Rensselaer Journal, Volume 10, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 February 1901 — CAN’T BACK OUT. [ARTICLE]

CAN’T BACK OUT.

Question About Snakes Under Debate by Scientific Experts. After the meeting of the Colorado Academy of Science recently, at which President Regis Chauvenet of tl|e School of Mines delivered an address, there was an argument about snakes, says the Denver Republican. It was continued in a desultory way soon after at the state capitol by Curator Will C. Ferril of the Historical society, and Captain Cecil Deane of the war relic department, the men who started it at the meeting on the day previous. Curator Ferril claims that he has proved that a rattlesnake, when pursued, will retreat and go into its hole backward. He says that a month ago he ran across a rattlesnake which slowly went toward its hole. He followed with discretion and a gun and when the rattler reached its home it went in, according to Mr. Ferril, tail first, so that it could protect itself if attacked. Mr. Ferril is aware that this statement is contrary to established records, but says that because it has never before Keen known to the world does not prove that it is not true. He will mention this discovery in his biennial report now being compiled. Captain Cecil A. Deane of the war relic department, says that he never heard of such a thing. He claims that the theory is ridiculous and that it is a well established fact that the rattlers go home head first. In proof of this claim he says that the way in which curio dealers secure rattlers in large numbers for sale is to foljgw the snakes to their holes and cutoff the r tails as they dive into the holes. Captain Deane says he has pursued this method on various occasions and never saw a rattler even attempt to go into its hole tail first. He asserts that scientific experiments have already demonstrated that a rattler cannot “back up” or “back down” and that Mr. Ferril is needlessly exciting the scientific world in bringing up a subject which has already been disposed of.