Show fight with a rattlesnake I 1 the peoria ill lil transcript of may blay 18 tells the following wonderful story we have hitherto supposed the day long since passed for chronicling chroni cling a big snake right fight in the vicinity of the central city but such it appears is not the case from a scene which recently transpired within a short drive from the court hoube house ho us e some of the older residents will remember a building which formerly stood on prospect hill about six miles distant from peoria and which was destroyed some seven or eight years since during the past season another house bouse was erected near the same location and all that have remained as relics of the old hotel was a partially filled excavation for a cellar and two well preserved brick cisterns which had bad been kept covered up last week the proprietor of the place while busy with his bis wife in preparing their summer garden found himself in the want of a few brick for the edge of the walks Remen remembering the cisterns he uncovered one of them arid and finding it dry at the bottom and only y about six feet in depth be he jumped in and commenced throwing out some bome of the best beat brick he could pick from the walls it seems there was a piece of pla pia plank with one end partially im I 1 bedded in the earth that somewhat incommoded seizing it with some exertion be he pulled it out and threw thres it to tho the top what was his bis horror and surprise at the next moment to find that be he had bad unearthed an enormous rattlesnake and himself without a weapon in his bis bandi bandl As the cistern was round and only about five feet in diameter he could not jump out and the snake bristling with anger and arid rattling defiance was ready for battle his screams brought bis big wife to the scene seene but he she was so overcome with fright that she became powerless to render any assistance the snake in the meantime had bad commenced the fight making repeated spring sat him but fortunately be he managed on each occasion to hit bit him upon the head with kis bis boot hoot without receiving a bite the snake all the time becoming more defiant and enraged during the whole scene which lasted several minutes the man did not lose his bis presence of mind but watching his bis chance made several frantic efforts to jump bodily from this seeming cemin pit of destruction at the last trial be he fortunately grasped a brick which gave cave way with him and remained in his hand band as be he again stood fronting his bis hissing enemy after atter afew a few more kicks and watching bib bis opportunity he be fired it making probably one of the best shot shots a on record for it struck the snake on the head bead and between the one orse sent and the wall be he became a pretty well used up tip sar pint 2 weak and exhausted our hero by the assistance of bib bis wife was enabled to climb from the pit but when once more upon the earth he fainted away and it was some time before he could be recovered for several beveral succeeding succeed im days he was quite unwell owing probably to the poisonous ef effluvia lluvia inhaled while bis big desperate exercises in the encounter rendered him exceedingly lame the snake was afterwards taken from the cistern when it was farind to 0 o measure seven feet in length and to contain thirteen rattles the latter have been pre served and are in Shoaf dia fla dius Blus museum eurn euin for exhibition |