Evening star., 1939-10-08
Bethesda Youth Has Prehistoric Sea Uc Display Smithsonian
Just
Between
Yourselves
BY PHILIP H. LOVE, .
Junior Star Editor.

A lew weeks ago, as you may re-
call, an epidemic Of "goatitis" broke
out in my mail. For days on end, it
seemed that nearly every letter I
received had to do with goats. The
climax came when girl wrote from
Waldorf, Nd, that she had SO of the
animals. Her statement must have
discouraged all the boys and girls
who thought that having a goat or
two or three was something, for
nobody has mentioned goats to me
since.
Well, now it's snakes. And al
though nobody has turned up yet
to claim ownership of anything like
80 snakes, I wouldn't bet a blocked
German mark that there's no such
person. Anything can-and fire.
quently does-happen when an epi-
demic breaks out in my mail!
The present outbreak "snakitis,"
we'll call it-started with a note
from a 9-year- old boy who told of a
blacksnake crawling out of the fire.
place In his grandmother's cabin on
the James River. in Virginia, where
he was spending his vacation. Then
came an even more exciting letter
from Doris Amiss, IS, of GAL Lex
ington place NE.
while visiting my cousin in Vir-
ginia," Doris wrote, my little sister
Betty and I had a horrible adven-
ture. We had to walk about one
half mile to the mailbox, part Of
the way through woods. We were
barefooted. and the road was rocky.
Suddenly, Betty screamed. I saw
her turn ard flee toward home: then
I saw big black and yellow snake
leap at her, Kissing and sticking out
his tongue"
Doris overlook her sister in no
time at all, according to her note,
and the two girls didn't stop running
until they were safe in the yard Of
their cousins home. Then. Doris
concluded:
I'VE both topped on the ground
and looked at our poor feet, which
were terribly sore from the rocks. "
X X
Doris letter was followed by the
still more exciting story printed on
this page today under the signature
of Karin E. Shea, a 16-year-old
Mckinley High School student liv-
ing at 40 w street NV. This yarn
was selected as one of the winners
Of the five weekly prizes of 81 each
not only because it is written in
such interesting style, but because it
describes so many adventures in
volving snakes. In fact, Karin's ex-
perience with snakes has been so
extensive, judging by her contribu-
ton. that I'm inclined to regard her
as something of an expert.
y y X X
But the ultra ultra in snake
stories came from Ernestine Rolls,
l3, of 1904 Georgia avenue NV, a
Macfarland Junior High School
pupil
Three weeks in camp prepared
Ernestine for her introduction to a
snake with II rattles. Il had heard
stories of meeting rattlesnakes and
copperheads." she wrote, but I,
vself, had seen nothing bigger
tn n tent worm"
Ernestine and some other girls
were walking along road near the
camp one day when they discovered
the snake. She and one of the other
girls ran to the camp, yelling:
Snake! Snake!"
A dozen or so campers armed
themselves with axes and snake
sticks and marched to the place
where Ernestine and her compan-
ions had encountered the reptile.
The snake was still there, and the
girls attacked it in group, swing
ing axes and sticks until its head
was severed from it's body. Then,
according to the wind-up of Ernes-
tines letter:
I'VE took the snake to camp
where it was skinned. Later. we
fried the meat and ate it. And, be-
lieve it or not, it was good
X X y X
Which is about all I want to hear
about snakes for a while Not that
eating rattlesnake meat isn't all
right, I hasten to add. AS matter
OF fact, scientists have asserted fol-
years that rattlesnake meat, proper.
ly seasoned and cooked, is one Of the
most delectable of all foods. But
well, maybe I'm just a hopeless
tenderfoot, but III stick to beefsteak
and onions!