The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1876-07-22
Mnntinp Ratilesnnkes.

JACKSONVILLE. Lehigh Co., Pa, July f4.-The
party was to start from the cabin of jake Smith,
whose home Is four miles from Snipe creek, on
a spur Of the Blue Ridge that Iuts out IRON the
northwestern boundary Of Lehigh county.
Three miles from his place is barren tract
known as Rattlesnake Ledge, Smith had three
friends. Henry Larkins, Budd Hempe, and Hi
ram Endy, OF whom he is the acknowledged
leader lie is tail. raw.boned six.fOoter, with
a face covered with short black whiskarn The
three others are rough wOOdsmen, yet full of
fun and fond Of adventure. They seemed TO be
elated at having n stranger In the party.
Just come along" said Smith "you won't
be getting into any harm. Put on heavy pair
Of boots, and keep your eyes open and your wits
about you"
The party started early yesterday. The Ledge
reached pipes were smoked until sun-up.
III never forget my first hack at snake in
these parts" said Smith /" 1t was just across
yonder, about hundred yards, 1t was a red.
hot day IN August / went across, and Just
ahead Of me saw six fOOter stretched out
asleepI went for him. but missed nv mark and
in u second the rattle iang ed He made a
spring. and grabbed me by the arm and held
fast Before 1 could tnln6 Of what was doing
this dOg here grabbed the snake. and shook the
life out oft They laid me Out,and Bill Henri,
dead two years now, PM hls mouth to my bare
arm, ann drew every bit of the poison out OF it.
They tied me up, put on leaf or two, and l
never felt 1T afterward"
Smith went away, and after he had been gone
half hour he called mp from tine rocks,
and we went to him. He stood smiling. and ex-
claimed " Here's nm early bird out for an air.
ing" On the rock, and pinned to 1t by iorked
stick, w,ithe1 reptile about four feet IN length.
Jake told Endy TO hold the prong down. TAX.
ing out a small vial from a vest pocket he So
turated n bit Of blaoA wadding with the liquor it
contained. He placed the waddiug on a stick,
and then put IL into the serpenGs mouth II
tod 81
flat on the rock.
:" Chat'll 90" said Jake, " Take tine prong of.
He's dOsed like n charm"
Jake then held the snake by the tail and said
thpt the stuff would keep it unconscious for ten
minutes. The reptile had six fully developed
rattles rat These were were cut on The ten minutes
His throat com menced swelling. his eyes pro-
tuded and he shook his tai, out the rattes
were gone. He tried to shake again. and hen
sank his fangs deep into his body again and
again, frothed at the mouth, and died APPARENTLY
i'll agony.
rattler gets when he is ipped " said JACK.
" You see how blue the inside OF his mou Ii is !
Well, that's the way they all get. That ronged
tongue of his IL not dangerous Behind that long
tooth Is II small bag tnat wlll show you after q
while. 1t is a kind OF sack about half as big
as pea. In that s the poison. When ratCler
gets mad, and Just before he strikes he'll rive
his teeth bath Of poison and then drive in the
fangs. The teeth are hollow on the ends, and
no matter If they go through mans clothes,
the teeth touch blood"
Tie sun was very hotand the barren ledge ,ex.
posed TO the full avs. was getting scOrching.
Each man was provided with q scout hickory
stick, with prong at the lower end. Each put
on his feet rubber bottoms made out OF cast off
shoes, in order to get over the rocks without
maxine a noise. Each TOOK different direction.
with the understanding that they should meet
at the spring two mIieso the hill, a noon.
- You come with me" said Jack whlsting
for his dog, and the hunters separated. They
were provided with shrill Whistles and it was
specially understood that they should aC no time
be separated among the rocks at distance De.
yond hearing,so that whenever one might want
nelD the otner could come to his assistance
without lO0sirg much time.
