Year: 1874

| SGOFtess


must give you snake story, which
is part of the history of the country.
and has since been handed down from
sire to sire. 7 had my deadfalI to catch
squirrels, which was a log, eight feet
long, set on end by triggers, to which
was added an ear of corn to decoy the
squirrel, and while moving the corn at
the end of the trigger the log would be
thrown, which to him was equal to the
| French guillOtine used in those days
| when France got drunk with blood and
vomited crime. Barefooted, with my
only wardrobe my toPa, which was a
long shirt tied with toe string, having
two slits in the tail, to distinguish me
from the girls, | one morning started
forth in long trot, going around the
fields to examine my deadfalls. When
got to the far corner l found one of
my deadfalls down, and the tail of a
squirrel protruding. Iknew had him !;
my entire attention being drawn to the
| squirrel, | straddled the log to raise it
up when my naked foot rested on the
broad back of the largest rattlesnake
ever seen in Stuart county. He was as
strong as young mule, and as big
| around as q large yellow dog. He rap
idly threw himself into a coil, and his
battle cry was heard knew that this
meant business. In trying to extricate
myself l became entangled i'll his coils.
He then had elevated me three feet
above the ground, resting upon his
broad folds. One of my feet was hung
in his coils, and it was with the great
est difficulty chat l extricated myself.
In disengaging myself fell head fore
most upon the ground. There was no
time for swapping horses, or getting up
on my feet, so / rolled over and over,
until got fifty feet from the scene of
strife. Every time struck the ground
thought [ received bite. Then got
up and ran to the centre of the field,
and "hollered" all kinds of murder,
which alarmed my father and mother,
who came running with hoe and axe,
thinking the Indians, who were trouble
some in this section, had either wounded
or scalped me- As they came up still
involuntarily "hollered" murder. They
partook of the excitement and asked me
what was the matter. l could give but
very indistipct account of the situa-
tion, in which spoke of snake. Then
they were satisfied that had been Bit
ten by snake, and raised up my toga,
looking for the bite, and asked me where
was bitten. I told them that was
bitten all over. They could find no
marks, and wanted me to go and show
them the snake. told them no, could
not go in chat direction, but told them
if they wanted to see the biggest snake
they ever saw to go up to the corner of
the field.


remained trembling aud convulsed.
They proceeded to the point indicated
and found the monster snake still lying
by the dead squirrel. He was of such
extraordinary proportions that it was
not prudent to attack him alone. Billy
Rushing and other neighbors were
called in to assist in the killing. Five
or more came a long sapling having
forks was cut down and placed upon
the back Of the snake's neck and held
there by four men, when my fathef step
ped up with the axe and cut off his head
or guillotined him. He was as long as
fence rail and had twenty-five rabtles,
being that many years old. When he
was thus beheaded, the dogs were set
upon him, and bravely he kept up the
fight. He would throw himself into
coil, and with the stump of his neck
strike the dogs, knocking them eight or
ten feet. When the dogs came out of
the fight they were as bloody as butch
ers. He was such an extraordinary
snake that the neighbors concluded to
carry him home, but were unable to
drag him. The oxen and cart we're sent
for, and with the aid of handspikes he
was rolled into the cart. His skin was
taken off and stuffed with bran, with
the head attached, and it was hung up
by the wallis of the house as trophy,
such as the scalps that hang from the
girdle Of the Indian warrior.


This was an awful country for snakes,
sure. The snakes were 20 numerous
that in the fall the neighbors drove their
hogs to the cliffs to eat and fatten on
them. The meat Of the rattlesnake is
fat and nutritious, and they will fatten
hogs, If they eat enough Of them, equal
to corn. The mast and snakes in those
days we're great saving of the cereals.