The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1877-11-30

Ton see the way of it was this: tie
wanted to buy couple that had, and
was afraid, cause the man was generally
half full Of whisky, and liked to try and
play smart before his friends But he in
sisted, and | let him have 'em. warning
HIM that one of the snakes was ugly aud
would bite. Sure enough he hadn't had
him more than week when the chap was
bit ON the hand. 'spose the whisky in
him helped matters, for he didn't die. But
his doctors bill was 5000, and he lost his
whole summers wUrk, worth $500 more
Il was over in jersey one day when I
come upon n couple of Speckled beautieS
summing themselves. l found an old hat
near by, and it didn't take me long to
scoop 'em both in. Then | put my hat
over the other, and | had 'etn as nice as
you could wish. It. was a scorching day
and after | walked couple of miles Sut
down and waited for the stage. 1t come
along purity soon and climbed in aud took
n seat ali quiet like. The stage was nearly
full, and bimeby got to noddiug, when
heered the. blamed snake rattling. ] tried
to soothe 'em, but the wouldn't stop. and
some of the passengers aXed me what they
was. said, nothing but couple of rat
/ tlesnakes that | had just catched Well.
they bounced me out Of that stage in such
hurry that it makes me disgusted when
ever | think of it.
81 was never bit but once and that's
forty years ago. had three in box and
used 20 take EN- ont every day for exer-
else like. | was just putting the lid on,
arter showing 'em back, when one of the
cusses turned like lightning and zip he
took me right there, close by the second
int on the middle finger. | yanked him
out agin and shattered him into a half-do-
zen pieces before ] was through with him.
| didn't tell my mother for fear of soaring
her. but poulticed the finger with indigo
and tobackcr, and took ii gulger of gin,
and then glass of milk. | kept that up
all night. 1t panied like all creation, but
f | wasn't the least drunk. There Was a
lump or my finger about the size of a hem 5
egg, but the pain Vas SO nearly done that
L concluded to take only one more drink,
which | did, and in ten minutes | was so
drunk that couldn't eat Breakfast"
Rattlesnake John has probably caught
and sold half thousand rattlesuakeS dur
ing the last fifty years. The number
which he killed cannot be conf occurred.
He seems to be careless in handling them,
and yet he understands their nature So
thoroughly that he runs comparatively no
'isk at all. He has frequently kept mum
Der III his cellar and under his bed fuI
weeks at time waiting for a good oppOr-
tunity to sell them.
1t is a singular fact thai among all the
persons whom the old gentleman knows tu
have been bitten during many wears past,
not n single one has died. Many came
within a hairs breadth, but they managed
to pull through 10y some means. Plentiful
hbatious of whisky answered in many ca
seS, while an herb known rs lion 5 heart a s
/ sisted in others. The female or black rat
tlesnake gives She loudest alarm wien
about to strike. They climb fences and
trees. and the grease Obtained from flying
them ont is regarded as sovereign specific
for rheumatism, sore eyes and other all.
meutS. Hogs grow fat upon them nnd care
nothing for their poison. The Indians,
and occasionally negro, eat item. The
most rattleS that the old gentleman ever
saw upon one snake was nineteen but we
knew OF monster killed in Illinois in 1S4s
which had the extraordinary number oi
thirty two. There have been none found
for years in the vicinity Of the Water Gap.
"
How MINE WAS FoUND.-A good
story is told of former resident of Negau-
nee, now living in Colorado. He was an
explorer of some note. and was one day
digging Rt the foot of a mountain, IN
Bouldee county, when "a Teutonic gent le
man came along and inquired
My good fricnt, vat you peen do dare .
ooh, I'm only scratching around to see
what | can find
+ ''Ven, my friend, I doud know pre- ty
much by dis explnrig' pismess auvcr dond
you could Gell me where | could fiud me a
gold mine right away quick ?'
'-Oh. you just find "A big pine tree and
go to digging in its shadow, and you vii
find what you want
''Dank you, mine friend :" and The Ger
man went little way up the mountain,
found the shadow of pine tree, d went
to digging. In a short time he found
/ what is now tire celebrated Melvina mine,
and now our Negauneelie is suing for an
interest to ;he valuable property, on the
ground that he gave the iufurma ION which,
led to its discovery. -N0rqzjette Mining
J0urHdI.