Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-27
CLIMBED TREE
STORY DOUBTED, so AFFIDAVIT
IS SUBMITTED.
Reptile Liked Cherries, Therefore It
Climbed to Where They
Grew.

LAWRENCEVILLE, Pa, July 27.-Re-
Gently your correspondent had occasion
to truthfully relate. as is his wont, how
the venerable William H. Hoffman of
Montgomery rural route l had on the
Fourth of July, at about 10 o'clock in the
forenoon, climbed a cherry tree on his
found in the same tree, about twenty feet
from the ground, a live rattlesnake, pre-
sumably on the same errand.
Next day along came Prof. Surface in
an interview in which he is quoted as
not know that a rattlesnake can climb a
tree. Neither do we absolutely know that
it can't, although we incline to the latter
belief"
1t is more in sorrow than in jubilation
that the reviled correspondent now pro-
ceeds to put out of business the chief of
the state geological department.
Affidavit is Submitted.
The correspondent submits the follow
ing affidavit. with the hope that it has
buried beyond resurrection q question
which threatened to become as far reach
ing and peace disturbing as the alleged
age of Ann or who biffed the late William
Patterson:
state of Pennsylvania, county of Ly-
coming.
Personally came before me, justice
of the peace at Montgomery, in and for
said county and state, w. H. Hoffman, a
citizen of the township of Clinton, county
of Lycoming and state of Pennsylvania,
aged seventy years, we'll known to me to
be reputable and entitled to credit and
who. being duly sworn, declares:
''That his residence is two miles west
of Montgomery, near the foot of Bald
Eagle mountain. That on his premises
stands cherry tree near some timber
land that runs down from the mountain
before named. That on the Fourth of
July, A. D., 1910 he climbed the cherry
tree aforesaid for the purpose of pick
ing some fruit. That when he was
up height of nineteen and half
feet from the ground by actual measure
ment, which he has verified, that he
found a rattlesnake on top of a limb the
aforesaid distance above the ground, its
tail hanging down. the remainder of the
rattlesnake doubled on top of the limb
with its head sticking up ready to bite.
Knocked Reptile to Ground.
THAT he, the affiant, broke limb from
the tree and knocked said rattlesnake to
the ground, and came down the tree and
killed the reptile aforesaid. and that said
IdltiSLoildhS Leu IcIi IdtlicS duu was hCoA ~
three feet long. Said cherry tree four feet
above the ground is AN inches in cir
conference. There was no limb on the
cherry tree that reached nearer to the
ground than five feet, neither was there
any other tree standing near enough to
the cherry tree to permit the snake to
pass from it to the cherry tree.
'W. H. HOFFMAN signature OF
wv. H. HOFFMAN,
signature of affiant
"Sworn to and subscribed before me
this day by the above-named affiant, and
1 certify that 1 read said affidavit to said
affiant and acquainted him with its con.
tents before he executed the same.
further certify that I am in no wise in.
terested in said case and that said aft
ant is personally known to me: that he is
| a credible person and SO reputed in the
community in which he resides.
Witness my hand and official seal this
23d day of July, 1910.
(SeaD IS. NJ RHONE,
Justice of the Peace
In a personal letter to the correspondent
Mr.. Hoffman writes of the incident: 81
broke a branch from the tree and knocked
it down. l came down and killed it, and
found it had ten rattles. Distance it was
up the tree 1 have by actual measure
ment."
So rattlesnakes do climb trees.