Daily Yellowstone journal., 1890-09-16
RATTLERS ON BLUE TOP.
A Farmer Who Catches Them and Keeps
Them In Hollow Logs.

''''' w Nhi'N 's'
The SusQuehanna river rises in cen.
trail New York. and flowing southwark
enters the northwestern corner of Penn
sylvania, near Great Bend. Susque-
hanna comfy, and taking n westerly
course follows closely the boundary
line of the two states. Ranges of hills,
rising almost to the dignity of mount
aims, skirt its banks on either side and
present a rough. ragged and rocky sur
face, SO that cultivation is almost out
of the question; bur wild and hilly and
barren as it was in many parts, the
pioneers If the country, intent on Sc
curing homes and farms and a living
somewhere In that region, found here
and there a valley and n running
stream and a fiat place where they
could plant a house and clear up a few
acres Of land for farming.
Among those streams is one named
Snake creek. which, rising in a beauti-
FIJI lake near Muntrose. meanders
through a valley and finds lis way into
the SuSQuehanna about twelve miles
from the lake in which il rises. This
creek was 50 named by the early settlers
because of the fact that. while bears
and wolves and other ferocious beasts
were very nvmerous in all that region,
snakes We're ~conspicuously more numer
Gus. One Of the highest hills, whose
head rises well up into the sky, was
named Blue Top, because the large and
luscious blue whortleberries were found
on ii in large quantities. The large
rattlesnake wa found there, rs he is
today, nearly as plentiful as the berries.
and IN the season of ripe berries lie is
exceedingly FESTIVE and hostile 10 all
intruders.
On Snake creek. II few miles above
its mouth, an Old man Of the name Of
Chalker lives all alone. who's so familiar
with the snakes that 10y common con.
sent he is called Snake Chalker. His
large farm lies along the creek, extend
ing up either side To the very top of the
hills. On one occasion. while passing
that way, the writer hitched his horse
at his gate and went in 10 see him.
Hanging up all around the old fash.
toned fireplace | observed what APP
peared To be dressed eels preparing for
the table. They We're exceptionally
large of the kind. and | asked where he
caught such large eels.
"EelsE said he. Those are my rat
tlesnakes."
"And what are you going to do with
them"
Eat them. They are much finer
than eels."
Passing toward his back door he
said:
Come out AMI see what I have in
the yard"
In the yard were snakes by the score
all kinds, but tdacksnakes and rat
tlesnakes In great numbers. How he
caught them. how lie put them where
they were. he explained as follows:
''You see these tubs, as | call them,
In which ! keep theml These are hol-
low logs sawed off about ten feet,
burned out and made smooth inside, so
the snakes can't get out. Iplace one end
Of the log or rdb about five feet in the
ground. | then put the snakes down,
about twenty or thirty in each tub, and
eepthem. feeding them every day until
/ want TO use them. Snakes. you know,
come out of their dens on warm, pleas
ant days and lie on the rocks to sun
themselves. | cut II small stick with a
short crotch NJ u end. | approach
them quietly and placing the crotch
on the snakes neck bold il firmly down
until | put 4 stout pih t~!Irousl, his lips.
Then twisting il abOnt - lr can't open
his mouth or bic | Gil my pockets or
a basket ana take them home and re-
plenish my tuhF. When | want a snake
to eat Or sell ! slip "A moose over his
head and bring him up"-New York