The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1890-10-18
A SNAKE-FARM
A Grewsome Place Where R...,.
Are Raised for Market

Are Raised for Market
J. E. Childs has monopoly Of 49,,
cultivation and the production of rst, s.s
snake oil in Arkansas, in which Sts,. |:
located what is we'll known tbr~u.ss
that country as the Childs Snake Fa'
This peculiar and unenvied enternr;s. !.
situated in the suburbs of Harrisbm..
in the northeastern part of the S...s
where snakes, especially rattlars -,
found in abundance. a's
The manner in which the rattles,,k..
arc caught and handled is cuouch =
make cold chills run over persons WI.
are timid. Twenty-Five cents to A.
pound for rattlesnakes, however m,kos
1t an indncement for the natives NH.
live near a good market to hun. ana
catch rattlers for livelihood. and bnr.
is how they do it: ''
Two men in their search for pro6t :,
the snake industry go together. One ~
them carries long, forked pole or CAM
and when snake is found this mole !,
used to hold the reptile to the ground
which is done by pressing the pole down
upon the snake, Just back of the head
The other snake hunter carries A strono
cord, which is looped over the head q
the poisonous prey, and is then used fo,
carrying the reptile to market. which,
however, is done without injury TO tn
snakes. Other hunters use the pole thu
way described, but instead of bripu;no
their captives to market by means of thu
string they Use box which has a slid.
ing lid, and which can be operated with
ease and out of reach of the cooped.up
RATHER.
When the snake-catchers arrive at In.
residence of Mr.. Childs, the latter. in !
carcless-like manner, takes the matter in
hand, and if box of rattlers. for in.
stance, is brought to him, he removes
the lid of the box and takes the. snak,
from the box wild from the woods) out
just as one would reach in for and tax,
hold of rabbit. The RATHER, as soon a.
the top of his cage has been taken of.
sets up a continuous rattle and hissa
fearfully. Mr.. Childs, however, pays no
attention to this little racket, but simply
takes the snake to his farm, weighs il.
pays the catcher and is then ready for q
repetition of the act. A good big rattle.
snake will weigh from six to ten pounds
and if fat will be worth nearly or quite
as many dollars.
The size of the snake farm is about
half an acre, with a tightly closed pen
in its centre, which is the abiding place
of the snakes. Here the ugly reptiles
are kept and fattened, and when they
are ready to be put under process for the
production of oil the reptiles heads are
neatly chopped off, and by means of .
string are tied, head upward, to the side
Of the pen where the sun is brightest.
The heat of the sun, it is said, causes the
oil OF the snakes to drip out and it il
taught in receptacle and laid aside to
DC sold at from $3.50 to 81 an ounce or
rom $50 to $32 pint.
MIR. Childs is said to be the only gen.
line producer of rattlesnake oil in this
When quite young he hcrded
n Dakota, and here it was that he
ormed the friendship of rattlesnakes-s
friendship which, he states, has grown,
lntil now he will pick up RATHER wild
rom his den with as little fright as he
athers the innocent rabbits and toads
ihich he constantly feeds to his cap
ives.
Mr.. Childs' favorite time for captur.
1g snakes is in the fall of the year. He
manages to find some small creek which
ows out of the highlands. Here he
'atches for and follows up the first rat.
er that leaves the lowland for winter
uarter in the highlands. In this man
er the den is easily found. A box trap
then set in the den capable of holding
fly large snakes. A snake trap i
bout four feet square. In one end Of
he box is hole large enough to admit
ne large rattlesnake. This opening is
,vered with block hung on leather
nge on the outside of the box. Then
lie box is buried at the mouth of the
IN, and in due time the snakes enter
Id are entrapped and ready to be han
ed for the production of oil.
The skin of good-sized rattlesnake
Ill bring in the market from 50 to S.
wing, of course, to how we'll it has been
eserved. A den contains all the way
ON ten to fifty rattlers and often more.