Year: 1863

The Silver Lake "snaik" Mystery Solved.


few years since the whole of Western New
York was intensely excited over reports that were
circulated about an enormous sea serpent that
had been discovered disporting himself in the
quiet waters Of Silver Lake, modest little pond,
on the border of which stands the village of Perry,
Wyoming county.


This leviathan of the deep had been repeated
ly seen moving his undulating form through the
placid waters of the Lake Curiosity was wrought
up to the higest point of excit ment. The lake
was watched day and night by hundreds of eyes,
to gain a view of his snakeship, and many were
favored with glimpse of the enormous reptile
Several farmers-respectabl men--perons whose
character for veracity was beyond suspicion, and
whose regulations was beyond reproach-made
affidavit that they had seen the huge monster
with their own eyes. Editors and reporters came
from far and near to behold this "nine days won
der" and the newspaper world also grew excited
over the subject. The "snaik" question became
the order of the day.


But alas for human credulity the humbug
has been exploded-the mystery solved :
The solution occurred in the following man
ner:


Not long since the hotel at Silver Lake-whose
halls, corridors and sleeping apartments had once
been so densely crowded with stors, attracted to
that locality to catch glimpse of the sea serpent
took fire and during the removal Of some rubbish
from the garret, the neighbors came across what
they at first supposed to be quantity Of large
sized India rubber hose. 1t was carried out, and
upon being stretched along the ground revealed
itself to the beholders in the form of serpent
some fifty feet in length. The bystanders crowded
around, and in very brief space of time the
mystery became apparent The Silver Lake
"Snaik" lay before them The history of this
gigantic humbug is said to be as follows:


A speculator from the East was in the vicinity
of Silver Lake, and'attracted by the quiet beauty
the locality and surroundings, he conceived the
idea of purchasing the hotel and fitting it up for
a watering place. He carried his plan into exc
cution, purchased the hotel, and inaugurated an
extensive system of repairs, by which be became
involved and was obliged to mortgage the prem
ises. After remaining in possession a couple of
years, and meeting with a limited amount of pat
ronage, he saw no way to meet his demands. In
this dilemma he corresponded with brother-in-
law in Boston, and laid the case before him. His
relative was, by the way, shrewd yankee, and
he suggested the sea serpent dodge. An India
rubber snake was manufactured to order, and
painted to initiate the natural reptile, and in due
time it was forwarded to astonish the "natves. ~
The appearance Of this artificial monster had all
the effect desired the hotel was soon densely
crowdedi hundreds and thousands of people Wis
tied the place. and the shrewd landlord reaped
golden harvest After making a snug fortune,
and paying up his liabilities, the lucky proprietor
allowed the excitement to wane, sold out the
premises, and moved away, leaving his "snaik" in
the garret to the tender mercies of the new pro.
prietor.


And thus ended one Of the greatest humbugs
of the last decade-as we are told !-Rochester
NJ Y Democrat