Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-07-12
SNAKEChTCHING.
A "ProfessOr- Who Holds fhe venosozs
Reptiles I'm Contempt.
fL'rOn tbo Enx York DinI


lFrom tho Hey York Diall
In q ramshackle dwelling like a bush
mans cabin in the secondary stages OF de-
cay lives John Smelling. John clnms to be
the son of a barOnet. and follows the occu-
patton Of snake catching. lie is tall, some
what gaUnt, very round-shouldered, and
ageing into the sixties. Smelling talks
through his nose like a Yankee, interlartl-
ing his speech with many Of the slang
phrases peculiar 10 the inhabitants OF the
great republic.
You have had many narrow escapes,
probaLIyp
"NeS, legions. I've been ianged egh-
teen timeS-Seyen by piZ 2ners-butapplied
remedies and pulled through"
"How do YOU act with a snakc-5itc?"
cite ligature between the wound and
the heart 10 prevent the poison being taken
into the circulation. Once it gets into the
blood there's not much hope. Next suck
the wound; keep sucking for n least two
hours. or as long as tire patient can bear it.
Apply poultice Of bruised onion, and. il
possible. tic another ligature a little further
from the wound, releasing the one first
used. In most cases this will cure. II
iaintness comes on give n glass Of brandy
"Can you tell 10y the appearance OF 4
wound whether il was inflicted by "A ven
OmOuS or innOcuOus reptlei"
"Ias; poisonous snakes invariably leave
two marks. harmless snakes four or six
marks. This Is worth knowing, a. most
persons when bitten imagine the wound
fatal and become dcmoralized, and in some
cases dying Of sheer fright"
Won don't I III yOur snakpSIr
Not il can help; you see | want 'em
alive for specimens, and here's where the
difficulty lies; | have tur only stun the
reptile, and while stunned make it pris-
oner. Killing snakes outright Is mere
cbild's play"
How DO you proceed Z"
Wall. | hit the snake a ran with my
stick. Ii it's coiled il will straighten out,
and when uncoiled it canGots strike. While
stunned hold 1t firmly by the back Of the
head with my cane, then slip woolen
cloth, Ike 4 hood, over Its head and tie il
securely. The snake is then harmless, al
though it generally does powerful sight OF
squuming and strikes viclouSly."
AFTER that"
Il chuck the crittcr into box with airont
Of plate glass, whar il usually vhips around
IN q terrific state OF excitement for several
Lours, then calms down and takes its i'm
prisonment phiOsOphicaIly."
"Whcn ure snakes most venomouS?
"In summer, when they she'd their
skins. you know they air blind then and
itariuliy sensitive. Whatever comes with
in striking distance at that time is sure TO
gcs niIpcd. Even horses ictlock is not
allowed ter pass, though as a rule al SER
ICntS, except boaS, hey fearful horror OF
anything hairy"
$50 I've hcafd."
"lt's fact. When | was prospecting in
Arizona. wbar snakes literally swarm, we
always laid a hair rope round our camp.
The snakes would crawl all round it, but
would never cross 1t. The hair seems 70
fret their skins, reckon, about the same
a. ncttle. do ours; anyhow. they always
keep on the outer side Of the larial"
"Queer!" !"
"las: but snakes air queer. In winter
they hibcInate-lay up in their retreats al
most without life, and. OF course, are com-
uaTativCly harmless. In the spring they
come out and start in for nine months
skrmishing. From this time out theT are
pretty sassy. especially when they are look
irg for partners. In December, when they
east oil their old coats, they air fclrlully
touchy. Being blind, they curl up any
where. and knowing their tender condition
air on the lookout 10 protect themselves.
biting at everything within reach. That
is why 50 many persons arc bitten at that
season."
do snakes ever chase people!"
Never. They are Cowardly varmints.
and when disturbed make for their holes.
II a person happens TO be between the
IA si,
consequently the person will fancy the
critter chased HIN, whereas it was only
making for cover, badly scarf"