The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-09-08
LARGEST RATHER
EVER CAUGHT

Johp Dooling, man young in years
but one who has HAD a wide experience
in the woods and swanps in the rear of
the city, always has an interesting story
to tell of some strange thing he has seen
out in thick glades of the forest or miry
brakes of the marsh that lie between the
rear of the Third District and the lake.
Dooling holds forth at John Lasalle's
grocery, Frenchmen and Galvez streets,
and on the SUBJECT of hunting and fish
ing and tracking game can talk by the
hour. He has seen the strenuous side of
life of the denizens OF the woods and
swamps, and one of the weirdest tales
he tells is that of the suicide of a mon
ster rattlesnake
1T was early last spring" began Dool-
ing, several days ago, when pressed to
tell the story. that the swampers in the
marsh back Of Gentilly road were
thrown into panic by the sight of
rattlesnake, the like of which they had
never even heard tell Of
The snake was first seen on Sunday
afternoon by niger squirrel hunter,
and that black never got over the fright
the ugly, creeping thing gave him. The
negro was walking contentedly along
ridge of high ground that runs through
the swanlps with a dead squirrel or two
across his shoulder, whistling a rag
time tune. and thinking how good his
game would taste after passing through
the stewing process.
1T was nearly shutdown and the woods
were full of the call of birds and the
chirp of insects There was dead tree
lying in Jim's path-Jim is the blacks
name-and in his careless way he gave
the rotten old thing kick with the
point of his heavy boot.
"a strange noise that came from the
inside of the tree caused jim to pause,
and the kinks OF his head came near to
STRENGTHENING out. The noise was at first
an nadistinct buzzing sound, that steadily
grew in volume until it was a loud rat
fling. such as only very big snake can
make when fearfully angry. Jim had
heard the burr of rattlesnakes before,
but never the like OF this, and he con-
cluded that the reptile in the hollow tree
was. indeed, huge one.
while he was standing inactive, par
allied as it were, he saw broad, fiat
ugly head. with black beady eyes and
thin forked tongue, quivering from be-
tween scaly Jaws. slowly protrude from
the end OF the trunk nearest where he
stood
"The head was followed by neck,
beautifully marked, that reared in an
arch as the length OF that great body was
dragged forth. Jim started aghast as
foot after foot of the snake came from
the tree, and when he had recovered
himself. he let go a yell that could be
heard mile away. and in his fright and
haste literally leaped over the snake, tree
and everything in his path and burned
the wind for home
THE darky told his story and de
scribed the snake as being about II feet
long and twice as big around as FIRE
hose OF course everybody laughed at
him and advised him 10 put more water
in his toddy. but he held to his claim and
,wore that the like OF that snake was
never seen in the swamps SINCE the time,
Years ago. the big anaconda, which must
nave got away from circus. was killed
near the lake
"The following week the snake was
zen again. Three boys out after black
berries saw him devouring a squirrel.
md thew were pretty nearly as badly
as the negro had been Others
aw the monster from a distance and ali
described him as being Of prOdlgous size
md Enthusiastically a RATHER.
That snake story interested me. and,
With a friend OF mine Wild Bill who
,as 4 place on GENTLY road, I started
nj one day 10 kill or capture him We
.ad determined upon catching him alive
( possible, and went into the deep