The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-08-16
CHARMING RATTLESNAKN
JAa9ERs OF PIE COUNTY AND EN-
CUnroUs STICK.

Ne Makes Fslssasus Reptilss Fresh frsu
the Mountains No His niAAias ~ Means
sf . Little 1sA-He Says that All HE
Power Lies In the feeuiisr wssA sftA.
1oA-The Haissynsrasiss Of Ais Hsrss.
NEWTON. Aug. l1.-Jaseers the Pike county
snake charmer. is once more on the road,
Whom an unruly rattler set its fangs In jag.
gers's arm last summer and sent him to bed for
month with body full OF snake poison. Il
was generally predicted that he would not a..
tempt to jugg!e with snakes another season.
or that no would at least substitute harmless
blacksnakes for his favorite rattlera He had
hard time OF It getting the poison out OF his
system. but he has not been frightened. He
has always said that mo rattlssnake could
bluff him" and the fact that he is at the sum.
NOR resorts and farming settlements asain
with forty big and lively rattlesnakes In his
box proves his assertion.
George JaRgers Is we'll known on both sides
Of the Delaware River. He comes from Ding.
nuns Ferry, in Pike county. Ia, whore he has
a rattlesnako farm. He raises u few vege.
tables for hmsolf aud furm produce sufficient
for the needs of the horse which drugs him
and his snakes rouni the country In tho sum.
mer. But his livelihood comes main y from
his snake show. Thore is not hamlet In all
New Jersey and Pennsylvania too small for
Jaggers to exhibit in. II there is nothing in
sight but n tavern, he can at least get sup.
per, u few dimes. and mir or two OF applejack,
At pinch he can sleen III the wagon with his
snakes. aud he can why's feed his horse on
the wayside grass. In towns. however. he
fares better. and from the numerous small
summer resorts which limo the west side OF the
Delaware he often joys oil with q considerable
weight OF silver In hi. 20 .kets.
Whila fatt1asn ak ara vary MIA ffu1 IN n Il.
country. they keep pretty close to the noun.
tains. They arc rare In the cultivated dis.
tricts and settlements. SO strongly are most
peop'e impressed with tho personality OF
RATHER that whom even q dead one Is brought
to town 1t Is sure to attract y crowd. 80 whom
Jaggei q ties his detected horse to tho tavern
rail and proceeds to scatters some thirty or
forty big and very lively rattlcrs In the road
there lie a sensation.
JagRers's methods vary with circumstances
but WHOM he can he takes possession OF q hsr.
room Sometimes he charges dime or cents
for admission. More often he passes the hat
after his show is over. Ihe show itself Is
simple enough. He IFS his snakes from the
box with stick and starts them wriggling all
over the floor. He guides them ahou, with tho
stick. picks them up with 1t. hangs them over
his outstre' ched arms and places them in his
lap. 1t is his stick. not he. that tho snakes
obey 1t seems to exert a strange influence
over them. He turns them ut will BY touching
their heads with It Causes them to coll and I'm.
COLL 10 ri Q in the air. lie nat. strike. or COVER
Tho stick is always moving. and the rattlers
are always sensible OF 1t aad apparently under
its influence. All through tho msnGuvres.
which Jaexers conducts with the volatility and
manners OF a Coney Island Snowman. he show.
ers challenges right and left:
,bs; GEMS PansDa to nickel gsntismsn
What. no tsEersi Then .hi Ink rve got s't ito
PIN him over there With The yslier belly ell and
any man In the crowd $40 to 81. nnd repeat il
in ssk Ss s HI san Il:
with Sy r sse ~ whs II. oy: s.. :
you similar wager. and repeat 1t az often a.
you please p,s that nS one in hi. room ever saw
Ss:s % sSa2s ~
hs s%s iii: ssfs size. sSs ga
lured all !he small Change possib. from Tie
S :. Of the wondering eoun!rymen. 10 puts
room e talk: He Is . po,entste. and 6 Looked
sr,aes He deela1ss that has 81 an a:sogsSe
apparently has. Then he announces that there
is only ono Tree In tho country OF the sort.
that he hs Gp in he world EhS
certain &c direction from certain point near
to DO found for miles round 1t. so much do they
dread i,s power It, starts the farmers snd
Most people say il is white ash. for all through
this country 1t is believed that white ash pos
ana white ash bark i always hound On rattle
snake bites In tho beliet that i has virtue to
the rG% tie wound
IS IN after Of laet It docs not look like i.
mans Ferry: Other. refuse 70 believe il. and
III suhlHes ratters. and hns stepped :
stick Of ordinary wood IN 4. whatever may ,sy
ra,ters are - soyerncd by Jnsesrss Stick
A few doubters believe tnat tho snake nsn
he ns ns I. D
on mis- Stick. ssiiom tonchins them with hls
! he stick. seem to coiroIorats his assertion
fst hsy are ,nst as koGo9bbs fs S Sa S no
bitten by u rattler doe. not Distract from his
reputation. Il show, that he had at least one
1t prssuinable that al are u ,isonous Besides.
he got we'll, and that In itself is something Of 9
feat JagGers SAYS his stick cured him.
Not the least interesting mart OF JsRRers's
show II his horse 1ie IS the embodiment Of
when he Is rainlully draGgln hts .rIeumatie
hehind him altei nateiy rapping him over the
HRS and punching him IN the buck with his
snake stick. Then tho horse knows that the
are safely slowed away IN : COZ.
cred box. A soon ~ town or . tavern looms
up ahead however Jaggerss horse shows an
astonishing change In demeanor. He limps and
bnck. aud hs frequently looks round at Jsggsrs
be- suddenly WSsKs !" round SH co,ncr into 4 road
that sesmst lead lack Into tbs wilderness
pected dRshes toward precipices evidently
" h suicidal intent, As soon rs JaGsers secs
D town or tavern ahead, he stops Whistl,nR,
sseizes tho Lsins firmly IN both hands. and sets
When at length Jaggers draws up In front Of
The tavern he Ties his horse y.ry FIRMLY. for he
from the wagon. Ine horse shows . wonder.
full interest In the box. He watches Jasgsrs3
every movement with an expression Of !istful
apprehension. II the snake man take. the bog