Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1885-09-24

snakes IS my pest Irlend, sonny. ana
that's 30, remarked old Josh Abs'lom,
The snake farmer-so they call him
through the counties Of Campbell, Ken
ton and Boone snakes and turtles. If
i wasn't for them, old Josh'd have to
huatle hisself blame sight harder N he
does before he could raise enough ter
hacker and hog meat to keep his soul
md bis buddy in the same gait"
Hefxed the second fingers of his right
aud left hands into the side straps Of his
ssaavg cow-hide boots and pulled.
"These yer is my snakin' boots, " he
explained to New York Sm CORE
spondent. 'I only put them on when
I'm goin' hustlin' through the erik after
snakes. They're good and thick and
water tight"
The force of his exertions made him
short-winded, red-faced, and pop-eyed,
but the boot failed to embrace his foot.
He stamped with all his strength upon
the floor, braced himself against the
door frame, and pulled again.
sI wonder nowif they amt something
in it, he said at last, kicking the boot
of and vigorously shaking it. A three
foot garter snake, crushed so that the
skin was broken in several places, fell
out on the floor Of the cabin, where it
thszFigorously.
81 thought so, " said Josh, as be pro-
ceededsto climb into the boot once moro.
/" You'sre, the-weather is getting so cold
that these critters is looking around for
winter quarters, and you'd be reglar
supprise if you knew how many Of
'em make for the house and crawl under
the floor. That minds me, I've got
something to show you.n
With canvas bag about twelve inches
square hanging under his left arm from
strap about his neck, and carrying a
stout walking stick forked at the lower
end, he set off from the cabin toward a
ravine which was literally choked with
heavy growth of blackberry and elder
berry bushes. Before walking forty
yards he stopped short and pointed with
his stick to the grass at his feet A
blacksnake as thick as a broom handle
was coiled ready for spr ng. its undu-
lating neck rising six inches above the
glittering mass Of its body, and its
forked tongue playing in and out Of its
mouth.
and, as the reptile sprang to meet him,
caught it just back Of the jaws in the
fork Of the stick, and pinned its head to
the grass. With his pocket knife he cut
off the head close to the stick, and then
tossed the squirming body into the can
vass bag. A smaller snake which glided
through the grass moment later was
unmolested.
"That's a young black, and | never
touch black under three feet; four feet
Is about the average. You see, if we
kill off the young ones, we're going to
run mighty blame short on old ones,
and old ones is the only kind whose skin
is worth picayune. Sometimes they
amt much call for skins, but jest now
Pm selling fair skins for bit apiece.
Where do sell them2 In Cincinnati at
the tannery. The skins that | capture
to-day will be in pickle before night,
and it will be a mighty short time,
sonny, before some gilt-edged dude will
be using them for tobacco pouches, book
binding, OF maybe giving them to his
girl in the shape of slippers or-or what
do you call these little boxes that they
keep their yearrings and gimcracks in9'
aJewcl cases?"
"That's it. Beside the steady cal
for them kind O. things jest now, the
tanner tells me that he's got an order
from New York man who is binding o
whole library in snakeskin morocco. Il
makes a mighty purity leather; but It'll
too thin for cid Josh's wear
A half-grown green frog leaped out ol
the ravine, and landed within an inch oi
Josh's right foot. 1t came down clumsily,
and rolled over twice before regaining
its feet. It seemed paralyzed, and at its
1
next jump covered barely two feet O.
ground. Josh held up warning finger
and stood still. The frog had not takel
two more Of its awkward jumps before !
mottled brown snake slipped out Of th'
ravine, and came sliding after in no
pursuit, with its triangular head clear
ing the tops Of the sunburned grass. 1
caught the frogin the act Of Ieaping BY
single foot. With vigorous effort th'
quadruped might have broken away bu
it seemed benumbed with terror, ant
made no motion while it was being slowl.
drawn into the snakes mouth almost D.
imperceptibly as the hour hand Of clocl
moves round the dial. There was N
preliminary crushing Of bones or smear
ing with gautinous saliva, as is reported
to be the case with larger serpents, bu
the single leg was slowly absorbed unit
the body began to 60 thesa way, will
the other hind leg awkwardly bent for
ward
THAT'S moccasin," !" said Josh; "w
can't waste no more time on him.
The snake was apparently powerles
to move, and without troubling to pil
it to the grass. Josh slashed off its head
cutting away the foot Of the half-swal
lowed frog, and added one more captur
to his game bag.
A sluggish stream Of water crawle'