Rensselaer Republican, Volume 14, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 June 1882 — Goorgia Snakes. [ARTICLE]

Goorgia Snakes.

We were sitting on the post-office steps at King Gold, Ga., when Judge Hallam winked me around the corner and whispered: “The old cmap on that cracker-box is Col. slasher, the bigges liar in the State of Georgia. Ask him for a snake story.** I slid'back, looking innocent and unconcerned, and at the first opportunity I inquired: , “Colonel, are there any moccasin snakes in this State?” “Billions of ’em,” he replied. “Any very big ones ?” “Well, I reckon! Yum! Don’t talk o me about'big snakes!” “Colonel, hew long a snake did you ever see?” He rolled his quid over and over and got both hands over his le i knee before replying; “I’m afraid you wouldn’t believe me.” “Yes, I—that is—yes, I would!” “You know that snakes grow mighty fast down here?” “Of course.” “And that our swamps offer them a secure retreat?” “Certainly.” “I would’t have you doubt my word,” he remarked, after a pause, as he squinted his left eye at a spotted dog across the street. “How oould I, Colonel?” He rose up slowly, stepped down over the sand, and paced off about forty feet, going over the ground twice and counting his steps. When he had returned and taken his seat 1 asked: “Do you mean to tell me, Colonel, that you have seen a snake forty feet long?” “Oh, no, no!” he quickly replied. “I was simply pacing off to see if there was room to plant six hitchingposts in there. The longest snake I ever saw measured exactly ten Inches by the rule, and he had been dead three days to boot!”