Jasper Republican, Volume 1, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 March 1875 — A Snake Fight. [ARTICLE]

A Snake Fight.

Last August, as Mr. Wooldridge, who lives just above Cloverdale, formerly of Petaluma, was going to bis work in the early morning he saw a strange sight, somehing which he could not at first define whirling, writhing and turning on the Sound. On a nearer approach what was ■ astonishment to discover two immense rattlesnakes engaged in deadly strife. They were wrapped around each other from tail to within six or eight inches of the head, and never for a moment did they take their eyes off each other. Now and then they would slowly unwind to within one or two coils of the tail, when with an instantaneous movement they would again become involved to the neck, and, with jaws distended and fangs exposed, one would strike at the other, his antagonist invariably dodging the blow, when in turn he would, be foiled. After repeating their maneuvers for a time they would lie panting in each other’s coils, and then slowly and cautiously unwind only to repeat the involvement and striking again. So fiercely did they embrace each other that one would think surely the life would be crushed out. Strike after strike was made on both sides, but never once was an adversary so far caught off his guard as to receive a blow. They had been fighting over a space of fifteen or twenty feet, as evidenced by their tracks in the dust. To all appearances they had been fighting all night, every inch of ground bearing marks of the conflict. After looking atjthem for some time Mr. Wooldridge cut a pole some eight or ten feet long, and just then Mr. Murphy came up. He took the pole and approaching the snakes they simultaneously discovered him, when, loosening their hold of each other with marvelous rapidity, the larger one rushed at him perfectly furious; it required the second blow to stop him. In a moment after the other started after Mr. Murphy, as bis now dead antagonist had done, when he, too, was e>lain by a well-directed blow. One had sixteen and the other fifteen rattles.— Santa Rota (Cal.) Democrat.