The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1917-10-05
BIG SNAKE IN TOWN

corner of Taylor and Idaho streets
Tuesday afternoon, when a large
snake struck at him and Kissed. L
drew back under the edge of thu
building and Unanswered. Mr.. Mar
tin ran to his office and got a six
shooter and returned to the front
The snake was still peeping, but il
would be a misdemeanoT to fire the
gun. Mr.. Martin sent for an officer
and took a shot at his snakeship a.
the first peep. The bullet tore most
of the snakes head away and left
him fiouncing vigorously. When
drawn out from under the building
is measured six feet eight inches and
was pronounced a Texas adder. II
had a short horn at the extremity OF
the tail, and in it was a slight seam,
said to be there to emit the poison
when it penetrated the enemy.
The snake was of a light brown
color and proportional nearly like
a bull snake, but not having the
markings. An examination of its
mouth revealed a fang fine like a
bristle and about an inch long. The
snake moving and squirming most
of the afternoon. The fact that it
still had a fang did not bear out the
theory that it had escaped from the
snake show. Speculation continues
as to where it came from.
Fish stories and snake stories al
ways remind" a person, and it does
in this case. One lady remarks that
snakes are always nerve-starters, but
that they are not all deadly. She
says she knew a man named Sutphin
in the mountains of Kentucky, who
kept a. blacksnake in his garnet a
great deal of the time to catch mice.
We r glad it happened in Ken
lucky, and we are glad to know that
his name was Sutphin. That makes
it sound more real. And Kentucky
is close enough.
Ye editor told his wife about this
snake at Blackfoot, and she said
that reminded her, and then she told
this story of a real snake and how
it associated with real people,. They
were at Bristol, Tennessee, and they
are there yet, the people, not the
snake. 1t has passed to its reward,
having done it's bit as you will prob
ably agree.
"A carnival company came to
town and there was a snake woman
with an exhibit in a brick store
building. 1t vas one-story and had
a tin roof, and by the side of it
was a fine photograph gallery of
many rooms and a long hall. Mr..
and Mrs. Hodges and their children
lived in the suit, all on the second
floor. They were artists and didn't
care overmuch for snakes. All of
their doors were screened. and SO
were the windows.
Some time after the carnival com
pany left town the Hodges had a
woman come and clean all the
windows, and while she was working
at it, the screen fell out of the bath
room window at about dinner time,
and after dinner Mr.. Hodges got out
of the window on the tin roof which
was four feet below the bottom of
the window, got the screen, got back
in and put the screen in position.
That was on Friday, and Sunday aft
ernoon while he and Mrs. Hodges
were reading in their library three
rooms from the bath room, thew
heard something moving. but
thought it was one of the children
doing something. and they read on.
There was a table in front of where
Mr.. Hodges was sitting. and finally
a five-foot snake rolled off of the
table sidewise and slapped the floor
in front of him.
'Of course, Mr.. Hodges looked,
and when he looked he arose. He
is renorted to have risen quickly,
He got hold of something like a cnd-
gel and showed himself a good de-
fender. The snake died a violent
death.
"Well, back there in Bristol. there
are two unsolved questions vet. How
did the snake get up on the roof.
and how did it get into the bath
past that four-foot rise. All
the rest of its %sojourn about the
without being seen might have
come by chance, but Bristol people
would Just like to know those two
for sure.
But to get back to Blackfoot, and
% Mr.. Martins stock of snakes! Two
years ago there was a carnival COM
oany with snakes, showing on that
street, and while here some snakes
by express from Texas for
hem. The crate was damaged in
,ransit, and the show people report
,d when leaving town that they had
two of their new snakes.
II you happen to pass that way
md a snake greets you, don't get
90 much excited, it is probably part
IT the bunch. OF course, a snake
night travel a long distance in two
ears. 1t might be in the tool box
It somebody's Ford car and be a
90 miles from here, or it might
re on top of the court house or in
our bath room. Il
We don't want to disturb YOUR
terves, but if you meet a snake
oming out of the bath room, YOU
hight ask him if he is thru, and if
e found all the towels he needed.
T you happen to meet him on the
ta1rway, he might influence you to
o back down and give him all the
DOM he wants to slide down. If
e has ever hob-nobbed with an ele-
ator boy anywhere he might saw AS
he elevator boy does, Going
If he has drilled with the bow
couts or the signal corps, he might
n hal n4~ .