Richmond democrat., 1888-04-12
The snaks sioS that Taxes lhe Readers Gu
riOsily.

LEXINGTON, Ky, March 2s,--The
Transcript has received the following
special dispatch from Richmond, Ky.
Patrick Cunningham, of this place.
Is death TO snakes and yenomous rep
tiles Of all kinds The snake bites him
dies in great agony, frothing at the
mouth and swelling to almost double
its former proportions. Cunningham
has discovered a poison more deadly
tina II that Of the reptile, but harmless
as lotion for the human body, and
the moment the fangs OF the snake
comes in contact with 1t a powerful
electrical current is generated that
drives the snakes own poison through
every blood vessel in its body Blood
is the result which. with the
terrible electrical shock causes almost
death. Cunningham killed during last
summer over 1900 snakes in Madison
county, and realized quite handsome
sum by his wonderful skill in driving
those offensive reptiles from the prem
ises Of our citizens.
Mr.. j. b. Parks, who owns beauu- |
full farm near Kingston, was over-run
with rattlesnakes and blacksnakes. lie
lost several head of fine Jersey Cows,
which died from the effects Of rattle
snake bites. Then the blacksnakes car
ried of hundreds Of his young chick
ems, The place fairly sWarmcd with
snakes, so Cunningham was called in.
He can locate a den Of snakes by their
scent as as easily as dog can track
rabbit. lie did not wait for them to
como out Of their holes, but whenever
it was practicable ho crawled in after
them and killed them right and left
with club he carried. All that bit
him died, but of course the great num-
ber of snakes he encountered in his
labor could not all get chance TO bite
him, and had to be dispatched with
club. He estimates the number of
snakes killed on Parks farm at 1000.
Col. Irvine, who lives just on the out
skirts of Richmond, had three barrel,
of Anderson county whisky, fourteen
years old. in his cellar. lie left the bung-
holes open TO age it faster and make
1t mellow. Judge Of his surprise when
he went to show it to some visiting
friends one morning to find that il
was nearly all gone, and in one of the
barrels only about two gallons were
left. In this barrel over forty large
blacksnakes were discovered, all in
beastly state of intoNIoation, while in
the dark corners OF cellar groups of
were in various stages of
intoxication. They had got in through !
a hole in the basement door, and as
Col. Irvine was away with his family |
for about three months, and it is sup |
posed the snakes, not being disturbed, !
stayed with the whisky and did not
draw sober breath during all that
time. This was last September, Pat
rick Cunningham was called in and
succeeded in killing over 5000 snakes
on that place within two weeks, re-
ceived for his services 500 per ZOO. |
Col. Shackleford, of the firm of Shackle-
ford & Gentry, owned half interest in
the whisky destroyed by the snakes, and
to that gentleman your reporter is in
debted for these facts.
Col, lobe Taylor,P. NJ. Pope, Claude
Smith and Col. Prather had to cali in
Cunningham to clear their places also.
The snakes had multiplied in Madison
county since the war. 1t is supposed
that they were frightened by the roar
and din of battle near Perryyille, and
congregated for safety in this vicinity.
Cunningham has engagements for
clearing out Of snakes on numerous
farms in this county during the COM
ing summer; also those on the farms
oJ J, W. Paris and Mayor Garner, of
Winchester, and Col. Amidelong and
Isaac Rumsey, of Lexington.
Cunningham is rather a small man
Of very dark complexion, with thick
mat of dark hair, He has keen, pierre
ing eyes, and talks with wonderful m.
pidity. He was born in India, near
Calcutta, his parents were Irish and
were sent out by the English govern.
ment for department work in that pro-
vince. It was in the jungles of India
that Cunningham discovered from the
natives the formula for making the
dedly lotion 60 fatal to poisonous rep
tiles. The natives all annoint them
selves with IL and are thus rendered
snake proof Cunningham saws he will
keep on killing and driving snakes un-
til there is not one in the state Of Ken
lucky, il the people will pay him for it.
Of course that would be an impossible
ity for q man to accomplish, but no saws
he likes the business and hopes 10 do
good work in the State IL his life and
health are only spared 4 few years.
have stated in this article nothing
but actual facts, without the slightest
attempt at exsggerstion. II any of
your readers doubt in the least they
can address the postmaster or any
other reputable citizen of Richmond,
or Mr.. Cunningham himself, and they
will find the statements herein made
are nothing but wonderful facts, and
they will lind that in the matter Of ex,
terminating snakes from the soil Of old
Kentucky, Mr.. Patrick Cunningham
Is indeed the modern st, Patrick