The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1877-07-07
JERRY CIR EENING'S SNAKE AD.
VENTURES.

lshohola Falls (Penn.) Correspondence.
/ kin take yur to place not more'n
three miles from h'yer," said old Jerry
Greening, where yur kin git all the rat
tlesnakes yur want"
Old Jerry Greening is the head of the
celebrated family of that name, hunters,
fishers and trappers. His farm adjoins
Madam Ponis's, in the garden spot of
the Shohola region. l was in no par
tlcular need of any rattlesnakes Just
then, and was content to take the old
hunters word for what he said.
They's lots an lots of 'em, but faint
good time to see 'em now. They're
scattered 'roun' the country, iayin' low
for fodder. Yur want to come h'yer
some nice day in October if yur want to
see fun with snakes They're holed up
then, but on sunny days they comes
outn their dens N lays ON the rock to get
warm. An they don't lay by their
sells, one by one, nuther. They roll 'em-
sells up in big balls, two N three hun
bred snakes in ball. I've seen 'em
wadded together that way till they'd
make pile IS big 'sa corn basket. Some
times all kinds O snakes III be mixed in
tgether-rattlesnak blacksnakes. pi-
lots, gartersnakes, milksnakes, an bev
seed hoopsnake now n then in some
passels."
"Why isn't that a good time to kill
snakes, Uncle JerryT'
ga good time to kill 'em? Wall,
reckon tits. IN mebbe we don't take
'dvantage of it, nuther. You know
snake lie IS the best kind O. liniment
for roomytiz n all kinds O ailin's like
that. l alters carry bottle of it" and
Jerry produced two-ounce vial con-
tanning arich looking oil of a dark yell
low color. "That's pure rattlesnake lie,
N if couldn't git no more O. that you
kin bet you couldn't buy it."
"Wall. when the snakes holes up we
watches for these nice days in October,
an lays out to git in our snakes for lie.
We takes fails n goes to their dens Pm
tellin' you of, up long the Rattlesnake.
Thar these sarpints lays in the sun,
an at 'em we goes, thrashin' into 'em ez
if they was bundles O. rye. Then the
fun commences. The snakes amt got
much vim in 'em. but they kin rattle n
hiss, N squirm, an if they don't make
music l 'aint tellin' We. New'n then
some ole sockdolyjer of RATHER III try to
git hisself in shape to strike. The flesh
is willin', but the spirit g weak, an he
gives It up. We don't care bout any
thing but the rattlers, but we hits
promiscuous, and when we m through
we sorts the blacksnakes and other wuth-
less varmints out, an buildin' fire
fries the grease out'en the rattlers, N
takes it hum.
81 dunno where all the snakes comes
from. Pve been bit more'n once by rat
tlesnakes, but | amt dead yet. Tve cut
chunks IS big Is yer hand out'n my legs
where snakes had bit me. Mebbe YOU
won't b'lieve that, but it's fact. l used
to be reckless when l were young. Wuns,
were mowin' a bog medder on my farm
in my bare feet. My ole woman came
down n fetched my boots, n SEE, Jerry
for the Lords sake, put these on. yell
git bit by RATHER, surep Jes' then
sees three O the durndest rattlesnakes
ever see, a-layin' on a log not fur aheat
O. me. They war gittin' ready to tun,
up. The ole woman didn't see 'em, an
thinks l, I'll skeer her. So mows along
an when were but five feet away tn,
rattlers sung out. Lord, you orter heert
'em, an you orter heerd my ole woman
Look out. JerryP she hollers. LOCI
out, er yer goner.' 1 didn't say moth
in, but | gin leap an come down ker
flop right on ter them snakes with M
bare feet Whether TUX 'em by s'prist
or whether Istruck 'em SO they couldn'