The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1903-09-24
HE SAW A BIG SNAKE
And the Sight Caused Him to Have
Serious Thoughts.

One of cur local real estate dealers
has gained the distinction of having
seen the largest"at large" snake ever
stirred up on Skunk river bottoms.
Said r. e. d. is passionately fond oil
using his rod and gun and takes a
day off occasionally when he is dead
sure no commissions are in sight not
already safely hooked. This particu-
lar day, accompanied by friend and
borrowed dog, he to the bottoms
went. The normal condition Of this
before mentioned r. e. d. is to be
hungry and after regaling himself on
a link of Bradbury's bologna (garlic
flavored), a box of mustard sardines,
six hard boiled eggs and other con-
comitants, he baited his hook for
carp, filled his pipe with his favorite
"Old Style" and settled himself for
comfort and fishing while his friend
took a tramp through the woods in
hopes to beguile a squirrel or two
into his empty bag. Returning after
an hours tramp said friend found the
R. E. D. all excitement, the cold
sweat standing out upon his face in
great drops, his frame trembling as
If with chill.
When asked the cause of his terri
BILE condition, the r. e. D. told the
following story, preluding with: Il
swear to gracious l have not been
dreaming and it will be one hundred
years next month since / have
touched drop of liquor"
His Story.
81 was sitting here fishing and smok-
ing-had caught two or three little
fellows-there they are ON that string
and big one got away, when
noticed something unusual going on
across the bayou. 1t was snakes, a
whole drove of them gliding up what
seemed to be a tree about six inches
in diameter, one end resting upon the
ground, the other end lodged in the
forks of that old sycamore over
there" pointing to century-old tree
with a large opening about rs feet
from the ground. Snakes by the
dozen, ranging from two to four feet
in length, skinned up that tree and
into that hole, until there must have
been a hundred or more OF them
(pass me that bottle of water, please,
now feel better) then what sup
posed was leaning tree began sway
ing back and forth like the pendulum
of clock and soon discovered that
it was monster snake, head down,
and at each swaying motion it was
gradually drawing itself up into the
tree to join its brood already gather
ed there. The dog noticed that some
thing was going on that probably
needed his attention and plunging in,
swan the bayou, landing within few
feet of the monsters head. His first
and only bark ended in cry Of dis
tress as the snake picked him UP
in its huge jaws and continued its
swaying motion, soon reaching the
body of the tree with its struggling
victim. Then noticed for the first
time and distinctly counted ten folds
Of the snake around limb at least
IL inches through, besides at least
ten feet of loose snake at the dog
end. With head facing me the snake
proceeded to swallow the dog, tail
first, the dog yelping piteously all
the while. When the dog was up to
his shoulders in snake happened to
look in the direction of the hole in
the tree and it was filed with sway
ing heads Of the small snakes. Thinks
I to myself, that's too good an oppor-
tunity to lose,-picked up my shot
gun and sent two loads OF number
six shot into the mass-a veritable
pot shot IL there ever was one.
Cheese and crackers! What com
motion arose within the hollow Of
that tree! For few seconds not a
snake was to be seen except the big
one. then that hole fairly vomited
snakes and such squirting and