The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1890-10-31
RATTlsRs ON eLuE ToP.
a Fs,r,ner who Catches Them and keeps
Them in iIo;inw Logs.


Them In fIo;iaw Logs
The Susuucanna River rises in Central
New Yor':: and. flowing southwark.
enters the NORTHEASTERN corner OF
PENNSYLVANIA. near Great Bend. Sus
quehanna county. and taking west
erly course. follows cloStlH Ihe bound
ary line of the two States. Ranges of
hills. rising almost 10 the dignity of
mouotains. skirt its banks on either
side an,l present n rough. ragged. and
rocky surface. so that cultivation IS
is almost out of the question; but wild
and hilly and barron rs 1t was in many
parts. the pioneers of the country. in-
tent on securing homes and farms and
living somewhere in that region.
fouutishere and there valley and n
running stream aud a Hat place where
they could plant Il house and clear up
Il few acres of land for farming. Among
those streams Is one named Snake
Greek. which rising In n beautiful lake
near Montrose meanders through 4
valley and finds its way into the Sus-
Qnehanna about twelve miles from the
lake in which il rises. This creek was
so named By the early settlers because
of the fact that, while bears aud wolves
and other ferucious beasts were very
numerous In all that region. snakes
were eonspicuously more numerous.
One of the highest hills, whose head
rises we'll mp into the blue, was named
Blue Top. because OF the large and
luscious blue whurtleberrieS were found
on It in large quantities. The large
rattlesuake WAS found there, as be is
to-day, nearly rs plentiful as the ber-
rieS. and in the season of ripe berries
he is exceedingly restiye and hostile to
all intrnders
A few days since. as large party
was ascending tie mountain, one OF
their number called attention to an
object ahead of them stretched across
the road. As they approached nearer
| it turned out TO be n monstrous rattle
snake summing himself. The men got
I clubs and made an attack. For some
time he fought. striking at them fur.
/ iously and flashing his snakv eyes and
darting his forked toward them. but he
! finally was killed. 1t was ascertained
that he had twenty-five rattles, and
measured 6 feet ? inches.
| On Snake Greek, few miles above
| It's mouth, an old man of the name oi
l Chalker lives all alone who IS Sc
| familiar with the snakes that by com
| mon consent he Is called Snake Chalker
/ His large farm lies along the creek. ex.
I tending up on either side TO the very
4 top of the hills On one occasion.
while passing that way, the writer
\ hitched his horse at his gate and went
in to see him. Hanging up all around
! the old-fashioned fireplace | observed
what appeared TO be dressed eels, pre-,
pairing for the table. They were ex.
/ ceptionallv large of their Kind and
asked where he caught such large cells
.,Eels2n said he Those are my
4 rattlesnakes-
And whatare you going to do with
them?n
Eat them, They are much fnel
/ than cells
Passing toward his back door. hi
said:
Come ont and see what have il
the Yard
You see these tubs, rs l call them
/ in which ] keen them. These ART
long. burned out aud made smooth In
| side. so the snakes can't get out.
place one end of the log, or tub, abou
live feet in the ground. ] then pat thu
snakes down-about twenty or thirty
in each tub, and keep them, feeding
them every day until / want to usG
them. Snakes, You know, come out O
their dens on warm. pleasant days and
lie on the rocks to sun themselves.
cut small stick with short crotch al
one end. / approach them quietly
and placing the crotch on the snake!
neck hold It firmly down until | put {
stout pin through his lips Then
twisting it about so he can't open hi.
mouth or bite. / fill my pockets or {
basket. and take them home and re
plenish my tubs. When / want snak,
TO eat or sell slip = moose over hi