The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-09-03

nine rattles. The snake was skinned and
the skin measured ~ inches across at the
widest part. When opened the snake
was found TO contain fourteen young ones
that soon would have been born into the
world
An unusual experience was that of R. w.
forterteld, superintendent of the Natural
Gas Company at Oil City, which IS seven
teen miles down the river from Tionesta.
While making tour of the Speedily gas
district, in Venango county, Mr.. Porterfield
came upon large yellow rattlesnake, and
quickly dispatched it with q club. 1t was
above the average size and was an unusu-
ally bright yellow color. Mr.. Porterfield
put the snake IN his buggy, and, covering it
over with an oil cloth apron, drove into
town, a distance of nine miles. III. B. Rob
lnson OF Oil City accompanied him. When
they reached Mr. Robinson's residence, that
gentlemen got out, and, reaching back in
the buggy for basket, the supposed dead
snake shook its rattles SO they were heard
across the street, and made an effort to
strike. Itwas too badly hurt to do any mis-
chief, but the rattle of its tail filled the two
gentleman with horror, who did not know
they had been riding nine miles with live
rattlesnake III the buggy.
The snake was taken to Peter Grubers
snake museum in the city, and was able to
crawl over the floor in lively fashion and
shake its rattles continuously. Mr.. Gruber
thought 1t might have recovered entirely
from its injuries, but it was finally killed
and skinned. Gruber is known all over
this section as snake charmer, but he does
not pretend TO charm them. He does not
hesitate to catch live RATHER or copper
head in his hands, and every season he
makes frequent excursions into the snake
district to capture snakes for his museum,
which is q private institution attached to
his saloon. On these tips he is always
accompanied by several friends who go
along to see him catch the reptiles in his
naked hands. With Gruber this is simply
matter of dexterity and skill acquired by
long practice. He watches a favorable
opportunity when the snake is stretched out
and then seizes it Immediately back of the
head
The snake twists about his arm, and if a
RATHER, will make its tail sing in the most
vicious manner, but as long as it is held
firmly about the neck tits powerless to bite.
Gruber says there is very little risk in
catching any kind of a snake in this way.
He says, in the first place, that the snake
cannot strike if you wait until it uncoils
itself and is at least partially stretched out
at full length. The formation of a snakes
jaw and fangs makes it impossible for it to
infiict wound unless it can throw its body
forward and strike, and it can only do this
when coiled up. MIR. Gruber says: "When
snake is coiled up it is on war footing.
When it is stretched out at full length it is as
harmless as dove" He has been catching
deadly snakes on this theory for five years
and has never been bitten. Gruber wears
necktie made entirely of snake skins,
and fer a scarf-pin he wears a rattle
snakes rattles. His museum is curious
resort.
Among the ladies who have distinguished
themselves by snake-killing this year is
Mrs. Wesley Cameron, who lives on the
edge of Clarion county. near the Forest
county line. She has killed seventeen rat
tlesnakes. five copperheads and three black
snakes. Mrs. Cameron has been raised in
the snake region and is proud of her pro-
ticiency in killing them. Miss Sue Blakely,
pretty young lady of Warren county,
killed two rattiesnakes in the morning and
was married that evening. Near Plumer,
in Venaugo county, the rattlesnakes and
copperheads are so thick in a section where
a saw mill had been erected that the men
refused TO work about the premises. and
the mill was idle in consequence for several
weeks.