SNAKE SWALLOWED IT'S BED.
Farmer Adam Little, of Glenwood, is
wintering a boa constructor and bear
for the proprietor of Il "one-horse"
menagere A few nights since the
SNAKE which had not tasted food for
several days, was left crawling about
on a soft white blanket. When its
owner returned the blanket was gone,
but his snakeship was not as symmet-
rical as formerly
He was all bunions, knots and balls,
and had evidently grown much stouter.
Then the truth dawned upon Mr.. Little
that the snake had swallowed his wife's
SIS blanket. Medical aid was summoned,
and the snake was given a gallon of
cider to wash it down. and at last ac-
counts he was as clipper and frisky as
ever.
IN a PARAGRAPH.
Charles T.. Tobey, of Scranton, who
has been appointed assistant superin-
tendent of the coal mining department
of the Delaware, Lackawanna and
Western Railroad company, is a for-
mer popular resident of Susquehanna,
and his host. of friends here congratu-
late him heartily upon his deserved
promotion,
Late advices from Wyoming county
are to the effect that the Republicans
are in favor of Congressman Wright
for the third term.
When the offices of Erie Mechanical
Superintendent Barr and the offices OF
the store department of the road leave
Susquehanna, as they probably will in
the near future, about one hundred
clerks viii fit hence. 1t might be
worse. Two hundred might go.
HOOKED A WILDCAT.
For a week or two trainmen on the
Delaware division of the Erie railroad
have noticed a big wildcat in the vicin- |
ity of Mcclure, and several times the
crews have in vain discharged revolv- |
ers and shotguns at it from the |
The other day Conductor Orce had a
big hook made. This he bated with IA
chicken and attached a piece of bell |
cord to it. When the train was DASH |
ing down the heavy grade toward De- !
post, the conductor hung the baited
hook and line off the rear of the ca |
boose. When rounding a sharp curve |
the wildcat suddenly sprang from a |
nile of railroad ties and seized the |