The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-08-04

soon discovered that the child had been
bitten by a black massasauga. as some
call them. just above her shoe top.
The limb was already beginning to
the father to remove the child's shoe
and stocking. There were the fang
marks, plain enough. Yanson is an in.
veterate tobacco chawer, and at the
time had a big quid in. his mouth. He at
once applied his lips to the wound.
sucking the poison from it and splitting
it with the tobacco saliva from his
mouth. This he did several times. and
then took the little girl. who had grown
very weak and sick, upon his broad
shoulders and carried her home. where
she was dosed with whisky and more
of the liquor applied to the wound, after
which poultice was put on 1t and the
little daughter snugly tucked into bed.
The limb became badly swollen, but in
the course Of the next Few hours the
swelling began to abate and yesterday
the child was able to be out again.
The incident became noised about the
neighbOrhOOd and a snake hunt was
determined upon. Several outings OF
this character have occurred in the re-
gion of the Black Swamp In years past
and gone and hundreds OF rattlers have
been slain.
Yanson. Charles Dusseau and FRANK
PeQuinnot started out a couple of days
after the incident referred to had oc-
CURED and headed for the Black Swamp
equipped with entidotcs and stout cud-
gels Of about six feet in length. which
they cut in the thicket ON the way.
They thrashed around the edge Of the
swamp for q couple OF hours and only
succeeded in routing out a couple of the
snakes, which were despatched.
Finally they came to ledge of low
shale rock. against which considerable
dead brush and light dead stuff had
drifted during the spring freshets and
filled the swamp.
What a glorious place for rattlers."
remarked Pequinnot.
Lets set fire to it and I'll bet we'll
scare out a nest of them" was Yam
sons rejoinder.
Suiting the action to the suggestion.
the dry drift was fired in several places,
and as the flames began to crackle the
three men stationed themselves at OF
posite angles a few feet back from the
| shale and waited developments. 1t was
| not long until an ominous angry rattle,
and then another and another. attested
to the reliability Of Pequinnot's sugges-
ton.
There goes one" yelled Dusseau, as
he brought his club down across the
back Of an ugly fOur-footer scuttlinG
away from the burning brush.
Here's another" soon came from the
opposite side Of the bonfire. and anoth-
er whack of stout club despatched an
other member of the tribe recognized as
mans common enemy. For half an hour
and not more than half a dozen got
away from them.
When they finally satisfied themselves
| that the scrin mage was over they be-
| gan to look over the field of battle
/ The stencil from some of the scorched
reptiles was anything but pleasant. anc
after summing up the results of the
| slaughter and finding 43 dead rattlers
ON the ground they fastened back home
| to tell of their adventure.
| Almost every year an incident OF this
character occurs in that vicinity. i
| seems to be a veritable abiding place
| for the venomous creatures, and, de-
| spite the yearly slaughter, they canno
| be entirely wiped out
Near Alexis, Mich. a number of rat
| tiers have been killed lately, and {
farmer out near Central avenue,a cou
| pie of miles beyond the city limits, tell,
| of several in that neighborhood being
! killed. They have never been seen II
that community before, at least no
| for great many years.
Three OF four have been killed in thu
| marshes near PIT. Place, and from othe
| parts of northwestern Ohio come re
| ports of the presence of rattlers thi
| year.
A few years ago, outside of Trow
| bridge swamps, it was very seldom tina.
| one was heard of in this part of Ohio
althogh one was occasionally killed
| Henry or Paulding counties.