Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-01-08
FOOLED BY THUNDER
SNAKE CONES FORTH


given a painful Jar Tuesday morning out
on Thurmond street a few PAGES of
Marietta What actually happened was
thar a huge. scaly snake-six feet, hve
inches were his precise tapeline meas
ureme.ns-was captured alive by Super
fntendent William n. Newman, Of the
Chattahoochee Brick company. 1t is
wonderful enough for a snake Of this
size 10 be caught in the heart of city,
but the most wonderful thing OF all Is
how he came TO be there. and further
more the future service in which Mr.
Newman win employ him
This serpent is doubtless wise I'm his
generation. but as happens now and
then even TO the snrewdest politicians.
his schemes miscarried. During Monday
nights downpour OF rain. II will be re-
membered. there came a clap Of thun-
der. The heavens are not In the habit
OF Numbering on the fourth OF Janu-
airy. The snake ought to have realized
this. But the doddering old idiot evil
IDENTIFY thought II meant the return OF
springtime-
out OF his secure winter hole under the
Chattahoochee Brick company's office
he came crawling. He wriggled on up
Thurmond street. for he was blind. as
snakes are during the cold months. The
air felt a little nipping to be sure, but
hadn't II Numbered? That was enough
for his snakeship.
And that is no doubt why W. n. New
man found him coiled few feet from
the sidewalk about s O'Clock Tuesday
morning. A truck farmer with basket
OF eggs under his arm was the first to
catch sight OF the frightful monster.
The farmer was on the verge of step
ping straight upon the Shiny coil. when
he sprang back with a cry and sent
his eggs scrambling higgledy-piggledy
over the cobblestones.
What's the matterT' called. Mr.. New
man from his ONCE door. Then he took
IN the situation. The coil. all this while.
remained motionless. Mr.. Newman put on
his right hand wOollen glove. stole eau
tiousfy up to the brown. Fat head. seized
Il firmly and dragging Il across the street
cIapred the whole six feet FIVE inches OF
snake into a big cracker box Then he
spread horse blanket tightly over the
box until he could nail Stats closely about
the top. And there was the wise snake.
with a crowd Of small boys peeping at
him and jollying him as IL he had been
only an infant bait.
He had evidently been wandering aim
Iessly through the night. just taking in
the town. 50 to speak. without being
able to make his way home in the cold
gray dawn Of the morning after
As the crowd grew. heated discussion
arose as TO what sort OF snake he might
be.
Hes a RATHER" said one man
The truck farmers lip curled in derI-
sion He knew a thing OF two about
snakes. he was pleased 70 say, and who
ever heard OF RATHER that didn't have
ratties on his tail? After that every
one as more cautious in venturing an
opinion One old gentleman said IL was
q bull snake. His statement stood I'M
challenged because nobody in the crowd
had ever heard Of a bull snake. But this
diagnosis vas unpopular. Bull snake"
didn't seem 70 do Justice to the occa-
sion. Finally. W 7. Waters, Jr., was
called into conference Mr.. Waters, be II
snakes than any other Albanian. real
snakes that Is 10 say. over in the Philip
pines he has met every conceivable varie-
~ Of them. Once in Manila-but that's
another story.
without a moments hesitation Mr.. Wa
tiers pronounced the serpent a member Of
the python species.
And what's more" said he, this
snake viii make an excellent watch dog.
He Is absolutely harmless. except to rats.
But he's murderous on rats. I would
suggest too, that he would be serviceable
n keeping away traps and bill collectors
and undesirable citizens generally from
the premises here
That decided matters Mr.. Newman re-
solved 10 keep his snake. He win feed him
on milk and fresh vegetables every day,
and under the innocent name OF Henry
the serpent win continue TO make the
once precincts his unmolested home.