The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1885-08-01
81. 90 A YEAR.
RartlesnakeS.

An American writer IN the Saturday
Review writes OF rattleSnakes, giving
this information about them. He
says that if at night one carries a Ian
tern IN an infested place, it Is easy to
catch the CLINT, as of a diamond, Of the
snakes eye, II the lantern shine on il.
directly in ones path; but they are
rarely IN il, and hence We always
threw stones at the noise when We
could not see the 'eye CLINT" OF the
reptile; for, If seen, one blow OF a
horsewhlp, or a twig SIX or eight feet
long, always stopped the music; and
OF all the arrant towards one ever saw
a ''rattler' is the worst. He lust coils
over and bites himself or anything If
switched a little, and then one can
stepup and put ones boot heel on the
snakes head and crush it, fangs and
all, though / wouldnot advise any one
to attempt that exploit as long as
their nerves were disconlposed by the
rattle. Perhaps my nearest danger
was one July morning, when | got up
early TO take a train soon after day
light Ny house had a beautiful nat
ural spring some twenty feet TO the left
OF my front door. 1t came out ola dry
looking spot, where one would not eX-
pect one, and was dug out and walled
up like a large tub or vase OF water
ever flowing over, whence the water
ran down a gravel knoll to a small
stream that went to the river. As |
dipped the water pail IN the spring |
heard a faint sound that was hall ike
a rattler. The hired man went out
ten minutes later, when the light was
Just strong enough to see a little, and
he saw a splendid 'blaCk veyet" on
the flat stone within a few inches of
the water. Now, "black velvet Is
a rattler or rattlesnake that has lust
mOulted its last years skin, and has
in consequence "a nice clean suit of
clothes on, or its under new skin, and
they are very timber and irritable at
such times. This velvet was.
OF course, killed as a matter OF fact,
every day exploit by this man, for he
did not think it worth while to speak
OF 1t at breakfast, as he was an old
settler, used to rattlers since he was
born. But as | was leaving for the
railway | saw the snake, and | must
say it was one OF the finest ones | ever
saw, some nearly four feet long, with
a graceful head and a slim neck, and a
body not as large n diameter as they
often are, but an inch and a half or
two inches through, and a tail that
sIoped, beautifully spotted, to nine
gListening rattles that We're yet gently
buzzing in the spasmOdic quiver OF
serpent : tail, as quiver they do when
lust killed. | opened its crushed
mouth, and it had keen, slim fangs,
three on each side Of its upper Jaw in
a little hood that covered them and
could see the clear crystal virus drop
out OF them, with a smell not unlike
concentrated prussic acid or a slight
odOr Of burnt garlic. Its mouth was
as delicate as Its skin, having been
shed off inlts outer epldermls with the
re~t OF the skin, as IN common with
the Teptilefamily. OF course one needs
great care not TO have the accident OF
a sudden closure of the mouth when
looking at the fangs and not to let
them snap together, because that
might throw part OF the virus on an
abraided or scratched part OF ones
hand or, what Is worse, into ones eye.
And the very thought of that acci-
dent Will make the cold sweat start
out Of d sensitive person all over him.
When it has been divested OF its head
for safety against accidental infection
OF the virus and skinned, there Is no
further disgust OF the reptile, but
rather admiration. 1t even looks as
edible as fine eel or fish, beautifully
formed.