The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-10-17
cHILps. SNAKE FARM. !
a Spectator Who Buys Rattiers by the
Pound and Fattens Them.

a Spectator Who Buys Rattiers by the
Pound and Fattens Them.
j. E. Childs has monopoly of snake
cultivation and the production of rattle
snake oil in Arkansas, in which State is
located what is we'll known through
that country as the Childs' Snake Farm.
This peculiar and unenvied enterprise
is situated in the suburbs of this little
village, in the northeastern part of the
State, where snakes, especially rattlers,
are found in abundance.
The writer met by accident Mr..
Ch1lds, who willingly gave his snake
hunting experience in the swamps of
Northern Arkansas.
The manner in which the rattlesnakes
are caught and handled is enough to
make cold chills run over persons who
are timid. Twenty-Five cents to one dol
lar per pound for rattlesnakes, however
makes it an inducement for the natives,
who live near a good market, to hunt
and catch rattlers for livelihood, and
here is how they do it:
Two men in their search for profit in
the snake industry go together. One Of
them carries long forked pole, or cane,
and when snake is found this pole is
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 strong cord, which is looped over the
head of the poisonous prey and is then
used for carrying the reptile to market
(Which, however, IS done without injury
to the snake). Other hunters use the
pole in the way described, but instead
of bringing their captives to market by
means of the string they use box which
has sliding lid, and which can be
operated with ease and out of reach of
the cooped-up RATHER.
When the snake catchers arrive at the
residence of Mr.. Childs, the latter, in a
careless-like manner, takes the matter
In hand, and if box of rattlers, for
instance, is brought to him, he removes
the lid of the box and takes the snake
wild from the woods) out just as one
would reach in for and take hold of a
rabbit. The RATHER, as soon as the top
OF his cage is taken off, sets up a con-
tinuous rattle and Kisses fearfully. Mr..
Ch1lds, however, pays no attention to
this little racket, but simply takes the
snake to his farm, weighs it, pays the
catcher, and is then ready for repeti-
ton of the act A good big rattlesnake
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 tightly closed pen
in its center, 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 whore the sun is bright
est. The heat of the sun, it appears,
causes the oil of the snakes to drip out,
and it is caught in receptacle and laid
asid aside to be subsequently sold at
from 81. so to So an ounce or from $50 to
$32 pint.
Mr.. Childs is said to be the only
genuine producer of rattlesnake oil in
this country. When quite young he
herded in Dakota, and here it was that
he formed the friendship of rattlesnakes
"a friendship which, he states, has
grown, until now he will pick up
RATHER wild from his den with as little
fright as he gathers the innocent bbits
and toads which he constantly feeds to
his captives.
While the writer was viewing with
feeling of reluctance) the snakery,
Mr.. Childs was asked if certain snake
could swallow the young rabbit which
was near it, whereupon the affable man
ager of the snake farm induced the
snake to try the capacity of it's throat,
which it did to the rabbits misfortune,
the RATHER putting itself on the outside
of bunny with apparent ease.
Mr.. Child's favorite time for capturing
snakes is in the fall of the year. He
manages to find some small creek which
flows out of the highlands. Here he
watches for and follows up the first rat
tier that leaves the lowlands for winter
quarters in the highlands. In this man
ner the den is easily found. A box trap
is then set in the den capable of holding
fifty Large snakes. Asnake trap is about
four feet square. In one end of the box
is hole large enough it admit one large
rattlesnake. This opening is covered
with block hung on leather hinge on
the outside of the box. Then the box
is buried at the mouth of the den, and
in due time the snakes enter and are en-
trapped and ready to be handled for the
production of oil.
The skin of good-sized rattlesnake
will bring in the market from So to S.
owing, Of course, to how we'll it has been
preserved. A den contains all the way
from ten to fifty rattlers, and often
mOre-HarriSburp ARK Letter