The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-08-06
A LAKE GEORGE SNAKE YARN.
Rube Davs's Rattlesnake Show and How 1t
Was Affected by a Hidden
Whisky Bottle.
Whitehall IN. y Times.l

Last summer an article appeared in thu
Times describing the burning OF the log cabiI
OF the rattlesnake man, Rube Davis, opposite
Hulett's Landing. We gave picture OF thu
departure of "Old Rube'' and his wife to Har
Dor Island. The old man was surrounded b.
his venOmous pets, who cuddled about him
and the old woman rs the weird looking
couple pulled on two old short clay pipes anC
padded away to a new destination.
Another visit TO Lake George has brought
us face to face with sold Rube." He is short
and thick, feet inches high and weighs, We
judge, about 100 pounds. He has a pale blue
eye, dark swarthy SKIN and is just such an In
dividual as one can imagine tanner OF horri-
BILE reptiles. His wife IL d woman about sixty
years old. goes barefoot, is short and fat,
with tangled hair and green eyes She is not
as she turned and squrted q dark saliva from
her thick, dirty lips we quickly ascertained
that she ''chawed' tobacco. We told sold
Rube" that we desired to see his "pets," and
he invited us to walk around behind the
Ehanty. As we followed him "Rube" showed
us several boxes with glass covers over them.
We could hear the whirr and rattle of the
horrd reptiles castanets and could see that
rage shot forth from their glistcning eyes at
the way which strangers gazed at them.
esOld RUDE" laughed a sort of a grunt at our
fright and then placed his mouth near a hole
IA the glass and began sort OF queer whist
ling or alto singing. The noise was peculiar
and the snakes quickly dropped their heads,
pulled in their long venomous tongues while
the rattle Of their tails ceased entirely. Quick
as thought "Old Rube" pushed back the glass
cover. tie then put his hand into the box and
drew forth green and white looking rattle
snake about five feet long, who was shaking
eleven rattles. He held the horridlookiHg
creature by the head. allowing the "varmint''
to wrap bis length about his leg. He then
reached into the box and brought forth an
other reptile. This he took in his left hand,
oil the time Keeping up the queer noise. The
reptile coiled about sod Rubes' neck HI
continued to pull out snakes, allowing the
horrld creatures TO wrap their green and
white folds about his body. He placed them
about his waist, about his shoulders, about
his legs, and finally they wound themselves
about his arms. He then called the old
woman and the weird looking old bag
opened another box and drew forth more rep
tiles, which she placed about Rube's neck.
There stood that old man. chanting his wild,
discordant notes. while his form was enve-
oped In living coil Of deadly reptiles. His
whole form was covered with serpents from
his neck to his feet. His heaa and face We're
the only portions OF his form visible as the
old woman wound the last serpent about his
neck.
When the task was finished the old woman
said:
Now, look out, fellers and the 'anamiles
Will give concert.
She then eapptd her hands three times,
when 100 rattlesnakes shot forth their repu-
sire heads and tails about "Ol1 Ruhe" Tie
weird incarnation Of the old man was nearly
drowned by the unearthly rattle Of d hundred
snakes.
We moved back with horror and would have
struck for the lake had not the old woman
said Don't be fool, the snakes ain't got NO
fangs. and they can't bite
But we had seen enough. We dropped some
change and started for the boat followed by
the Old woman, who remarked to US:
Sim gon' to let Rube' sweat mnnit or
Two. lie cant get away until take off the
snakes, and as he has got q bottle Of whisky
hid from me ia the woods. not darn hootei
does he stir until he promises to % snooks
with me-
As we showed of we heard "Old Rube's"
voice calling, Mother, haln't you goin 70
take of the snakes" and the old woman an
Ehar the whisky IL"