South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-10-14


The snake. most unpopular OF all
varmints is unpleasant TO contemplate
from any viewpoint A snake gives
a Better impression when he is NOV
ing rapidly away from you than when
he is approaching in a leisurely man
ner. and even then its a dad burned
poor impressin.
The snake in the abstract is often
used 10 personify evil. Hence. no
one cares 60 be associated with him.
For that reason II has been particu-
larry difficult 10 compile this snaky
column-men who have actually en-
coUntered snakes shudder at the mere
mention Of them and prefer TO forget
their experiences. those who think
they have seen snakes at divers times
but are not sure Of il. are especially
reluctant TO discuss them.
However. the Melting Pots story Of
10 No. RATHER adorned with 90
rattlcs should inspire us all 20 better
things We cannot let il pass unchal-
lenged. While OF course we do not
hope 10 be- able 10 approach any Of
the remarkable measurements Of that
monstrous reptile in the following
stories. nevertheless we have done
our derndest.
The gentlemen who have been kind
enough TO favor Us with their snaky
experiences are all men of exemplary
habits. unimp eachable character and
one and all are known for their ua-
nwvering adherence 10 the unlacquer-
ed truth. We know these stories are
true because we have them from the
respective heroes own lips-or from
the lips Of a friend Of a friend OF a
friend. And here we are:
Uncle Bob Hardy. IS years ago.
set out TO kill a snake on Bachelors
Island He took another man with
The other man saw the snake first.
The other man drew back the club.
The club stopped on the bridge Of
Uncle BOb's nose The snake got
away. nuff sed.
Uncle William KnOblOck recalls the
time he extracted the fangs OF a live
TattleT with his fingers. Il was IS
years old at the time" he said, and
we were haying out on the marsh,
and lifting up a winnOw L disclosed
a four foot RATHER. Just for the fun
of it i got a crotched stick and put il
back Of his neck before he had time
TO spring, then grabbed him back of
the ears with my hand and with a
short piece Of wood prOpped his
mouth open so it would stay. A
RATHER you know, has only four fangs,
two i'm the upper and two in the
lower jaw. They lay back flat in his
mouth until ne wants to bite his vic
tim, when he thrusts them forward
With a splinter / pried the teeth up
and then with my fingers yanked
them out enc at a time. slick as a
whistle"
The late Cook McCabe was fishing
down on the river one time when a
small boy, trembling with fright.
ha1 -, p
quisk, there's flynn snake over
there Cook went over to where the
boy indicated and discovered a black
snake in the act of swallowing a SPAR
row At that stage of the game the
snake had only succeeded in getting
the birds feet and tail in its mouth.
and the futtering of its wings led the
boy To think il was a genuine flying
snake
Alvin Keeney tells Of a big four and
half foot RATHER he saw down in St.
Augustine, Fla. a native had killed
the serpent, or thought he had, and
was carrying VI around on his shout
der for the editication of the northern
tourists. After ne had exhibited il
thus nearly all day he took it around
to his back yard to skin it, whereupOn
IL began TO move slightly. Its captor
stopped the skinning operations to see
just how much life il did have. and
in the course of an hour or so IL had
fully revived and was able to crawl
about. Inside of two weeks, Keeney
says, il was as lively a snake as he
ever saw. and was put on exhibition
there Mr.. keeney adds in this con-
nectiOn that only the blunt tailed
snakes are poisonous. while the point
ed tailed reptiles are harmless-in so
far as their bite goes. This state
ment has been cOrrObOrated by 9TH
ers who have more than a speaking
acquaintance with snakes.
Grant Manning fatty denies that
he was the leader of the band that
set out 60 capture the famous Chaplin
Park sea-serpent which created a
reign OF terror in his neigh bOrhoOd
in the summer Of 81. This monster
was reported 10 have carried off a