The Topeka state journal., 1908-04-30

If there were no election near,
He wouldn't be in sight,
1nQuirfng all about the crops
And IL the price is right
He'd be at home behind his desk
Consulting with his clerk
To see how he could make a stake
Without stroke of work.
The politician has a way
OF being on the spot
When there is something to be done
toward the furthering his plot.
He Is the most alluring chap
Wnen he is SO inclined,
But you can bet your happy home
Nashville American.
Cabbage Snakes Harmless.
The annual cabbage snake scare is
spreading over Indiana, and DR.. J. N.
Hurty, secretary of the state board OF
health, Is again telling the people how
foolish they are for being frightened
at harmless little cabbage snake. DIR.
Hurty has received word that there is
great excitement in Decatur county.
Some one has found a cabbage snake
in head of cabbage grown on a farm
near Greensburg.
The man who told Dr.. Hurry Of the
alarm In Decatur county also bestowed
on the health boards secretary the in
formation that the cabbage snake
made its first appearance in Tennessee
few years ago. Since that time it
had been found in Kentucky. He de-
clared also that when the cabbage
snake was included in the bill Of fare,
revere illness and sometimes death fol-
lowed.
Dr. Hurty says the Decatur county
excitement is without good cause. He
has heard Of the cabbage snake before,
and 1t is really so harmless that he
doesn't remember it's scientific name.
He doesn't care what its scientific
t. 4
the time to remember.
The cabbage snake is transparent,
and therefore it is very seldom detect
ed before 1t Is eaten, and, of course,
after 1t has been devoured it is never
detected. 1t is from one inch to sew
eral inches in length.
"The cabbage SNAKE" said Dr. Hur-
ty as he smiled derisively, 'is found on
close inspection on about half the cab
bage that is grown. The cabbage
snake is not at all uncommon. Tons of
these snakes are eaten annually, and
they never cause any trouble. They are
perfectly harmless. They never cause
illness or DEATH
"Yes. but are they perfectly whole
some?'' asked the interviewer, who
was greatly impressed by the state
ment that tons of the snakes were
eaten annually by civilized people.
They're not any worse than oys-
ters," replied DR.. Hurry, "and II people
would be half as much concerned about
some very important things as they
are about the cabbage snake, the world
would be much better off."-Indian-
New Jersey Snake Convention.
Other residents of this thriving viii
lage will have to go some If they wish
to beat the snake story told by John
Fitch and Hugh. Allen when they got
back from Boonton the other day.
Fitch and Allen are farmers with rec
ords for truthfulness as well as thirst,
SO the element of Jersey lightning
does not enter into the yarn.
Just as we turned the bend into
Hook Mountain lane" said Fitch
'the horse took fright at kissing
sound, and for about seven seconds
stood right up on his tail. We look.
ed down the road a piece, and, sure
enough, there was a snake conven-
ton in session. Must have been five
hundred of 'em, all sizes and shapes
with a fat-headed old fellow presid
ing. The way they were handing ou
the hiss it must have been an impor
tant meeting.
1--WE backed the horse into 10
and watched the proceedings. Th'
snakes kept rising up in turn unit
each one had its say. There was ont
prolonged hiss like the exhaust of al
ocean liner, anu tHGI lHC SIa hO'
formed into hoops and rolled ava!
into the woods. s."-Montville On. j..
dispatch to New York World.
One Mouse Puts Elephants in Panic
| One very small mouse, smuggled il
by three very wicked small boys, near
ly sent three very big elephants int
Spectators were panic stricken by tn
| trumpeting of the elephants and STAN
peded to safety.
The mouse was first seen by Gunda
the big African elephant, usually tn
| most docile of beasts, Gunda tried t
| butt his head through the wall an
| strained at his leg chains. Gunda'
panic was speedily conveyed to Cong
and Khartoum, Indian elephants, an
they began to sound their terror.
| All this time the mouse was crouch
| ing in a corner of Congo's cage, NOR
| frightened than the elephants. Keepe
Hoffman killed it.-New York Ameri
| can.
| He Was "Cose.''
| A safety razor firm has just receives
an unsolicited testimonial from a Bos
ton man who braved the wilds of Mon
tana some twenty-five years ago wit
| q vast amount Of erudition and safet
razor. Being of mathematical tur
of mind he kept account OF his shave
and found that in twenty years he ha
shaved about 216,000 square inches G
facial space and saved in cash, whic
would otherwise have gone to the ton
serial artist, an amount sufficient t
pay for a plot Of land containing ZIG,
900 square feet
Evidently this man was a yer
"close' shaver.-Minneapolis Journal.
An Ancient Saw.
Raw pullet. raw veal, and raw fis
| make the graveyard fat. This is hur
dreds of wears old. A New Yor