The Delta independent., 1889-09-24
A SNAKE cHARMER.
He Has Been Bitten Forty-NIre
Times-His Remedy for Snake-

Times-His Remedy for Snake
Bite.
~ have been bitten forty-nine times
by rattle-snakes, said Col. Ironmon-
ger OF this city to Fresno (Cal.) Re-
publican reporter.
"Yes, sir, forty mine times, either
while catching them, handling them,
or performing before the public with
them. am known as the great SER
pent charmer, or tanner. l have nan
died thousands OF venomous serpents,
and twenty-three years ago l performed
in the Bella Union theatre as snake
charmer, when it was managed by Mrs.
Tetlow and son.
II have often heard that if rattle
snake bites a person, the sore, even If
healed, will break out again every
twelve months. That is not so. If
you are once cured you are cured for
ever. have often read in the news
papers OF snakes charming little chill
dren, and of children feeding them
without being bitten. That is all non
sense.
mo venomous snake will eat dead
food; it must be live food that he catch
es himself, and he will not take food
while Gagged up, not even the most in
viting morsel. They can live remark
bly, long time without food. l once
saw rattlesnake in Marysville, in
cage, that had not taken food for elev-
en- years. l have kept many of them
from five to eleven years without food.
They will, however, drink water l
suppose to keep their poison replen-
ished.
"Rattlers are epicureans. They will
crawl out of their dens in the spring,
and if they catch II quail, Il young rab-
bit, or a squirrel during the summer
they are satisfied. II not, they will
take their drink of water in the fall
and go to their dcns and wait until next
spring for their breakfast"
What remedies do you use for snake
bites?" was asked.
.I put an ounce OF ammonia into
twO-ounce vial. Then l add dozen or
SO leaves OF the mistletoe. The leaves
soon dissolve, and the liquid becomes
OF a reddish color. Put eighteen or
twenty drops OF this liquid into tum-
bier half full OF water, and drink it rs
soon as you can after being bitten.
Then drink IL pint of whisky. After
that you must wait fifteen or twenty
minutes, and if you feel no signs of in
ebriation repeat the dose; but the mo-
ment you feel the effects of the whisky,
drink no more, but you may Ike an
other dose OF the ammoniated liquid.
"Some people when bitten bya snake
keep pouring down whisky until they
the remedy is worse than the disease.
hose who know me say that | am poi
son-proof, but that is not true, while
ut the same time II snake bite that
would kill some men would iniurc inc
very little. Harmless snakes are all
gourmands and want TO be swallowing
all the time"
do you believe that snakes can
fascinate or charm other auimalsp"
asked the reporter.
THAT is an error" was the reply
'tNo serpent has that faculty. Every
animal has its own instructive way of
taking its prey-by stealth, agility
brute force, or strength. My exper-
ience during the last forty years con-
firms my belief. have often heard
birds makinga great noise in swamp,
and l used to say: There's Il snake
charming IL bird l would go down
there to see what was going on. and
sure enough there would be a black
snake going along slowly from one
branch OF q tree to another. There
would be catbird or some other kind
OF bird flying around the snake, great
ly excited, while the snake moved
along slowly toward nest to rob it of
its young,
1.-The maternalins OF the mother
bird makes her forget tho danger in
great measure. So she flies around
and over the snake and flutters along
just ahead of him, trying to lead him
in an opposite direction, but all to no
purpose, and as he comes near the nest
she becomes more desperate.
''She pecHs at his eyes, beats him
with her wings, and like flash he
grabs her. for he would as soon have
her as the young. because she is d
larger mouthful, if not so delicious.
''She was not spellbound; she had all
the use OF her muscles and could
leave him at her will.
AT the Sacramento state fair some
twenty years ago l was bitten by a
rattlcr in the bowels, and he left his
fangs behind. performed in the tent
until Q o'clock at night. In closing up
| felt around my person and pulled al!
OF the snakes out of my bosom. as
thought, but overlooked one. went
around the town to see the sights.
playing q game or two, and started for
my hotel.
at was called the Oro then, but
the name is changed now. Then I
threw myself across the bed, and the
first thing knew / was bitten. / was
smothering him. grabbed him by
the head through my shirt. and gave
him u twist. Hence / broke his
fangs. ! held him up to the moon
light. and found him to be favoritc OF
mine.
II had no remedies with me, and the
drug-stores were shut up at that hour.
At last found n doctor named Logan.
who gave me bottle of whisky and
twenty-five drops of ammonia, and /
was soon all right. but the fangs re-
mained in me. | beggan to grow sick
at'la5t. and the wound had to be open
ed afresh and the fangs extracted. 1t
was three months after I was bitten
that the network Of fat that covers tho
bowels began to inflame, and it camo
near killing me.
81 h VIC not said anything about