>From early morn until dewey eve the slaughter of snakes continued. Solely as a matter of medical prudence, most of the hunters provided themselves with a popular antidote for snakebites and under the influence thereof the spirit of the hunt was very marked. The number of slain was immense. The Fourth of July celebration was held at Guye's grove. The preparations had been made for a grand barbecue, but not the least thing of interest was the counting of the rattles. By this it appeared that that three thousand seven hundred and fifty snakes had been killed. >From that day to this snakes have not been common in Madison County. It seems that politics were sometimes mixed up with Fourth of July celebrations. At this celebration the speakers were Lysander W. Babbitt and Dr. Baugh, who were at that time opposing candidates for Representative in the district in which Madison County was located. Alfred D. Jones took part as the reader of the Declaration of Independence. Among the toasts offered was the following by Mr. Jones: "To the Captain and Company of the Victorious Snaking Party: May their names be handed down to the future generations of Madison county for their snakish bravery, and for compelling their opponents this day to acknowledge the corn!" (to be continued) Barbara in NC