Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-11
ROCKVILLE AND VICINITY.
John g. Reading Bitten by Copper
head Snake-Barn Burned.

Special Correspondence Of The Star
ROCKVILLE Md, September 10, 1906.
John G. Reading. son of Mr. Hugh Read
ing, of the vicinity of Darnestown, this
county, last evening had a peculiar and dis
agreeable experience with a copperhead
snake. While on his way from the barn
to the house on his fathers farm he
stepped upon something yielding, which
he at first thought was a piece of rope
lying in the pathway. An instant later,
however, he experienced a painful sensa-
ton In his right ankle. From this he di-
vined that the object upon which he had
trod was a snake and that he had been
bitten.
Young Reading hurried to the house,
and, acting upon his fears he decided to
treat the wound on the theory that 1t was
a snake bite. With sharp razor he cut
out the flesh Of his foot containing the
wound, applied suction and bound his leg
above the knee to prevent bleeding. Later
he returned to the place where he was
bitten and found there a large copperhead
snake with it's back broken. 1t is pre-
sumed the young man had stepped upon
the reptile.
Aside from the self-inficted injury, young
Reading has suffered no inconvenience
from the bite. 1t is believed his life was
saved by the heroic treatment resorted toe
fine barn on the farm of County Com
vile neighborhood was destroyed by fire
this morning Considerable farming ma
chinery, large quantity of hay and his
crop Of wheat and various other articles
were also destroyed, entailing a loss OF
about 5000. The insurance is understood
to have been about $500. The origin
Of the fire is not definitely known, but it Is
supposed to have been due to spontaneous
combustion.
Mr.. Reeves Braddock and sister, Miss
Rena, of this place, have gone to Attain
tic City to spend about ten days.
The public schools Of Montgomery county
large attendance at the Rockville High
School, and there Is every indication that
the year will be a prosperous one for that
institution. Prof. Cooke D. Luckett is
principal and the assistants are Samuel A.
Lehman, Wilson S. Ward and Misses Ella
B. Kicker Lucy Garrett, Virgie Brewer,
Elberta Rice, Frances Horner and Mary
Brewer.
The barn on the farm of Mr. Francis S.
Kilgour near Glen, this county, was last
night destroyed by fire. The granary ad-
joining was also destroyed, as were fine
mule and number of agricultural lmple-
ments. The loss is placed at about $1,2OO,
one-half of which is covered by insurance.
The fire is supposed to have been caused
by a spark from a pipe.
Prof. E. c. Harmon of Holton, Me-, has
been secured as member of the faculty of
National Park Seminary, Forest Glen. 1t
is understood he will act as vice principal
of the institution. He and his family are
already occupying one of the cottages on
the seminary grounds.
Mr.. B. H. Warner has again offered
prizes for the best declamations by the
public school children of the county. He
will give a gold medal for the best declama-
ton by a scholar In each election district
of the county and will give three money
prizes-$3O. $40 and $10-for the three best
declarations by the winners of these med
ais. The tests this year will be confined
to the boys