The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-10-20
THE CLUMSY RATTLEsNAKE.
lie Misses Much Onener Than He Hits
when at Work.
From the Kansas City star.

From the Kansas City Star.
RattlesnAkes are more poisonous in
print than In their native wilds. The
Southwestern plains abound in these dingy
reptiles, and had ample opportunity 70
Judge of their character and performance,
both Of which fall below report. The rat
tlesnhke has a short. fat, wide head. Be
sides the red and forked tongue, OF which
he makes display when bullied, his mouth
is upholstered with two fangs, which are
in the upper jaw, and correspond in po-
sition 10 the eye-teeth Of mankind. These
fangs in serpent Of common size are
about three-fifths Of an inch long, and
have slight curve like scimetar, and
hook inward. They are white in color, Of
the diameter OF a needle, and hollow from
root 10 point. Their root or seat
is sac containing the poison, which
Is looseued and flows through the tube
like fang ns result Of the muscular exer-
ton Of striking. Ii does not flow, but
spirits, and two tiny Jets Of poison in
tended for the victim distill into the air
every time the rat,lesnake strikes and
misses. This last he does about four
times out OF five, for his snakeship is as
! clumsy and inaccurate as a woman with
! -
grown merino sheep three times in sue
cession. In serpents as in alligators, the
upper, not the lower jaw, is the one that
moves 20 open the mouth. The fangs
working on q sort OF hinge are closed like
the blade of knife when the mouth Is
closed are are presented for business by
the action Of throwing back the upper
! jaw. The mere act of opening the Jaw
always discloses the fangs without any
separate effort on the part OF the serpent,
aud when the mouth is closed again two
/ iieshy envelopes or scabbards cover them
| from doing or receiving harm. This is
necessary, as a rattlesnake's poison is
just as bad medicine for himself as for
any one else.
These fanes have all the timber pliabil-
| ity OF the finest steel aud can be bent or
put in any posture by little force, but
will at once spring into shape ON being
relieved.
As 10 the deadly character of his reptile.
ship can only say that baye seen num-
/ berless horses, steers and sheen which
were bitten by rattlers, always in the nose
and bead, and never one died. They were
sick from a day to n month aud their
heads would become swollen and the cam
didates would NOPE about the prairie in
I detected way, but they came around all
/ right as n finale. never knew a man 10
die, although l have known some few tc
get smng. Whiskey In a copious way a.
an Internal, and a poultiee Of pounded
onions and salt as an outward appli.
cation. were all that was needed. I
have known some topers, who knew
there was whiskey in tho wagons. 10
90 about looking for the bite Of rattle
snake as eagerly as some anglers seek
bass, just for the glorious drunk that wa.
| sequential To u. Such persons, however
! are not common.
Some few people like snakes as pets
/ They viii remove a rattler's fangs by
breaking them of with q silk handker
chief, aud SO make the gentleman harm-
less. TO those who may hereafter per
form this feat as a primary step towards
becoming intimate with the ratilesnake, 1
wish to say a word Of warning. These
fangs are Of similar growth 10 the
nngernails OF humanity. and when torn
! out readily replace themselves with new
/ growth. Your pet will be ready 70 do
| business on the old lines In six weeks AZ.
ter you have pulled his teeth; 50 beware.