The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1913-10-26

| what environment and association vii
do for a man and it's queer again how
differently the same thing will affec
men.
| Apa1achicoIa, at the mouth of Apa-
| Iachicola river, and Port st. Joe on st
Joe bay, are only twenty miles apart
They are good neighbors-borrow from
each other, at least ST. Joe does bust
ness with Apalachicola banks and they
| largely use the same brands of Liquid
| refreshments, smoke the same kind OF
cigars, but things affect them different
ly. Maybe it's the deep water we have
| in st. Joe bay, or maybe it's the oys-
tiers they have in Apalachicola bay.
| Oh well, I don't know. In Apalachi-
cola you get your booze over the bar;
in st. Joe you get it under the bar or
behind the door or out Of a hollow log
and the tiger who sells it to you can't
| see good. Maybe that makes the diff
ference. Anyway, I'm going to tell
what befell a ST. Joe man and an
| Apalach man on one and the same day
and tell also how it acted on them.
What Happened.
The other day one of St. Joe's pros
porous citizens journeyed over to
Apalach. He went on business and to
see George and other things. He had
sequence was feeling tired and sleepy
late in the afternoon.
Now on the street along which he
was walking there was a leaky hydrant
and in the little puddle Of water form
ed by this leak a large moccasin
(snake) was enjoying life. Our St.
Joe man, in search of a quiet place on
the curbing on which he might rest
his tired body, almost sat down upon
the snake. His surprise was great
so was the snakes but the effect was
different. The man made a record
jump out of the firing line, but the
snake merely yawned and in so doing
showed a beautiful red flannel mouth
and well developed white fangs. The
man was badly shaken-was it a real
snake or had he seen George too often?
AS he debated this matter in his mind
he heard a rustIing behind him and
looked back and saw snake No. COM
ing on the run evidently bent on maxi
ing his closer acquaintance. That
settled it. st. Joe has some good
runners. but our man hung up a new
record that day. AS he passed Holly's
bar an acquaintance called to him to
know where the fire was but the only
response was the word borne back to
him on the breeze-"snakes." The
man was already out Of sight.
He reached the depot safely but
badly winded, caught the first train
home and now takes nothing stronger
than soda water.
Capt. Joe and Snakes.
On the other hand. Shortly after our
st. Joe man had made his hurried de-
parture one Of Apalach's. popular
citizens was taking his afternoon con-
stitutional and passed this same leaIy
= 1t
He also (the man. not the snake) :
had seen George divers time that aft
ernoon and when he saw the snake, he
was not quite sure whether he had
'em again or whether the snake was
Csure nuff). He approached quite
close to investigate and the snake ex- /
hibited a healthy tongue of the forked /
variety. but made move to Vacate !
his pleasant quarters.
And now our Apalach friend who we
will call Captain Joe, because that is !
soning and quick judgment for which |
Apalach men are famous, said he to |
himself:
IF this be snake and if I should
take
A grip in his throat I'd sure get his |
But if I should miss and my hand he |
should kiss,
Why then I opine the snake would get |
mine.
But if there's no snake then my way |
I will take
Straight down to friend Hall and get |
a highban
For this seeing Of snakes sure gives |
me the shakes
And to Keeley's- I go if things remain |
So"
Snake and DarLies.
To think was TO act with Captain |
Joe, and after a. few passes to hypno- |
tie the nnoccasin he made lightning |
play and got a strange hold on the |
snakes throat. The captive promptly /
wound his body around Captain Joe's
arm, and so Joined in the bonds Of good /
they proceeded down the 1
street. They saw no one, for almost
the entire population, male, female,
and others, was enjoying the afternoon