Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 October 1893 — A LITTLE LATE, [ARTICLE]

A LITTLE LATE,

But Vary Fresh and Healthy—Best Snake Story of the Season. A special dispatch from Brookville to the Indianapolis News, on the 13th says: A huge snake that has been seen in this section of she State for a year or more has again made its appearance. It was seen last Thursday on the farm of E. G. Hayes, which is situated in Dearborn county between this city and Lawrenceburg, near the Ohio State line. Gabe Houston and his wifo, negroes, living on the Hayes farm, saw the snake a few weeks ago and told several of the neighbors of the discovery. Last Thursday Dan Stevens, a well known farmer, was pasturing some cattle near the Double Lick road when his attention was attracted by the strange actions of the cattle and his dog. The kine were trembling with fear, and scampered from the grazing ground in a wild stampede; the dog trembled, hung low his tail touched paralyzed with fear at his master’s feet. Stevens was at a loss to know tvhat was the cause of these strange actions, when suddenly he was startled by a noise like the clanging of log chains and was amazed to see a monster reptile, with glaring eyes, glide from the bushes and cross the road not more than ton yards tn iront of him. The snake crossed the Double Lick road and crawled through the meadow on the Fitch farm to a pond of water, where it took a drink. After quenching its thirst the pond was drained iry. and the snake disappeared into Coop•r’a woods, on the Hayes farm. Mr. Stevens described the snake as being fully 30 feet In length and as thick as his thigh. It was of a dark blue color.