The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-09-22
The Rattlesnake Industry.
Turning this Useful Serpent into Articles
of Ornament and Healing.
New York sun.l

lANOM YIN gun.
For many years different persons living in
the mountains of Sullivan and Ulster coun-
ties have made very snug sums every year
in the sale of rattlesnake oil, which is be-
lieved to have wonderful curative powers by
large proportion of the inhabitants of not
only those, but of adjoining counties. Many
snakes are killed during the summer season,
but the grand gathering of the crop is in the
fall, when they have returned to their dens
and wintering places. These retreats are
well known to the snake hunters, and they
choose sunny days in October and Novem-
Der for raiding them. On such days the rep
tiles crawl out of their dens in the rocks
and huddle together by the score, different
varieties frequently being found massed to-
gether. The snakes are dull and sluggish
at that time of the year, and come out to
bask in the sun.
The hunters arm themselves with the old
fashioned fails, and when they come upon
pile of the snakes proceed at once to thresh
the life out of them. But few escape. The
rattlesnakes are assorted from the other
species and carried home, where the oil is
tried out as lard is from pork. No treat
ment of the oil is necessary. 1t is bottled
mp and is ready for the market. AS high as
81 an ounce has been paid for it by believers
in its value as a liniment for rheumatism
and all kindred ills.
The snake hunters of the Shawangunk
mountains receive many orders from show
men for live rattlesnakes, for which they re-
ceive from so cents to 81 each, according to
size and condition; but during the past sum-
mer an industry in snakes sprung up which
is anfIrQlV and nOual and hide fair ~
become the most profitable of any of the
branches of the trade, for it has its founda-
ton in new fashion in female adornment.
This industry is the supplying of rattle
snake skins for ladies' belts. Almost every
| village in Sullivan and Ulster counties is a
Summer resort for city people, and hundreds
| OF New York ladies spend the heated term
| there. One day last summer the wife of a
well-known chemist of New York, who vas
stopping ia Sullivan county, attended pic
| pic, and while walking with another lady in
the woods was confronted by an enormous
| rattlesnake, which lay directly in front of
her in the mountain path. The lady who
was with her screamed and ran away, but
the chemists wife picked up cudgel and
killed the snake. She brought it to the pic
mic ground. 1t was four feet in length, and
had splendid set of IA rattles. The mark
ings of rattlesnake are very beautiful, but
eAlC ShiH Va bulo O4C NcS PARTICULARLY per-
feet and brilliant in color The chemists
wife caused shudder of horror to run
through the assemblage of her fair compan-
ions by saying that if she could by any
means have the snakes skin prepared she
would wear it as girdle.
She consulted her husband. and he con-
sented to experiment with the skin. 1t was
removed from the snake the next day and
stretched on board. The chemist treated it
with some preparation of arsenic and sweet
oil. The preparation was applied daily, and
in a few days the skin was cured with all its
freshness, brilliance, and pliability preserv-
ed. The rattles and head were left on the
skin. The husband took it to New York,
where it was fitted with handsome silver
clasp, and his wife appeared among the
other guests with girdle that $3.50 would
not induce her to part with.
That set the fashion, and there was at
once big demand for rattlesnake skins
among the ladies, not only in that particular
place, but at scores of other places, for the
news of Mrs. IS grdle spread rapidly
from one resort to another. Dainty damsels
who week before would have tainted al
most at the mention of a rattlesnake, sud
denly became deeply interested in the beau
ty and dimensions of the deadly reptile, and
lost no time in having its many hued epider.
mis- encircle their slender waists. Rattle
snakes quickly went up in the market, until
II was very modest mountaineer indeed
who hadn't the heart to ask S. for skin
with perfect rattles, sound head, and clear
spots.
Next season they expect to do great
business in "hides," and some of them pre-
dict that the price will go up to $40 for
primes, with corresponding rates for lower
grades for the nurse-girl and ladies'maid
market.