The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1879-07-31
NEW JERSEY SNAKES.
RattIcsnake Pete and His Snake killing
Daughter-Snalxes at Princeton.

Ratt1cSDake Pete and HIS snake klllnS
Daughter-Snakes at Princeton.
from the Philadelphia Times.]
FLEMINGroN, N. j., June 25.-The
Blue Ridge passes in its upper end
through the northern part of Sussex
County. It's very wild and dense there.
The roads which lead over it are narrow,
stony, and very difficult to travel. Over
one of these roads in particular the
rambler will find only few houses and
one sma | tavern, perched near the sum-
NIT and bidding defiance to every
species of the animal kingdom. 1t is
from those who live on this range that
the inquirer will hear accounts as large
as the snake skins he will discover
around the walls of the room where his
informant lives. The keeper of the inn
was at home on the subject of snakes.
Rattlesnakes were his specially. Ac.
cordipg to his say there were rattle
snakes and rattlesnakes. After taking
the listener out to shed where rows OF
skins were hanging-skins marking
nine, ten, and eleven rattles-the stable
was visited and a man called "Rattle-
snake Pete" was summoned. His ap-
pearance was rather more modern than
the SIMILAR characters described
in the dime novels read by the
writer while boy; still, he was q pecu
liar-looking individual. He made his
living by picking berries and selling
them in the towns in the lower part OF
the county. His family aided him in
his berrying, while he was the sole re-
taller. His face lit up very enthusiast
tically as he said:
"Talkin' bout rattles, bless, why,
bless yer, my daughter, only 16, killed
teller with thirteen rattles t'other day.
She heard him call. They call three
times, yer know, Mister, before they
bite. Yer want to look out
for the third call. 1t means death
purity quick if ye don't move on right
away. Well, she waited till the second
call then she snatched up the big stick
we alters carry when out picking, and
running behind the reptile hit him a
whack. The snake turned on her quick
erin blazes, but she was thar, too, and
fetched him another. That settled the
business. He wriggled, as they alters
do, till shutdown, and then he died. I'll
show yer the critter."
Sure enough, he brought from a wag-
on a beautiful specimen. 1t glistened in
the sun, and there were thirteen distinct
rattles, easily counted.
81 carry it with me when l sell ber-
ries," said Pete, sand quite often l get
orders for skins in that way. Better let
me sell you q fine skin, say ten rattles,
boss"
So much for North Jersey. Now for
some snakes that can be found over in
Mercer County. While your CORE
spondent was student at Princeton,
about two years ago, there was a class
mate from Pittsburg who had a regu-
lar mania for snakes. He was never so
happy as when he had three or four in
his pocket and over dozen in his room.
He had two rooms in Reunion Hall,
and they we're curiosity. Go in any
time and you would be greeted by a
large black snake coming from under
the sofa, while another would come
down from over the bookcase. Unless
one was free from nervousness he could
not sit still long. Garter-snakes, yellow
snakes, and juvenile rattlesnakes were
all around. He turned his fireplace
into snakery, put a glass case about
it, and kept quantities of snakes and
frogs there all the time. These
were all collected around Prince
ton. He used to carry snakes
with him all the time. He had one up
his sleeve, and when he shook hands
with freshman would let the snake
slide down into the fresh's hand. He
used to form professions, furnish each
man with small snake, and then all
would proceed into some students room
whom they knew to be afraid of the
reptiles, and then they would let them
loose about the floor. You can imagine
the fun and uproar. l have seen him
stand up before one of the Professors to
recite, and during his recitation he
would have garter-snake crawling
around his neck and collar. He would
do one up neatly in paper, address it to
some bashful man in the first row, and
pass it along. When the victim opened
the parcel the agony can be better
than described. Once he
placed a snake on the Professors desk
before lecture, and as there was no need
Of a specimen of that sort, an indescrib-
able scene ensued.
The greatest thing this Pittsburg fell
low used to do was to have a snake
fight on the campus early in the sum-
mer, and as the boys were returning
from mail after supper. He would gen.
orally select two large black snakes, say
i've feet long, and then so annoy them
hat they would rush upon each other.
The cry of " Snake fght!" through the
campus would draw hundred fellows
n less than five minutes. The reptiles
Usually fought until one or both were
injured.
He could charm the snakes. Often
has he been seen to make them obey
he directions of his eye or voice. As a |
lumber were very poisonous he extract
I'd the sting from most of them, but he
always kept several that were not be-
eft OF danger, and these were his pets
Ind were kept about his person. Yet
ne was never known to be stung.
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