Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-11-27
How Snakes are Caught and Tanned.

How Snakes are Caught and Tanned.
In conversation with resident OF one OF the
mou, famous districts of this county we learned
the following concerning the way In which
snakes are captured and subsequently treated
to render them available for exhibition: When
rat'csnake, copperhead, blacks lake or any
other OF these poisonous reptiles are coiled they
will bite violently and it is dangerous to seize
hold of them, but when they are stretched out
at full length on the grouud they either cannot
or are not disposed to make formidable re-
Slstauce.
The individual who gives this information
has caught large number and after hey We're
once 10 his possession he suddenly conducted
them 10 box covered with glass; 10 this re-
ceptlclc be tauntcd them for weeks oy placing
his hands on the glass, when they would Jump
w. and make desperate efforts to bite him.
At last they realized that they were unable to
luti'ct any damage, and became perfectly pas
sv". dc then gradually inserted his hands
among the reptiles and encountering no resist
auce took them from the box and toyed With
them rs II they were so many harmless birds
Tie exhibit d collection of rattlesuakes, COD
perheads and black snakes in this city during
the summer, all of which he had tanned iu the
were extracted from none Of them they did not
show the least disposition to bite him when he
took thcm from their cage to exhibit them.
LII 4 few instances he has been bitten by the
most poisonous OF the reptiles, but he had be-
Come POSSESSED of remedy which soon pro
duccd cure. One day he witnessed hoty
contested encounter between a number of
S1"kes, IN which the participants were badly
bnt'n. On the termination uf the battle the
snake, rcsorted to the root OF a certain tree
and partook of it-in the observers opinion to
destroy the effects of the poison. He forth
with secured Some of the root and placed it in
whlskey, forming Il decoctioD, the application
of which to the ihHIctsd bites brought nstanta-
neous relief and extracted the poison. The
suake :amer will exhibit large number of
reptiles at the centennial if he can obtain per-
NILSSON to do so o-Hur'slwg Patriot
FAMOUS ELoPEMENT.- le May day be :
tween uiucty and ooe hundred years ago, John,
tenth Elrl of We,tmorelahd, was dining with
MIR. Child, Of that time, at Temple Bar
Child" said his Lordship, give me your
opinion in this case. Suppose you were in
love with girl, aud had DO hope of getting
her fathers consent to your marrying her,
wha, would you ?'' TO which the uusus
pcctinc banker replied, "Do! why, run away
with her. to be sure" A night or two after
ward Lord We,tmorcand eloped with Miss
Sarah Anne Child in postchaise and four. 1t
Is pity, for the sake Of dramatic propriety, if
OF no other, that this clopemcnt was not from
the banklug-hou in which Lord Wcstmore-
laid had put the home question, with mental
reservation as to its meaning.
The post tchaise took Miss Sarah Aune ou
board somewhere near Berkeley Square House.
An alarm was given by the watchman, who
found the hall door open. Mr.. Child at once
posted 10 pursuit on the North road, and man
aged to gain Oh the runaways. 1t was not,
however, until Northumberland was reached
and entered that the second post ohaise came
within 81 ght Of the first; and then Lord West
moreland standing up u the carriage, shot one
OF the leading horses Of Mr. Child's vehicle,
which was capsized 10 consequence. This bold
Proceeding gave the lovers time to cross th G
&c border and get married by the Gretua Green
blacksmith. During the short interval be-
tween t".e this match aud the death of Mr.. Robert
Onlld' he never forgave Lord and Lady West