Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1883-12-22
Snake Skimerec.


On tie north side of the long stretch
of grounds that belong to the Seamen' s
Retreat, at Stapleton, Staten Island, is
locality known as "Rocky Hollow"
where there are hundreds of cabins occu-
pied by colored people.
In retired part of Melwen street re-
Gently venerable, white-haired colored
man was seated in camp-stool, while
on one side of him was kettle hanging
from three upright iron stakes over a
blazing wood fire, and on the other was
a perforated wooden box. The old gen.
tleman was humming plantation tune,
and his flat nose, thick lips and ebony
skin showed him to be a full-blooded
African. He was skinning what at first
sight seemed to be cells, but close look
showed that their skins were light, with
stripes, or else black and differently
colored, Some had cross stripes, some
had none. They were all alive and
wriggling as they were deity caught in
the left hand, their head went back, the
throat exposed, knife slipped across
the neck below the head, and the skin
peeled off in the same manner that an
eel is skinned. They were snakes.
Every time his hand came from the
box the fingers held snake. I,he old
man chuckled as if he undoubtedly en-
joyed his work. AS soon as he had
skinned the snakes they were dropped
into large iron pot, where they would
squirm for some moments and gradually
knot themselves up until motion
ceased.
The reporter stepped closer. There
We're probably forty snakes in the box.
The mass was all Melted and twisted to-
gether, crawling over one another and
darling their tongues out savagely.
"What will you do with theme" was
asked, after all had been skinned and
the skins carefully laid out across a fence
10 dry.
snake skimeree,' said the old gem
tleman, who was cutting the carcasses
into pieces about two inches long.
"Make whatp"
"Skimeree-soup-stew," replied the
aged Ethiope, as he removed the steam
ing Kettle from over the fire and
dumped some potatoes, cut tomatoes.
onions, celery, small pieces of bacon
and fat pork, turnips and other vegeta-
bles into the pot where the minced rep
tiles were, and then stirred the whole
up together with his knife and poured
in boiling water. Then he placed fresh
wood on the fire, and the mass was soon
steaming.
Now, den, we will add some dump
links to dem, an de dish am COM
pleted, he said. 1t is lobely dish, if
yer only knowed how to make it. |
learned to eat dat dish down in st.
James Parish, in Louisiana, on Master
Rockwell's place, thirty years ago.
Down there, though, we got somepin'
worth cookin'-nOt desc little things.
Down dere de snakes grows bigger
thick es yer arm.
''De skins, he continued, 1--WE sells
81 -Voudoo women in Sullivan and |
Thompson streets, or aroun' here. Dey |
give us twenty-five cents apiece for 'em,
an sell 'em again fur charms. De col
ored people wear dem aroun' de arm or
ankle. | know an awful pretty yeller
gal who had splendid place on Fifth
avenue, and her mistress had KEEP her
ever since she was little girl. One
day she see the girls arm, an there.
near the vaccination mark, was the skin
Of little snake
He barred his own arm, around which
was the skin of u beautifully
snake, the bright hues of which had
been brought out by oiling and curing.
"'Taint everybody dat knows how to
cure dem right, but L do. Well, dat
gal got packed ter onst 1t nearly gave
her mistress fit. Some skins is wuth
twenty. dollars an more if it is a large
snake. Dey comes from Virginny, Ken
uck and Louisiana. De head mus alters
De KEEP with the skin. Some high
oned coons who is in favor in the
zig faro-banks have lubly skins about
en-"
"What does 'skimeree' taste likeP"
go, nice. 1t has gamy flavor, like
'oon. Dis'll soon be dun-taste it YER
ell. It's nice, tell yer, bossee," aud
he old man seemed trine indignant as
he reporter departed.-N. Y. World.