Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2016 All Rights Reserved USGenNet Data Repository Please read USGenNet Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ =========================================================================== Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== The Pentwater (Mich.) News Friday, September 6, 1872 SNAKES. A Slimy Monster Foraging in an Aurora Woman's Sitting room. From the Ottawa (Ill) Independent. A few days ago, Mrs. L. R. LEWIS of Aurora, formerly of Ottawa, met with a terrible, and, to her, also a sad adventure. They had recently moved into a somewhat dilapidated frame house. Between the plastering and the walls of one room there was a vacant space, and a hole at nearly the ceiling of the room in one corner. Near this, by the window, she had hung her bird cage out of the reach of the cat. She was in an adjoining room when she thought she heard her bird utter a peculiar cry. She came into this room, but seeing no cat, and thinking she must have been mistaken, she went back. Scarcely had she done so when the strange cry was repeated. She re- turned, and on looking up to the cage was almost petrified with terror on seeing a large snake in the cage and partly coiled around it on the outside. She ran away screaming with fright, and a gentleman passing was called in. He soon succeeded in capturing and killing the reptile, which was found to be a "house adder," a snake whose bite is deadly we are told. It was about three feet long. It had killed the poor bird and was in the act of swallowing it when the man arrived who killed the horrid snake. It had crawled up in the wall and thence out of the hole in the plastering. It is need- less to say that as snakes usually go in pairs, and as the other snake comprising that pair has not yet been killed, the house is now for rent. Mr. LEWIS tried to sleep there that night, but sleep would not come. Toward morning, in his restlessness, he touched the bottom of his bare foot against the bedstead. He just got up and howled, "Snakes, by John Rogers!" He put on his boots and she put on "hern," and they sat up the remainder of the night watching for snakes. Hunting snakes is the chief amusement of Aurora people now a days, and especially at nights. They tell us of a man who was asleep, and so was his fair partner, who has sharp toe-nails. She dreamed she was kicking the cat out of the buttery, and she digged her toe-nails into the calf of her man's leg. He woke up and cried "snakes," "burglars," "fire," "police," and all that. She got up, too, in quite a hurry, and that bed was searched through and through about 23 times, but the snake wasn't found. Another man woke up one night, and by the pale light of the moon saw his wife's switch coiled around one of the ornamental posts at the foot of the bed. It looked for all the world like a snake. There were its great big slimy coils, and its head pointed towards the head of the bed, as if the snake were preparing for an attack on the party of the first part, his wife and their heirs and assigns. The party of the first part waked up his wife, and she of course screamed and kick- ed, and jumping out of bed, ran out into another room to faint, leaving him all alone with the bloody-minded venomously disposed sarpient. He was now in a lively state of cold perspiration, but his presence of mind had not entirely deserted him. He slowly drew up his feet, and jumped out of bed, and ran to the kitchen and got his double barreled shot gun and cautiously came back. He came in sight of the serpentine intruder, and taking as deliberate aim as his shaking frame would permit blazed away. The sound of the gun aroused the lady from her third swoon. They advanced upon the enemy with a light. The enemy was found in a limp state dangling by the bed-post, and evidently dead. On nearing it, imagine his feelings when she exclaimed, "Law sakes, what have you done? Spiled my best mohair switch!" The shot holes in the bedstead can be filled up with putty and it re-varnished. He can get a new mirror for $7. The old tom cat sitting on the fence outside in range with the window, will never squall at the moon as he was wont to do! He has lost his voice, at least that's where most of the shot took effect. ===========================================================================