Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-05-03

IA Old Tine Industry nssts Its
Last Blow.
The History ofRattIesuake Tom and Its
lessoa---0ne Of Pennsylvania
Originals.


Lessoa---0he Of Pennsylvania
Originals.
BIasERG, Pa, April 24.-The land o
Tisdafason, once the property Of the 81,
Nations, but sioce the year 1884 owned and
controlled by the State Of Pennsylvania, and
now known rs the Pine Creek Region, Wa:
for many years aftez its acquisition by Pen
nsylvania the center Of q thriving industi J
aud commercial prosperity. Il was fishing
for rsttlesrakes, extracting the oil from
their Shiny carcssses. and marketing the
same. The Pine Creek region was the
very heibed of rsttlesnakes, and the locality
Produced them by the million.
The mountains which Lii. Their heads .
thousand feet or more above risdsghton or
Pine creek, we're peculiarly adapted to the
cultivation aud propagation Of these reptiles.
The business of lum bering was also carried
on at the same time, and the timber and
lumber rats which at freshet were borne
upon the waters Of the IIadaghton to the
west branch Of the Susquehanus, and thence
to the Chesapeake Bay, were generlly loa-
ded with huge cans or barrels of rsttlesnske
oil, extracted by the native Pine Checkers,
in their rude but economical way by las
sooing, SHINING, and hanging the reptiles
up BY their tails upon poles in long rows in
the sun, with wooden troughs underneath
to catch and receive the oleaginous sub
stance. Every snake farmer had his hot
bed or den, to which he would rep.ir yearly
in June, July, and August and harvest the
crop.
The product OF this harvest (rsttlesnske
oi), was either sold for cash to the lumber.
men or shipped on commission, or bartered
for whiskey. There we're ra,tlesnske kings,
autocrsts, and monopolists in the snake
farming business then, as there are now in
the petroleum railroad, and mining industry.
Complaints were then made in relation to
discrimination in freights and corners in
rattlespake oil, as there are now in pet
roleum, corn, wheat, oats, pork, batter, lard
cheese and oleomaigariue.
Rattlesnake Tom, or Snskey Tom, willy
and scheming old monopolist, bondholder,
and rattlesnake stock jobber, early in the
development ofthe industry secured avalua-
BILE franchise, which ultimately made him
the Jay Gould or Standard Oil Company Of
that region, and for years he monopolized
the catching of snakes, extraction Of the oil,
and the marketing Of the same. He was
usually dressed in rattlesnske skins from
head 10 foot while skulking about in search
OF some fearless poacher who had invaded
his premises or trespsssed upon his snake
dom. To see him gliding along stealthily
and sinuously over the rocks and mountain
sides thousand feet above the waters Of
the Tiadsg hton, wearing moccasns made OF
the skins of the yellow and black rattle.
snakes, his breeches, vest, coat, and cbapeau
Of the sans material each garment festoon-
ed and trimmed with rattles taken from the
snakes, with sash of snake skins encircl-
ing his waist and over his shoulders, after
the manner oil modern brigsdier, and car
rying strong oaken rod in his hand, to
which WAS attached linen lasso. he GER
tainly mace the impression upon the natives
that he WIS a monarch in his profession and
a terror to all evil doors in the rattlesnake
farming business. His ranch, or shipping
ward, was about q mile below where Marsh
Creek empties its waters into the Tisdsgh-
ton, while his plantations or snakeries were
on the east and west sides OF the stream,
and covered an area Of several thousand
acres, the best adapted to the natural aud
artificial propagation Of rattlesnakes Of any
territory in northern Pennsy lvania.
Originally this large tract was owned by
some fifteen or twenty snake farmers, who
became involved in contracting for more
oil than they could deliver. and we're caught
l..,a,,,nl ell .ir nd aH
vsnced them whiskey. Not wishing 10 do
without that n cessary article IN their bust
nese they pledged their snakeries 10 Tom
for an advance When they least expected
it Tom entered up Pennsylvania tight
note against them and closed their concerns.
There were no preferred creditors in those
days nor receivers appointed, so Tom had
absolute control OF their effects and wrested
their snakeries from them. They Lys.e
however, welded 70 the b5as;rnsss, and could
not, or wonlafot pursue any other vocation
and became the tenants Of Tom, working
the snakeries on shares. To prevent these
tenants from diverting the products from
their legitimate channel and selling to O
rival m onopoEst wose plantation was located
some eighteen or twenty miles below upon
the Tiadsghton, was the reason that snch
an unwearied vigilance WAS required BY
Rattlesnake Tom.
In June the business was most brisk.
Then the snakes came forth Of their owl
accord in the greatest numbers, and were
lassoed by the shakers. What snakes were
not attacted By the genial rays OF the sur
from their dcns were shaken from theil
rocky beds BY the thousand by the violen
claps of thunder which occurred in THU
month. The tendency then was TOWARD
oytr.production, and made the month o
Jure busY season at the snakenes
During this onlh Ra,llesDske Tom neve
undrt ssed himself and scarcely slept al
hour out Of tle twenty -four, having his head
quarters in the saddle. More delntel.
Speaking, he tried TO dilluse himself owe
bis valuable Srakedom, and De at ever.
point where business was most brisk OF ON
and the same time keeping his vigilant ey'
upon his Graf and dishonest tenantry. Ii
July the work would get down to o reason
able working basis, but during the latte
part Of dog days, when the snakes wer
blind. business would revive again, an,
tOIht'iIncs ne oSu'S u.iti' 'hS "~
September
Rsttlesrake Tom owned line Of boat
which Piled between bis shipping dock an
| Northumberland, touching at Jersey Shore
Williamsport, Muncy, and intermediat
| poin,s. These, OF course were craft suitabl
| Tor the trade When business was bris
hey were kept busy transporting whisks
into the camps Of those employed at III
snaksries. and in taking rattlesnake O
down to Williamsport or some other sesPor
and banking the proceeds. Tom credit wa
A No. |, and he was rated high in bushes
agencies, his drafts always being houore
By the liquor dealers down the the rive
He would occasionally suffer from disIone
sea Captains, who would forge his pap'
having learned in clsndestine rnsuu'
how many snake rsttles Tom usually sci
4 L Ia