The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-08-03
Those Snake Stories.
The Snake Reporter Is Giving
This Section a Wide
Reputation.
BETTER CHANGE DRINKS.

i he 1etDdI kdDIG lSplllS StOllSS
hat have been sent out from this
ection recently are attracting some
.ttention in the large cities, and it
not 10 be wondered at. The
tories, if true, are certainly wonder
nj, and people generally naturally
need some confirmation of the news
paper reports.
The New York Tribune some
That iucredulous, has the following
say:
"The Pike county bear and his
ats have long been known to the
overs of natural history. So i'm
ortant and remarkable have been
ne ursine antics in Northern Penn
ylvania that some Of our enterprls-
ng contemporaries have made a
oint CT keeping special correspond.
.uts OF ingenuity and endurance at
Milford, Lackawaxen, Hawley,
oaupac, Shohola, Conoshaugh and
ther points convenient Tor record
vig the comedies and tragedies OF
hat arcadian region. But the bear
not the only natural wonder OF
.ennsylvania. The serpent in his
isdom has awakened to the virtues
advertising, and with more than
istrionic ingenuity has set his
ress agents to work. We have
"ot yet heard that any beauteous
attlel has lost her caudal buttons,
lie same being of great number and
crity, but unquestionably the star
uakes of Pennsylvania are in other
Jays immensely successful in keep
.hg under the limelight. In one
Jew York paper Of last evening we
nd the following items on snakes,
I'D if we are to judge OF local con-
itions on the supposition that only
few and the more important hap
enings in snakedom, as in other
elds of news, are transmitted to
lie metropolis, we must conclude
lat the mountain dew of Pennsyl-
.ania this year is in unusual demand
Id of unusual potency.
First, we learn by a dispatch from
loomsburg that Miss Tillie Rough
/ Berwick, went to sleep i'll a ham,
,:ock and awoke to be what they
Ill trough housed" in the Bowery
he found copperhead neatly coil
ii in her lap. Now, copper head
one of the most dangerous of ser
ants, and how she should get free
ON that snake without being bit
n was a problem. Her screams
rought two young women to her
.>scue without waking the snake.
Vith rare presence of mind they
lvised her not to try to shake the
.ptile off, but to hold it in her lar
lille they killed it. Accordingly
ley procured clubs, and, using hel
or an anvil, beat the snake to death
his was rather rough on Mis-:
,ough and she was considerably
tuised by the blows, but the snake
indy consented to lie still and bt
lashed in her lap without striking
her. 1t was evidently friendl,
lake, which we think deserved
lore kindly treatment. Perhaps
II imaginary mongoose could have
r,ndled it properly.
From Pottsville comes tale O
ne narrow escape of Mary Miller
red six years, from the bite OF ;
.acksnake. 1t struck its fangs in
- her dress several times, and jus
issed sinking them into her BODY
nd filling her veins with deadl,
nom when her companions bea
off. Elsewhere the blacksnak
-arries no poison, but this Pennsyl
mia blacksnake was not to be out
lone in terrors by the copperhea
"r cottonmouth. The most brillian
{ snake stories. however, come
ON Altoona, where Major Alpor
"a name which suggests gou
,ther than visions of squirmin,
lenageries-while walking wit
aptain Malin came across a larg
lacksnake which does not seem
ave adopted the Pottsville fashio
t wearing poison glands, Th
subsequent events were too thrill
ng to be condensed. The Altoon
make reporter says:
The major grabbed a club to ki
t, and the reptile made off, vii
ne major in pursuit. He W;
Iressing it hard, when suddenly
brew its tail around a sapling al
wining itself around the majC
irmly bound him. Unable to 7
case himself the major yelled f
captain Malin, who killed II
make, which measured 10 feet 7
inches, being the largest ever see
IN Cambria county.
Three Cnate ctoriac oil frC