We generally find 'em lying stretched on
the ROCKS. They're natui ally lazy, and they
take to the sun like ducks u water. They don't
do much Dut sleep. ON these hot rocks they be:
come fuii OF poison. Look thee at that dog
Will yonf'
Map' stood on edge Of yellow rocK about
fifty yards from where we were. His body was
silent us statue and his lail wagged with the
REGULARITY Of II pendulum. We approached 81
iently and when we were WI hun five feet OF the
rock the Cog left his post and got behind his
ina ter. Jack pointed anead and there lay a
rattlesnake seven feet III length sleeping i'll the
sun. IL lay stretched out The hunter walked
up carefully placed the pole IN position aud IN a
twlnkling II descended on the necR OF the rep
tile, making 1t prisoner. 1t TOOK all the
streneth OF that hrawnv man at first 10 keen
tlle snake last on the rOCK. R0ttieSnakeS do no.
curl as other stakes do. When pinned down
they eimp Lash the ground Or the rock with
their bodies.
Stand back" said Jack " let him lam thai
stone until lie gets tired"
The hOrny chaIu on the snakes tail ratted,
but the prong was too small foL him to slip ms
head or body through II pmChed Just enough
TO madden him. In three minutes he seemed
tagged o1t, when Jack was enabled to dose hin
ami lay hlm out, The body was beautinl in gold
d0rK brown and black. The belly had grayist
White with black slrDes. On the back there
were black spots, JACK took out the polsoI
sack, winch looked very much ike water
blister on human flesh.
80 That stuff IN tue veins of twenty men wOult
XIII every one OF 'em, SAID JAKE. Some peo
pie wOuld say this fellow was eleven years old
according to his rattles. don't believe 1t. be
heve these snakes get em more than once O. yea
when they are young When they are old /
may be diffeleLt This skin amt worth much
but Well take 1t along anyway"
suddenly was heard the shrlll whistle OF on
OF the men about two hundred yards over III
rocks The dog pitched head foremost IN HI
ehOrt to gee away in hurry Jake caught
breath anu said Come on, but be careful"
thrilling sight wGs Endy in bath OF persplra
ton. holding down a snake that seemed as larg
again as the one we had Just captured The do
was cdllen away.
" I want this fellow alive" said Endy, IAN
| Jack take hold OF this until run up 10 The bi
hickory and get that box"
In a short time tsndy returned with soap b.
| lined with leather. The lid was a rude afiaiI
made of heavy wire. tie set the box down, AN
| then took hOl0 of the prong, The snake wa
then made to swallow waddnR ball, and whe
! iC was unoer its influence 1t was easily throw
I
| The snake measured nine feet III length.
| Another start was made, ,and IN about an h0u
| and u half five falrslged snakes were killed A
| of the party were on time ut the appointed plac
| Of meeung. Nineteen snakes had been captuT
| ed. Jake was asked what he had in that vial.
| That's the Oest thing in the world TO put an
man OF beast TO sleep you ever heard OF. w
| get II by stewing up indian tufnlD. hazel nu
dock, ana one or two other things that the We
men folks gather on the hills Old Granny Lii
| pard first gave 1t to the people in tlese parti
There was a line horse got hls leg nroke "a
Gen. Bridge and they had an idea they coul
| set it II the horse could be put 90 sleep ana o,
OF pain. Old Granny steWed 'em mp some, an
| they gave IL to the horse, and IL put hlm
sleep. We tried the stuff on dogs, goats sheel
| aud ON fish, and toward the last we got IL on u
! smokes, and IL works like charm. wouldn
like 10 give IL TO a hum beng fof fear IL mlgl
pat him 20. sound asleep that he'dnever get oV'
| 1t .... -
The men ont off the heads of the reptiles. @
tracted the poison sacs, aud put them in OF
| box In reply to a question as TO what TN
| poison was good for ono said; " In the hf
| place il u not dangerous II you keep lt ava
from your blood. The women folks use IL vel
sparingly though. Sometimes they mix IL wll
camphOF to smell OF for headache. A nttl
boiled with dock leaves and wild Ianre lsa got
up pretty well when -ac Is thrown INTO war
water with salt and ailittie mustard" The SKI
dried are said to cure headache, earache, rhe
matlsm, wldire, or rlngw0rm worn alouI
the arms" 90. =, 49, ,
three months, ana they mLenu 10 eNeeue vi
number thlS year.
TTnese snakes we got mere" said hndy "a
the worst kind of rattlers. They 1--we on mi
and birds. There is no such thing IN my mn
as charming bird. My opinion Is that u
| snake comes on 10 the birds 10 sudd denly that
| pAn N uOnfI believe