Martinsburg statesman. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1869-1906, 1905-02-17
PETRIFIED SNAKE.

linen of petri6ed rattle snake. The
following, beautiful and descriptive
lines written by John d. Sutton oil
of this city will be of interest.
The petri6ed rattler was taken IRON
his solitary abode by some lumber
Man who in order to remove heavy
stone blew it apart by dynamite and
found the petrifed snake imbeded IN
the sand stone rock, on the banks oil
the Gauly river. This once dreaded
monster OF the forest with his pols-
nous fangs and dreadful bite inhablt-
ed the gorgeous mountains of w. Va.
whether it was one thousand or ten
thousand years ago we know not. 1t
may have drank from the famous salt
sulphur on the beautiful Elk and
then followed the Buffalo trail across
the Miller mountain, to the banks OF
the rigid Gauly, where he seems to
have shuffled off his mortal coil. How
this reptile met his death we could
not even conjecture. Whether by rea-
son of age OF in deadly combat with
an enemy will never be known. He
he may have been disputing the
possession of the forest by the red men
before that gallant band of captlves
led by Gen. Lewis camped at the
mouth OF the river on whose banks
his snakeship persisted and turned to
stone.
The rattle snake is lubberly in his
movements The females has a beauti-
full yellow skin, the males are dark r
in color sometimes entirely black Their
flesh is white and tender and is said
to be delicious when cooked. His
greatest enemy among the snake
family is the black snake or racer.
The RATHER coils himself up when he
prepares for battle. His head which
is in the center of II coil is raised a
few inches, his tail upon which the
,attles are attached is slightly elevat-
ed to give it force and unobstructed
motion. This musical outfit and danger
signal called rattles, is peculiarly
formed, the first year button forms
on the tip Of the tail, then each year
little cup shaped scale slightly cb-
long is attached to it, one cup fitting
in to the other fastened together in
the center by little ligament, like
beads strung together These cups are
about the consistency Of fish scales.
BY the number Of rattles the age of
the snake can be determined, to a
certain number Of years, at least
His teeth or faugs are two in number
situated on the upper jaw, they are
circular in shape not unlike IN size
and appearance to a cats claw, At the
root of each fang is a little sack OF
poison that is transmitted through
small cavity of the tooth. When the
snake is feeding or not in action these
fangs fold down like the blade OF a
knife, when the lsttler is captured
and kept on exhibition as a matter
of precsution his tangs are extrac ed,
but one would think that most any
dentist Of ordinary skill could treat
and fill the teeth and render the snake
entirely harmless, if it had patience
and endurance to withstand the op-
Grafton. The rattle snake has many
enemies and among his own species
the black snake perhaps is the most
persistent and deadly, being ruch
quicker and more active he seiz.s the
RATHER by the back OF the neck, by a
motion too quick to be observed by
the natural eye, and in his effort to
free himself the RATHER straightexs
himself out, while his antagonist
with one quick motion coils around,
and instantly brushes out the lite of
his enemy.
The wild deer Losses no opportunity
to attack the RATHER. lie stands of a
few PAGES and with al his agility he
gives a wild leap in the air placing all
four OF his feet together he stripes
the snake whirls and repeats the at
tack until with his long sharp hoots,
the sn axe is cut to pieces Woods fire
Is the greatest dis'r yer of the rat
tie snake. In the sp ns and fall when
the forest burns, while black snake
will flee from burning woods with
the rapidity of an arrow, the
RATHER will give warning o.
danger, square himself for battle and
fight the flames until he perishes in
tl,etr et, hr1ca The tarrOr of tLa