Rock Island daily Argus., 1888-03-23
IT BLOOMS IN THE SPRING.
THE SNAKE STORY THAT TAXES THE
READERS ,CREDULITY;

but the Il foIlONlnS IL unique IN It's way,
and News Is scarce--Some Wonderful
Performances of "A Man Who Is 'Pizen''
to Itattlesnakes-Also serpentine Yarn
with Whisky In It-An True.
LEXINGTON, Ky, March 23.-The Tran
script has received the following special dis
patch from Richmond, KY:
Patrick Cunningham, of this place, is
death 10 snakes and venomous reptiles of all
kinds. The snake that bites him dies in great
agony, frothing at the mouth and swelling to
almost double its former proportions. Cum
ningham has discovered a poison more deadly
than that of the reptile, but harmless as a To-
ton for the human body, and the moment
the fangs of the snake come in contact with
ii powerful electrical current is generated
that drives the snakes own poison through
every blood vessel in its body. Blood poison
ing is the result which, with the terrible elec-
trlcal shock causes almost instant death
Cunningham killed during last summer over
1000 snakes in Madison county, and realized
quite handsome sum by his wonderful skill
in driving those offensive reptiles from the
premises of our citizens.
"Mr j. b. Parks, who owns n beautiful
farm near Kingston, was over-run with rat
tlesnalies and backsnakes He lost several
head of fine Jersey cows, which died from
the effects of rattlesnale bites. Then the
blacksnakes carried off hundreds cS his
young chickens. The place fairly swarmed
with snakes, 50 Cunningham was called in.
He can locate den Of snakes by their scent
as easily as dog can track n rabbit He did
not trail for them to come out of their holes.
but whenever it was practicable he crawled
in after them and killed them right and left
mi ba \
died, but of course the great number of snakes
he encountered in his labor could not all get
chance to bite him, and had to be dis
patched with club. He estimates the mum
Der of snakes killed ON Parks farm at 1000
"Col Irvine, who lives just on the outskirts
of Richmond, had three barrels of Anderson
county whisky, fourteen years old, in his eel
lar. He left the bungholes open to age it
faster and make it mellow. Judge Of his sur
prise when he went to show il to some visit
ing friends one morning to find that it was
nearly all gone, and in one of the barrels only
about two gallons were left In this barrel
over forty large blacksnakes We're discovered,
all in a beastly state of intoXiCatiOn, while i'll
the dark corners of the cellar groups of rst-
tlesnakes We're in various stages Of intoxca-
ton. They had got in through hole in the
basement door, and as Col Irvine was away
the snakes, not being disturbed,
stayed with the whisky and did not draw a
sober breath during all that time, This. was
last September. Patrick Cunningham
was called in and succeeded in kill
ing over 3, 900 snakes ON that place within two
weeks, receiving for his services 800 per 600.
Col. ShacklefOrd. of the firm of Shackleford
a. Gentry owned half interest in the whisky
by the snakes, and to that gentle
man your reporter is indebted for these facts
"Col. Cobe Taylor, p. NJ. Pope, Claude
Smith, and Col Prather had TO call in Gun
ningham to clear their places also. The
snakes had multiplied wonderfully in Madison
county since the way 1t is supposed that
they were frightened by the roar and din of
battle near Perryville, and congregated for |
safety in this vicinity. Cunningham has en- |
gagements for clearing out snakes on numer-
ous farms in this county during the coming |
summer; also those on the farms of j. w
Paris and Mayor Garner, of Winchester, |
and Col. Amydelong and Isaac Rumsey, of |
Lexington.
cunningham is rather "a small man of very |
lark complexion, with thick mat of dark |
lair He has keen, piercing eyes, and talks |
with wonderful rapdity He was born in /
India near Calcutta; his parents were Irish |
and were sent out by the English government |
'or department work in that province. 1t |
Was in the jungles of India that Cunningham
discovered from the natives the formula for
making the deadly lotion, SO fatal to poison
,us reptiles. The natives all anoint them
elves with it and are thus rendered snake
proof. Cunningham says he will keep on
iilling and driving the snakes until there is
lot one in the stats of Kentucky, if the peo-
Die will pay him for it. OF course that would |
,e an impossbility for one man to accom-
dish, but he says he likes the business and
lopes to do good work in the state if his life |
md health is only spared IA few years.
81 have stated in this article nothing but
Ictual facts, without the slightest attempt at
,xaggeration. If any of your readers doubt
n the least they can address Col Shacllle-
ord, of Shackleford q Gentry; Il. w. Wig
rims, of Wiggns & Best; F. NJ. Pope, Mr.
Willis, the postmaster or any other reputa
lie citizen of Richmond, or Mr.. Cunningham
himself, and they will find the statements
erein made are nothing but wonderful
acts, and they will find that in the matter
# exterminating snakes from the soil of
Mr.. Patrick Cunningham is in
eedthe modern St Patrick"