A Rattler In The Road

PHELPS, HURDLE, EICHHORN

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes (email)
Date: 5/14/2011 at 16:49:22

The Grinnell Herald; May 22, 1917

A RATTLER IN THE ROAD

Confronted Clayton Phelps and Lloyd Hurdle as They Ride long In Auto

RATTLES AND STRIKES AT CHARGING AUTO WHEELS

Run Over Eight Times It Still Lives--Shirley Eichhorn Ends Its Life With Club

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It is not often that Grinnell young folks start out on a picnic and encounter a rattlesnake in the path, but that is what happened to Clayton Phelps and Lloyd Hurdle last Wednesday evening. Fortunately the boys were in the Phelps automobile and were in no danger. The snake is dead, thanks to the impact of the auto, backed up by the valiant effort of Shirley Eichhorn with a club.

Phelps and Hurdle were bowling merrily along without a thought of rattle snakes, but when they came to the corner by the Westfield school and started to turn south, there was his snakeship, a big fellow, right in the path. Phelps drove over him, then backed over him, but the snake died hard. After every impact it still wriggled. Eight times the wheels of the auto passed over its body and each time it sounded its rattles and struck at the tires with its fangs. Finally it started to wriggle off to the side of the road, but Shirley Eichhorn, who had just driven up, was on hand with his club and under his ministrations the rattler rattled his last.

Auto drivers say that the number of snakes which are being run over and killed on the road is extraordinary. One Grinnell man who does a good deal of driving says that it is nothing extraordinary to run over three or four in the course of an afternoon. The explanation is that the spring has been late and cold and the first warm days have brought out the snakes to bask in the sun on the warm road. Bull snakes and blue racers have been seen in abundance, as well as the more common garter snakes.