New-York tribune., 1903-03-15
FIGHT OF RAT AND SNAKE.
Ended in Draw at the North Carolina
State Museum.

Raleigh y G. March Il tSpeciaD-At the last
STATE fair travelling Snowman exhibited woman
snake rha He ,it several hudI II live snakes
in boxes for the Use %: his r,rforrnrr. which had
been shipped to him lN suak'. farmer in Texas
TIL pril,s were. OF tht nOrl-yois"nous kind. and
many nf th~u were tjv' feet long and two inches
thick
or" the places "f the snow in a booth be
tween TN ,..urty court lhoU>,. and III" United
States Po~t"itc,. building in this city. One day
aft.r th' show and the snake ctarmer
AID "oa4rapy had gone bull snake OF the size
stated ,rrtWl"d out from VIII" the booth had been
the sidewalk. and ana caught and car
ricd /" the, Stat. Mus'4.n and turned over 10 the
curator Tn" Sulk" N,> ifonOuEr"d Il tine Sp"cl-
m!l ui HI sl,s al ..rI,.,tr"i To To-, vicious He
f"I-t v.IrI raplurt ,t. and would strike al every
Ia.I-,ru vino ti.,' r.t-, Wh.rc ht con-
1tac,:.
AFn.t this TIM. "f tn, employees Of the mu-
engaged il catching rats. and one morn
ing IA" exhibited lag, rat mach larger than Is
usually ril. and looked Ike. good sized
s'4lirr.1. S'-n-; wi.It IIIGuitIc'IIt fellow the
rodent j, -i'd tn IEtv. :I-ht between
In. s:}1<.. ii In" TX, Gag, which the
sI.;ih -onlil.v. .,u; t,-t long and
~iI.- and H. hIsh. with r;Iiss TN.
etnd sid. Tins cas- c"aIe'i out
and tl ~l.ak- ~,te pat back. and IL sttetehcd out
and lay il asl"'.i.. The rat Was then drpDp"d IN
ami ,. ran III, lI,I, the. corner near the tail OF
S1akr to lI"a the cage
TI" slak. apparently did not take any notice %
The r.I. but the took III tttr situation
fiIS .y,.S flXed the S!thc and NJ Was pant
ing excitement. Several minutes elapsed and
neither antagonist moved, and the spectators had
begun think there would DC no night when III"
snake almost lrnpercrpIoly moved. and a. this
instant the rat spranS from the corner 10 the ied
OF the snake dIsta OF SIX itet-dhd seized the
snake Just behind his head and Sank his teeth into
his neck immediately the SNAKE began to blow
and hiss ~ strike and throw his body about
the cage in effort W bIeak the h"ii OF the rat
This struggle lasted thirty seconds before the rat
was dislodsed. and the snake then struck Vlcously
at him and made every eXertion get the
his mouth. the dO0Sed and escaped and
ran around cage until lie again found the snake
the oprs,rtunity which ne sought and he again
sprang on Sr1k- and fastened his teeth in the
snake at h. place and held on.
Another struggle ensued more furious than the
first one The snake made frantic efforts to shake
the rat loose. He would strike and throw himself
about the cage and lash the with his tail and
blow ami hiss and give d >iEkenlnS od0r hut
the rat .un4 10 him with ,eattliikr t-naClty. and
heId ON with his teeth and feet This round lasted
ono minnie The rat was then dislodsed and the
snake made for him the second time, The snake
struck at hts opponent and chased him around the
care the rat jumping about and dodGing the blows
Of he snake and avoiding the mouth of the snake.
until the snake presented another opportunity Of
being stretched full length. and then the rat
took advantage OF this opening and for the third
time he sprang on snake and rReted his teeth
g., ,ha snake at the same place. The struggle Of