Year: 1873

seme Wonderful Yarns.


Sumter, 5. c. aug y, Correspondent Of the New
York World


A most exciting battle took place few
miles from this town few days since be-
tween a well-to-do farmer and snake,
described by the gentleman as moccasin,
perhaps, Of the highland species The
gentleman was returning home from town
with his wife and child in buggy drawn
by two spirited horses, when his horses
stopped in evident alright at the sight Of
q monster snake lying across the track
some distance in front of them. Giving
the reins to his wife the gentleman eft the
buggy and selecting a piece of fence-rail
advanced and struck the snake one blow,
when the rail unfortunately broke and left
him defenseless. The snake Immediately
dashed at him and ran him fiercely, until
finding he was about to be overtaken the
gentleman made for his buggy, which he
barely reached in time, the snake springing
up with great force against the wheel as he
jumped in alongside his wife In mo
ment the gentleman had his buggy whip ia
hand, and with the butt end of it haia
desperate fight with the monster, whlch
continued its determined efforts to effect
an entrance to the buggy. The horses be-
coming uneasy, and the wife dreadfully
alarmed, the lines in her hands were some
what relaxed, and the team made squirt
which at once carried the party hundred
yards from the scene Of conflict Looking
back and finding that his enemy held the
field, and showed no disposition to run, the
gentleman again left his buggy. and secur-
ing stout and reliable club, returned and
renewed the fight As he advanced, and
when within few feet, the snake sprung
at him with distended jaws, when a we'll
directed blow laid him on the ground.
where ne was soon dispatched. The snake
was five inches in diameter, and nearly
nine feet long.


DoUBLE-HEADERs.


Sylvester Bowman, of Claiborne, Nv.
undertook to bruise the head Of a six-foot
serpent lately, but the pesky serpent came
near turning the tables on Bowman.
Another man helped him out Of the scrape,
and the snake was found to have horn at
the end of it's tail little over an inch and
quarter long, shaped like a ROSTERS spur.
But what was still more astonishing. il had
two eyes in its TAIL which, excepting the
horn, was shaped exactly like the head, but
was not 50 large. Indeed, to see the tail,
one would have thought that it vas the
head, and that the horn was its tongue.
The horn was very sharp rhe snake
seemed very herce at its tail end and en-
deavored to strike everything that came
near its tail. Various experiments were
made to ascertain whether it could see with
the eyes IN its tail, and it was demonstrated
beyond doubt that it could These ewes
had lids, which opened and shut and
cleaned with anger Indeed, the tail-head
seemed far more fierce than the other head.
1t was 50 fierce at both ends that il was
necessary TO shoot it.


The Elk River (MinnD Ns,,s says that
Mr.. Jones. of Battle Brook, in that
(Sherburne) county, captured alive upon his
farm a snake with two heads one upon
each end of IT'S body, the heads we're ex-
actly alike, and 1t was impossible to tell
which way the thing would move until il
was in motion. He kept it for several days.
and exhibited II to many who had the curl
oslty to call and see it, but az last let it es-
cape, and has been unable to find it since


THE FATHER OF ALL SNAKES


From the GAINESVILLE Enterprise


A few days since while Joseph Selby was
gathering raspberries, he came to what he
supposed to he log, and being somewhat
tired he sat down upon it to take rest.
when, much to his surprise, he commenced
moving down the hill. He was so much
frightened that he Gid not know for some
time what was the propelling power, but
when he recovered himself he found that il
was monster snake carrying him upon its
back. He supposed it was from fifty to
sixty feet long and as thick as his body.
He fell of during the journey and the
snake continued dowh into hollow This
snake has been seen by various parties for
several years past, mostly in the raspbesry
season, but nobody has enjoyed such an in
innate acquaintance with the monster as
Mr.. Selby