Morning journal and courier., 1880-08-06
PENNSYLVANIA.

Lively Fight With Snakes - Fourteen
 RntfIers Killed by Two Men Fierce
 Battling, EIfssing Monsters.
 SCRANTON, Aug. 5.-Isaac Baker, a veteran
 snake fighter, exhibited to newspaper re-
 porter a few days ago the skins and rattles of
 fourteen rattlesnakes which he had just
 tains situated west of Scranton. Baker went
 to the mountains with his father-in-law, Ste
 phen Wheeler, and after walking about for
 some time was startled to find two monster
 rattlesnakes lying at his feet. Fortunately
 each of the men carried heavy stick, and
 Baker immediately pinned one of the reptiles
 to the ground, and after a short season of
 squirming and rattling cut it's head of with
 his jackknife. Wheeler, who engaged the
 other monster, had more trouble in dispatch
 ing it, as he had never encountered such
 foe before. It sprang at him several times,
 but by the dexterous use of his legs he man.
 aged to keep out of the way, while he dealt the snake several effective blows with his club, and finally killed it. One of the snakes measured feet inches in length, and had sixteen rattles, and the other measured 4 feet ? inches. Having disposed of the monsters and secured their skins and rattles, Baker and Wheeler advanced to clump of rocks for the purpose of l making close examination of the stones. l Their progress was impeded, however, l by the presence of 8 fierce rattiesnake of monstrous size, that stood missing and shak- l ing it's rattles in the path. It was surround 1 ed by eleven small ones. They were won | I11, ooi1o | ly beautiful. The attitude of the old one 1 set their rattles in motion, and melted them | to join in the attack For a time Baker and | his companion had a lively fight. The large snake, which was evidently the mother of the. others, fought with great desperation. | With head and tail erect, it hissed vigorously | and shook it's rattles loudly, while it sprang 1 repeatedly at it's antagonists, and sought 1 to defend it's young. Baker managed | to keep at 8 safe distance until | an opportunity was afforded to deal the
 reptile an effective blow the head, and he ! struck 1t down. Then, securing it to the | ground with the heavy forked stick which he carried, he quickly cut off it's head. As soon l as the old one was disabled the little ones | took refuge in the shrubbery. Baker and 1 his companion withdrew short distance, | and then the eleven came from their hiding | places and moved about the body of the | mother snake with hissing chorus. While 1 there the snake-hunters bounced upon and | killed the young reptiles with little trouble, l thus making fourteen in all. Baker is anx-
 ious to catch large rattlesnake alive and civilize it by pulling it's fangs. When the re-
 porter suggested that it would be perilous
 undertaking Baker said it had no terrors for
 him, as he had helped to do it before on sev-
 eral occasions, when he had accompanied a l Pittston snake hunter into the woods The
 Pittston man caught rattlesnakes for living,
 and made it point to catch the ''varmints'
 alive, then pull their teeth and sell the crit | ters He said that showmen sometimes paid | high prices for the monsters, as they were l harmless and could be handled with impunity.