The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1876-08-16
Hunting Rattlesnakes.

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Pa, says;
The party was to start from the cab
in Of Jake Smith, whose home is four
miles from Snipe creek, on a spur of
the Blue Ridge that juts out from the
northwest boundary of Lehigh county.
Three miles from his place is barren
tract known as Rattlesnake Ledge.
Smith had three friends, Henry Lar
kins, Budd Hemple and Hiram Endy,
Of whom he is the acknowledged lead
er. He is tall, raw buned six footer,
with face covered with short black
whiskers. The three others are rough
woodsmen, yet full of fun and fond of
adventure. They seemed to be elated
at having stranger in the party.
"Just come along," said Smith
"you won't be getting into any harm.
Put on q heavy pair of boots, and
keep your eyes open and your wits
about you." ~
The party started early on Thurs
day. The ledge reached, pipes were
smoked until sun-up.
"I'll never forget my first hack at
snake in these parts" said Smith; "it
was just across yonder, about a hun
dred yards. 1t was a red hot day in
August. went across, and just
ahead of me l saw a six footer stretch
ed out asleep. l went for him, but
missed my mark, and in a second the
rattle tangled. He made spring, and
grabbed me by the arm and held fast.
Before l could think of what 1 was
doing this dog here grabbed the snake,
and shook the life out of it. They
laid me out, and Bill Henry, dead two
years now, put his mouth to my bare
arm and drew every bit of the poison
out of it. They tied me up, put on a
leaf or two, and / never"felt it after
ward"
Smith went away, and after he had
been gone half hour he called up
from the rocks, and we went to him.
He stood smiling and exclaimed,
Here's an early bird out for an air
ing" On the rock, and pinned to it
by foIked stick, writhed reptile
about four feet in length. Jake told
Endy to hold the prong down. TAX
iRg out small vial from a vest pock-
ct, he saturated a bit of wadding with
the liquor it contained. He placed
the wadding on a stick, and then put
it into the serpelt's mouth. 1t opera
ted like magic. The snakes BODY
dropped fiat on the rock.
"That'll do" said Jake. "Take the
prong off He's dosed like charm"
Jake then held the snake by the
tail, and said that the stuff would keep
it unconscious for ten minutes. The
reptile had six fully developed rattles.
These were cut off, The ten minutes
had scarcely elapsed before the snake
revived. His throat commenced swell
ing, his eyes protruded, and he shook
his tail, but the rattles were gone. He
tried to shake again, and then sank
his fangs deep into his body again and
again, frothed at the mouth, aud died
apparently in agony.
81 jnst did that to let you know
how mad a rattler gets when he is
clipped" said Jake. "You see how
blue the inside of his mouth is? Well,
| that's the way they all get. That
pronged tongue of his mouth is dan
gerous. Behind that long tooth is a
small bag that l will show you after a
while. 1t is a kind of sack about
as large as pea. In that is the poi
son. When rattler gets mad, and
just before he strikes, he'll give 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 poison
won't wipe of, but it will drop when
the teeth touch blood.
The sun was very hot and the bar
rem ledge, exposed to the full rays,
was getting scorehing. Each man
was provided with a stout 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 making
noise. Each took different direction,
with the understanding that they
should meet at the spring, two miles
over the hill, at noon.
"You come with me-" said Jake,
whistling for the dog, and the hunters
separated. They were provided with
shrill whistles, and it was specially
understood that they should at no
time be separated among the rocks at a
distance beyond hearing, so that when
ever one might want help the other
could come to his assistance With out
losing much time.
"We generally find 'em lay ing
stretched on the rocks. They're nat
urally lazy, and they take to the sun