The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-07-04
FOR THE RABBIT EDITORS.

The Charlotte Observer, The Wash
Post and some other papers
have had a good deal to say OF late
about the rabbit. chiefly regarding its
vicious disposition and its innate ant
mostly toward members of the human
race. These papers have from time
Ito time published what their rabbit
ieditors claimed to be well-authenti-
Icated accounts of persons being at
tackled by these heretofore supposedly
most timid of all four-footed beasts.
Some of these items have been MIST
Iblood-curdling, h~air-raising accounts Of
vicious attacks by rabbits on the men
who went in pursuit of the latter with
1.-The idea that they were timid, harm
LESS little beasts.
All the accounts we have read in tle
columns of these papers of such dis
iplay of courageous n blood-thirsty
action on the part of Molly-C otton-Taii
have been instances of attacks by them
on their t~wo-legged enemies.
1t is well known, though, that the
rabbit has another enemy which The
more timid fear as much as they do
THE two-legged one-one with no legs
lat all and which still rests under the
lcurse- placed upon it in the Garden Of
,Eden-"Upon thy belly shalt thou go
and dust shalt thou eat all the days
iof thy life"
THAT the rabbit stood in mortal fear
lof the snake, especially of the swift
running species-the black runner, the
lcoachwhip and the like-whOse spee /
lis equal to that of any Jack-rabbit OF
the western plains.
Did the rabbit editors of the papers
labove named expect ever to have an
authentic account of a rabbit, no mat
tier how bold and daring in the pres
lence Of man, falling to take to his
heels before an enemy of this class,
but, instead, turning upon it and fore
Ing it to ignominious flight? We sup
pose not, or they would have reveled
lin the publication of such an item
For their benefit, then, we give the
following item from The Wadesborc
Observation-Disclosures. 1t will be
seen that this particular rabbit, afraid
lof no black snake that might come
along, not only attacked this n with
ivigor and persistence, but caused his
isnakeship to beat a hasty retreat, ane
THAT the only thing, in all probability
(which prevented it's ignominious deatt
|by the latter was the fact that it could
F'climb a tree" and it's pursuer coult
mot. No one will doubt the story @
the young lady who came with shot
|gun and rIne to the aid of the rabbi
lin the destruction of it's mortal en-
Jenny. The account of this wonderful
encounter is as follows:
A few DAYS ago. while Mrs. D.. +.
lHarkey II daughter. Miss Florence
lHarkey. of Cedar Hill. were sitting or
their fl on porch. hey noticed Il very
l1a1 ge black snake. pursued by a rab
Hit. coming into the yard. The rab.
bit. time and again. jumped on the
lsnakc and scratched and bit it. unit
finally the snake became SO hare
dressed it too a tree. Miss Florence
lwho is an excellent shot. then pro
toured a hot gun and shot the snake
but this not bringing it down. She
tried a rifle on it with better success
1t is supposed the snake a Droba'
bly, eaten some Of the rabbits young
which SO enraged The rabbit that i
liz st its usual timijity and attacked
lis ancient enemy with such success
THAT the snake was COMPELLED to fee