Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-02


any other man in Pennsylvania, excepting
only Pete Gruber. of Oil City, known fal
and wide as 'RattleSnaLe Pete
Reynolds and Gruber, are fast friends anG
associates in the critical business of catching
rattlesnakes alive. at one time witnessed
the operation as performed by these two
snake experts of chlorotorming a monster
rattler and removing his fangs. 1t was an
exceedingly interesting operation and was
done successfully.
Dr. Reynolds, while in New York this
week, gave me some new points about snake
catching and snake culture, and also kindly
supplied me with some Photographic scenes
ot the last snake hunt by himself and
Gruber.
The Favorite Rattlesnake Ground.
''The favorite hunting ground around Oil
City, said Dr.. Reynolds, SIS in the vicin-
ity nine miles above Oil City, on the Ale
gheny. We make a trip up there once a
year, and always catch lot of snakes This
year we went May II, driving over the
country in a wagon, as we always do, armed
with all the necessary paraphernalia for
q chase, which consists simply of forked
stick each, with which to pin the snake to the
ground and q box to put the reptiles in after
we have caught them.
The snake stick we cut In the woods
and IL answers the purpose of a cane. 1t is
about four feet long, with small fork on
the end. When a TaJtler Is encountered q
deXtrous stab with this stick pins him to
the ground without hurting him. When
that IS done my business with his snakeship
Is done, for ! have no desire to take live
snake in my hands That, however, is pre-
Cisely what 'Rattlesnale Pete likes TO do.
1-nbe h, lo
the ground, but that makes no difference to
Gruber, So the snake isn't free to run is
al he asks, and watching his chance he
seizes II Back of the Head
with his naked hand and after amusing him
self with it awhile he puts it into the box.
Of course, the snake does its best to bite
him, but his hold is so close to its head that
1t cant co it All it can do is to show its
1aGgs and darting tongue, but Pete got used
&c seeing these long ago.
"The best snake den in the vicinity I
speak Of is on q high ridge on Stewards
Run. There is a ledge Of rocks on the ridge |
and every year snakes are plentiful here.
There are, dare say, thousands of them,
nearly all rattlers, but on accouet of the |
many rocks afoTding them hiding places,
It Is possible TO capture only few of those |
you see. At first sight they scamper for |
the rocks aud you have to be alert to inter- |
cept anv Of them. This year we captured |
nine alive. Last year we captured 81. All |
OF these Gruber caught in his naked hands. |
II is frightful 10 see the way q big rattler |
twines himself around the arm of |
his captor, making his horrible noise |
all the time The longest snake captured |
this year was exactly feet, and it had 16 |
ratgles The shortest was feet 10 inches. |
This smallest snake was male, with dark, |
diamond-shaped spots, and was exception |
ally vicious. He made a much more des-
pcraIe fight than any Of the larger ones"
Ammonia as a Srake Antidote.
Dr.. Reynolds said that the only precau-
tiCn taken by Gruber before handling his
rGJtlesDakes was to rub ammonia on his
hands, SO as to cover any cut or abrasions Of
the skin The poison of a snake is harm
less so long as there is no wound.
''Some Of those big rattiers," said the
Doctor, will throw the poison out of their
mouths a distance Of four or five feet If
Rny Of il gets into cut in your flesh il