Annals of Platte County, Missouri - Paxton
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1837 20 SNAKES. was seldom seen. Until cereals were cultivated by man, no quails. and but few squirrels. turkeys. and prairie-fowl, were seen. Rabbits at an early day were scarce, because the wolves destroyed them. Bears were seldom seen. I never saw a Wild bear, and have no personal evidence that there was a wild bear in Platte. Volves seldom raised their young on this side of the .Iissouri. They came over in vast numbers whenever the Mis- souri was frozen. They lived on rabbits. They did little harm; but their dismal howling made the night hideous. Though their presence was unknown to the sleeping family, the morning dis- closed their tracks at their Very door. Gophers cast up their little hills in all the wet prairies. Deer had been abundant; but. after the country was settled. they were seldom seen. In the prairies west of the Clay line there were what were called deer- licks." They were bare places in the prairie, visited by deer to lick the soil for salt. The hunter erected three poles. twenty feet high. and on the top laid a platform. Here the huntsman lay awaiting his victim. and assassinated the unwa.ry animal. But the invasion of man was followed by the exodus of the deer. In winter the prairie-fowl were too abundant, and did damage to the standing corn. An occasional prairie-hen remained over summer a.nd reared her young. I have found their nests. Otters. minks. beavers. and muskrats were found in the Platte and are not yet extinct. Paroquets were here still in 1839. A beautiful ock made their home at the Falls. They were not disturbed. but in circles they ew. like pigeons. screaming in their course. SNAKES. The rattlesnake was found in timber and prairie. Cattle and horses sometimes suffered from their bites; but I have never known a 1na11 fatally poisoned by them. Blacksnakes were more domestic. Pardon me if I relate AN ADVENTURE WITH BLACKSNAKES. In October. 1839. I bought the claim owned now by Jesse (ollins. one mile southwest of Martinsville, and. to secure a pre- emption. made the cabin tl1ereo11 111) home. The cabin was of round logs. pointed on the outside with mud. and the cracks covered within with clapboards. My bed was four poles on tres- sels. -overt-l with hazel brush. This I placed against the wall. blew out my candle. and went to bed. But I could not sleep. be- cause of a noise of something rubbing behind the clapboards at my side. IC.pe-ting to dislodge rats. I re-lit my candle. and. with :1 pole. prized oil a board. Two large blacksnakes. wrapped in close c-nnln-a-e. fell into my bed. These I dispatched with the pole. crnsliecl their heads. and cast out of the cabin. I then pro- vided mysc-lf with an axe.. and prized o another board. Two other large lrlacksnalces fell. which I cut in pieces. and cast out. T th--n remow-cl my cot into the middle of the pnncheon floor, and slept until morning. But the two snakes whose heads I had