Beautiful Garden and a Snake.

Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, Volume XXII, Issue 1099, 19 October 1926, Page 3

Beautiful Garden and a Snake.

(By J. S. Baxter, New Zealand). The writer had a moet delightful holiday 'up the coast from Sydney, and on reaching Brisbane, among the other sights to be seen we were urged to visit Mr Thomas' gardens at lndooroopilly. We went to see these lovely and beautifully kept gardens, far famed for their wonderful and abundant growth of floral lioegain vil.ea, m hedge, tree and bower, truly an interesting sight. Curiosity tempted the writer to step, forward ahd smell tlie flowers, and then step back. It is just as well he did, for immediately a snake four feet long shot up its ugly ffead. A meeting was immediately called, and the proprietor of the garden appointed chairman to consider what was' to be done with the snake. One person suggested cutting off part of its tail, then it would not move about so quickly. Another said the snake ought to be confined to one part of the garden, and another that it should have a label attached to it with the words, " This reptile's bite is poisonous." Another said its poisonous fang should be removed. Those present immediately suggested he should undertake the duty himself. Ho declined very emphatically to undertake that duty. One of the party, a farmer with a coarse expression on his face, broke m abruptly, and said, "What is all this fuss about snakes 1 They never did me any harm. True," he continued, r " a neighbouring farmer was bitten by a snake and died, and another neighbour's child also died from the same cause, but it. never did me any harm " Those present with one voice said, "Oh! you selfish wretch." The Chairman fm mediately rose and with a big stick beat tho reptile to duath, j and then with his big foot crushed its head to make quite certain it would never bite again. , Perhaps the liquor trade never did you any known harm, but don't be like the selfish farmer, for this ever evil working trade has done untold harm to countless numbers, far beyond your imagination. In fact, the licensed liquor trade does more harm m one 'year than all -tho poisonous snakes m all the world for the last fifty years. Vote out the. traffic, with all its evil w*iys, first chance. "Foi; at Inst it stih^eth like a, serpeut and biteth like an adder."