Wichita eagle., 1889-08-28
FHE SNAKE CATCHER.
OLD ZACHARY ARCHER OF The
STORM KING MOUNTAIN.


! Bagging and Trapping Slippery Serpents
as a Means of Observation-Disclosures Be-
tween the Methods of Winter and Sum-
mer-Hfs One Eyed Old Dog Viper.
| In G little hut on the side Of the great
Storm King Mountain, in the Hudson High
| lands, far above the river and about an
| eqnal distance below tho loftiest pinnacle Of
the towering hill, lives old Zachary Archer.
who supports his wife and himself the only
| inhabitants of the cabin, by catching snakes
| The cottage Is not visible from above or
| below in summer time.
! The thick foliage OF the trees, and the dense
underground which rises almost to the level
of its low roof, effectually conceal it; and as
! the old man he's an insiriuountable objection
to fire in the kitchen in the warm weather,
and makes his wife walk two miles every day
| to small cave to cook their food, which is
always eaten cold, no floating smoke betrays
! the presence of their dwelling. But at this
season, when the mountain trees have partly
Withdrawn the curtains that covered it, while
| the gorse and brushwood are covering close
TO the ground as if for warmth, the desolate
little building is very conspicuous. No other
house is near it, and it is q picture of loneli-
ness.
TRICKS Or THE TRADE.
The venerable snake catcher does not like
it in the winter months, and passes as much
time as he can away from it, leaving his wife
| and the snakes to keep each other company.
! They hibernate together, the serpents sleeping
in the cold back room and the old woman
l. e 49, a.,
night and Gay when the snow is on the
ground Old Zack, as he is usually called, is
generally pursuing his slippery trsde or do
ing his share Of slun1bering before barroom
stove in one Of the numerous small villages or
settlements ct the foot OF the mountain. He
was engaged IN the latter eyocation few
days ago, when the reporter aroused him and
asked MIN how he felt. He said be was well,
but rheumatic, and added that the reptile
business was brisk.
Its always sight safer in winter than ia
summer, " he said, when he had taken some
thing to wash down his sleepiness, land
though don't get as many snakes like it
better. In summer the rattlers and the cop
perheads stand chance OF catchin' you In
stead OF your trappin' them. You see, they're
always wide awake and keepin' their eyes
peeled for danger. ! can find them ready
enough, hut to get them into the leather bag
J carry is horse of another color. l haveau
sort Of ways Of catchin' them. Sometimes l
set traps for them, and that's a heap the
safest way. The trap is only an open basket
with lot of red flannel inside Snakes,
unless they're disturbed, wll always go back
to their old sleepin' ground when the sun is
high. When l find a snake track follow it
until l come either to the serpent or his
bed. If it's the serpent, l try TO pin
his neck to the ground with forked
stick that I carry. That's mighty dam
geTous work If he's a RATHER, for l must go
very close to him. and il l miss him at the
first jab III be apt to be closer in a second.
However, never missed yet, and l don't
suppose | ever viii now, I'm that experienced.
When have him down take him with my
hand, close behind the fork, SO that he can't
turn his head to bite me, and drop him into
the bag. But if the snake hasn't gone to bed,
and don't find him, l go back about fifty
yards along the track, and lay the basket
down with the lid open. Then / hunt more
serpents. When come to the basket again,
in two hours or SO, creep up from behind
and slam the cover shut. The snake is gen
orally inside, mixed up with the flannel. He's
found the place too comfortable to get out of
it il hurry. The serpent may be the wisest
beast Of the field. but he's luxurious cuss,
and he dsn't valae his life nowhere as COM
pared with bis comfort.
when find a hole With snake marks about
It's mouth I Just hang a running moose Of cat
gut over It, and fasten the single end to a
stick like fishing rcd. Then Ippt lump Of
soft bread soaked IN milk before the hole, and,
goia back, I hold Che rcd in my hand Nearly
ell snakes are dead set On milk, and the smell
Of the bait is pretty sure TO draw the one I'm
after out OF the hole. He must pass bis head
through the loop TO reach the bread, and when
he does that jerk the rcd, tighten the moose,
and have him. It's just Ike fshin'
Then there's my dog. Viper He catches
a lot of snakes and helps me TO catch mere
In the summer, when he finds a snake, he'll
walk around him Until &c makes him dizzy
trying TO keep his ugly eyes p'inted at the
danger At last he'll either drop his head
or make a turn tho other way to take the
kinks out Of his body. Then Viper is oa him
as quick as a wink. He grabs hin By the
back OF the neck, out of reach of bis faRgs,
and brings him to me without hurting
him. II tie winter he can't catch the
snakes hirlsalf, but be Leads me TO hoies in
trees and other snug places where they lie.
Just to be On the safe side, push stick into
their bedrooms first; but they're always as
good Is dead they're so sound asleep. and
can pull tlsn cut with my hand, covered
With thick cloth glove. I have 10 use a
good deal Of ether TO stupefy my snakes when
I'm movic' th2In from ona box or bag 10 an
other.
Who buys my ssrpants' Wen. I'll tell
you. Ci7cUses aud snail museums, IS well as
old fossils OF na.lra lists, " 10 ara always want
in curiosiJios. end when cateh snake with
two heads, or two tails, whfch I do about
three times q year, get a gcoi p.:ce-often
as much as sleo-for him. The common rep
tiles are worth only . few dollars each
Hello, here's Viper. Where have you been.
siri There's 10 saakasdowa here, you know
An fl locking dos, With only one eye,
.rotted {, TO tie stove and lay down before
his master. rs worth es a serpent chaser
may have been ebove estimate. but his mar
ket yalCe WIS clearly below psr-New Eo-k