San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-05-02
THE SNAKE CATCHER.
OLD ZACHARY ARCHER OF THE
STORM KING MOUNTAIN.
1tifc America

Tagging and Trapping Slippery Serpents
as a Means of Observation-Disclosures Be-
tween the Methods of Winter and Sum
mer-His One Eyed Old Dog Viper.
In little hut on the side of the great
Storm King Mountain, in the Hudson High
lands, far above the river and about an
equal distance below the 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.
Tho 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 has an insurmOuntable objection
to q fire in the kitchen in the warm weather,
and makes his wife walk two miles every day
to a small cave to cook their food, which ia
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withdrawn the curtains that covered it, while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 a picture of loneli-
ness
TRICKS OF 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
doing before the wood fire, which burns
night and day when the snow is on the
ground. Old lack, as he is usually called, is
generally pursuing his slippery trade or do
ing his share of slumbering before barroom
stove in one of the numerous small villages or
settlements at the foot Of the mountain. He
was engaged in the latter avocation few
days ago, when the reporter aroused him and
asked him how he felt He said he was well,
but rheumatic, and added that the reptile
business was brisk
Its always a sight safer IN winter than in
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 a chance of catchin' you in
stead Of your trappin' them. You see, they're
always wide awake and keepin' their eyes
peeled for danger. l can find them ready
enough, but TO get them into the leather bag
| carry is a horse of another color. have all
sort of ways of catchin them. Sometimes
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,
uuleSs they're disturbed, will always go back
to their old sleepin' ground when the sun IL
high. When find a snake track follow it
until | come either to the serpent or his
bed. II it's the serpent, | try to pin
his neck to the ground with a forked
stick that | caxry. That's mighty dan
gerous work if he's a RATHER, for l must go
very close to him, and if | miss him at tho
first jab I'll be apt to be closer in a second
However, | never missed yet, and | don't
suppose | ever will now, I'm that experienced
When have him down l 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, go back about fifty
yards along the track, and lay the basket
down with the lid open. Then hunt more
serpontS. When l come to the basket again.
in two hours or SO, l 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 i'll hurry. The serpent may be the wisest
beast of the field, but he's luxurious cuss,
and he don't value his life nowhere as com.
pared with his comfort.
when | find hole with snake marks about
Its mouth just hang a running moose Of cat
gut over it, and fasten the single end to
stick like fishing rod. Then Iput a lump of
soft bread soaked in milk before the hole, and,
goin' back, hold the rod in my hand. Nearly
all snakes are dead set on milk, and the smell
Of the baS is pretty sure to draw the one I'm
after out Of the hole. He must pass his head
through the loop to reach the bread, and when
he does that jerk the rod, tighten the moose,
and have him. It's just like fiShin'.
Then there's my dog, Viper. He catches
lot of snakes and helps me to catch more
In the summer, when he finds a snake, he'll
walk around him until he makes him dizzy
trying to keep his ugly eyes p'inted at the
danger At last he'll either drop his head
or make turn the other way to take the
kinks out of his body. Then Viper is OF him
as quick as a wink. He grabs him by the
back of the neck, out of reach of his fangs.
and brings him to Nme without hurting
him. In the winter he can't catch the
SNAKES hipsssss hgt he la.ads ne to holes in