Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1879-08-07
Iowa Rattlesnakes.

81 see, said Judge Smith Acker, as he
mopped his bald head with red and black
silk handkerchief, 'that some papers de-
vote a good deal of space to snake stories.
It's good plan, for people like to read
about snakes. There is a curious fascina-
tion about the creatures, whether in the
body or in print Now. | have had some
experience with snakes, principally rattle
snakes, and it was not in Pike county, Pa. i,
either. Iowa used to be no bad place for
snakes, and I'll tell you little experience
| had one summer and fall, good many
years ago, in Iowa. | went out to Milleray,
late in August, to shoot prairie chickens.
Ten or twelve miles from Dubu Iue lis q
regular young Ireland The towns are
called Garryowen, and Terry, and Bally-
clough, and Milleray. The people are,
most of them, Irish, and in Milleray there
is big monastery, where an Irish order of
the monks of La Trappe have a colony
They own thousands of acres of land, and
are receiving as inmates or Brothers, as
they call them, great many of the young
men around there. Well, to get back to
my snakes. went out to shoot chickens
and put up at the Twelve mile house 1t
was then a well-known inn, right on the
tCd0 W IL Inc Il Cdhy hCpt III ROOu slNlG
by Lem Litton, mighty good fellow. /
remember he had couple of pretty daugh-
ters and bright son, and hear one of the
girls has become nun and the boy is
Brother Well-snakes Oh, yes 1t
was my first season there, and Litton said
to me, Judge, you must look out for snakes
on the prarie. Wear boots always, keep
your flask filed with whisky; and, look
here See this weed, and he pointed to a
small plant about ten inches high, of pale
green color, and evidently species of cac-
tus, for the leaves were smooth, with little
thorns on the edges. That is the snake
weed, and if rattler does get his tooth in
to you, just fill up with whisky, chew some
of that weed, swallow the juice, and put
the pulp on the bite. That'll fix you -
''Well, sir, did find snakes, rattlesnakes,
lots of 'em. My pointer usually let me
know where they were, and sometimes
they'd let me know by their shrill rattle.
I'd seen snakes in Steuben county, Ohio,
spotted fellows, but these were unlike any
I'd seen, being almost perfectly black, not
very large, but very active. / killed seven
teen snakes and three chickens the first day
l was out-not that the chickens weren't
thick but the snakes were thicker and at
tracted more attention. .... 80
''The next day, while working over a
wheat stubble where gang of men were
shocking wheat that had just been bound,
heard YELL One of the irishmen had been
bitten by rattler that was under a sheaf
of wheat, and had fastened in his arm as he
picked it up. The poor fellow was scared
to death most. ! out with my flask Git
held plump pint, ant he put it to his lips,
and when he took it down it was empty.
Then we started him on run for the hotel.
| looked for snake weed, but not blade
could find. believe that's usually the
way--you can't find it when you want it,
We got the man, whose name was Martin
something or other, to the house, and there
filled him up with more whisky. At first
it didn't seem to affect him, and the arm
kept swelling and got black. But by'mby
Martin began to get happy; then he got
hilarious; then fighting drunk, and final
ly he fell off his chair, dead drunk. He
was saved. The next day he was out with
his arm in sling, and found him over in
that same wheat stubble slowly walking
around, and gazing intently at the ground.
what are you looking for, Mart p l asked.
He looked up, winked slyly, and drawled
out Faith, sur, Oim looking for the bolt
of a shnake.' | took the hint, and gave
him good swig of whisky, without putting
him to the trouble of getting bitten by a
rattlesnake in order to secure it. & t.'
s'The children around there used to kill
the snakes and pull off their rattles. BY
tving thread around the centre OF the rat
ties, making loop at each end of the
thread, and twisting it slowly around the
fingers, 80 that the thread would rub hard