Los Angeles herald., 1892-09-25
LIVES OF RATTLESNAKES
HOW A SAN BERNARDINO NOUN
TAlNEER MAKES A LIvING.
He Considers the CrotaIus Horridus
Blessing to Humanity-Los
Angeles Market for
the OIL.

The pupular idea, says the Pomona
Progress, is that rattlesnake is curse
to mankind and of absolutely no use,
except possibly to give the male con.
tingent, on camping and picnic parties.
an excuse for providing a well-known
serpent-bite antidote. Andrew Akers,
a hite-haired examiner, who occasion
ally comes to town from his lonely home
away up in the San Bernardino noun
tains, tells US that the rattlesnake ie, in
its way, blessing to mankind. IL
reckon ought to know something about
the serpents," said he the other day,
''for 1 have earned the whole living of
myself and wife for several years in
catching rattlers and getting the oil out
I of them. / know some folks are
mighty scary about rattlesnakes, and for
one who don't know about the critters
ways, it is pretty risky business getting
| fanged by rattler. l OCCASIONALLY get
nervous among the rattlers, but have
to keep steady nerve and quick eye in
my business"
The old gentleman tells US that he had
always heard how valuable pure rattle
snake oil is, and that several years ago
he got the oil from dozen snakes that
he came across in his wood cutting oper-
ations in the mountains. When the
summer was over he had 20 ounces, and
got So an ounce for all of it from a Los
Angeles druggist. He has since made q
business of hunting rattleenakee up and
down the mountain sides and through
the cafions. He catches from $50 to
200 snakes in summer, and generally
gathers from $500 to $40O worth of oil
from them. The market price for the
product is So an ounce, and there ia
little fuctuation. Rattlesuake oil is
used in rheumatic cures, and in oint-
ments for some skin diseases. The oil
when sold has pearly white color and
is free from odor. It tastes much like
tallow. A good sized rattlesnake will
furnish from one to two ounces of oil.
How do 1 catch the snakes? Well
that is easy enough. wear boots up
above my knees go as to protect me from
any rattler may tread upon, and / al
ways 60 with strong forked stick or
club in my hand. have to keep my
wits about me constantly, and to think
quick when am in snake locality and
hear rattle. always try to get the
rattlers by putting the fork of my stick
over their neck as quick as flash, and
then I have the critter just where 1
want him. next strangle the snake
by pressing my fingers down upon the
neck. get the rattlers in this way go
to keep them from biting them
selves, and thereby letting the poison
into the oil that am after. In nine
cases out of ten rattlesnakes will bite
themselves If they have chance, and
they are the smartest things alive ex-
cept human beings. Once in a while 1
get the rattlers by smashing them in
the head, but don't like that way for
it's more dangerous and the oil is not so
good. Have ever been bitten? Yes,
five times, and suffered go much the
last time that all the money on earth
would not induce me to be poisoned 60
again. That wes four years ago, and
can feel pains from it to this day. L
don't believe anyone ever fully recovers
from dose OF genuine rattlesnake
poison. 1t is the most awful stuff on
earth. / have seen great big cows die
of drop of the poison in an hours
time.