Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1891-10-15
SNAKE elrEs ONLY TICKLE HIM.
A Hnytian WHO Makes a business Of
Catching Venomous Creatures.

Catching NenOmOuS CreAturek.
Silas Foman is copper colored fellow
about five feet eight inches in height,
broad shouldered and open faced. He is .
good dresser, and is proud of his collar and
cuffs and belts of rattlesnake skins. The
house in which Foman lives is unpreten.
tious, and there is nothing about it that
suggests it is the residence of the most fa-
nous snake charmcr in the world, and
that in the rear yard is one of the finest
collections Of poisonous 'creepin' things
In America. In stoutly constructed cages
are magnificent rattlesnakes, huge moe
casins, the deadly zypher, ana the vicious
coach whip. besides scores of Tess promi-
nent members of the serpent family.
Foman is rs much at home with these
Shiny creatures us is n father with his chill
drcn. He handles them Mt will and with
not appear afraid of him, yet submit in
passive sort OF way to his manipulations.
Foman says:
In this country seventeen years A few
years ago determined to engage exclusive
ly in the snake business. In my childhood
my parents would crafty me by permitting
me to have Il rattlesnake rs companion.
and as | grew older became fonder of
these reptiles, and always delighted in
making them II study. Iwould sometimes
get bit by them, but my father had a
remedy that would soon heal the wound.
In 1883. while in Lee county, near the Ever.
glades, ! captured snake which was
shipped to New York. l was paid SO for
it, and have been following the business
ever since.
AAnn nil 1aSt StuG fo,,r low, n 4
over realize from SIS to $50 each The
smaller snakes generally use myself for
the manufacture of snake oil, which will
cure any rheumatism or neuralgia in ex-
istence. | learned this from the Seminole
indians. Before Pablo Beach was thor
oughly settled caught hundreds of snakes
in that vicinity, but the largest and best
quality of rattesnakes to be found in the
country are at Fort George Island at the
mouth of the St, Johns river The snakes
ut this place are very gentle, and can be
easily tanned. l succeeded in capturing
forty-four snaSes there and was only bit
ten eight times have secured from the
Seminole Indians fluid that use when
bitten, and with it the bite of u rattlesnake,
or in fact any other snake. is no more Sc
rious than the bite of Il mosquito"
A few days ago Fomun gave an exhib-
tion of his powers in snake catching to a
number of New Workers. He has small
dog trained to point" snakes. The party
proceeded to place where ratters wer.
likely to be found. 1t was fully an hour
before the dog obtained u clew and began
barking; finally he dropped and pointed
his tail straight into the air The snake
charmer ran to the spot, and by the use Of
mirror attached to u stick six feet long
he gradually drew the snake until within
arms reach. when he reached out and Sc.
cured the reptile, not, however, without
the fangs penetrating his right hand He
applied his antidote. and smilingly re-
quested the reporter to take bite" too,
which WAS emphatically refused. Return.
ing home the snake churmer took out a
piece of red silk, shook it in front of the
reptile, which, with its deadly fangs pen
etrated it.. Silas then jerked the silk
violently away, and the fanys were re-
moved. d.-.Incksonville (Fla.j cor. St Louis
Republic