Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-01-18
MoNEY lN SNAKE oil.
How Connections Folks Grew Rich In
Curious Way.

4Ao muSkrdU, Lne pOlecaU, ana the !
yield the most valuable oils |
that they get, and of these three the |
oil is worth the most 1t |
finds ready sale and brings from So |
to $50 an ounce, according to its purity. |
This oil is procured from the eggs of |
the snake, and the process of getting it
is a tedious one. In capturing the snake |
care must be taken not to beat it upon
the middle of the body, for by so doing
the hunter runs risk of breaking the
eggs that the snake may be carrying
and thus rendering them valueless
The snake hunters have become
adopts at the business, and they go
armed with pole or staff about eight
feet long, into the end of which is set
sharp steel blade from six to eight
inches in length When snake is dis
covered the hunter stamps upon the
ground and alarms it. The snake erects
its head, and like flash the staff swings
around, and the serpent's head is popped
off by the glittering blade.
If the body of the snake is found to
contain eggs they are removed and
placed in kettle of water, under which
a fire is built.
The water is always boiling before
the eggs are put into it, and it is kept
at a boiling point as long as oil rises
from the eggs to the surface. It often
requires forty-eight hours Of steady
boiling to extracs all the oil from ff
teen eggs.
Every half hour the oil is slsiumed
from the water and placed in a small
iron kettle that is about eight inches in
diameter and eighteen inches deep.
Considerable of the boiling water is
CARRIED into this kettle with the grease.
Whom the oil has been extracted from
the eggs and placed in the kettle lid is
placed upon it and Theoretically sealed
with red sealing wax. A slow and
steady fire is then kept under the kettle
until all the water in the oil has evapor-
ated through a small pipe that enters
the side of the kettle near the top and
which leads to worm that rests in
barrel of constantly running water
From tube at the bottom Of the worm
the condensed water drops into glass
jar. To the top of this, small PARTICLES
OF oil rise, and when it has cooled it is
taken off
When water ceases to drop from the
tube at the bottom of the worm it is
evident that there is no NOR, water in
the kettle, and the fire is immediately
drawn from beneath it, and it is dcluged
with cold water until it is thoroughly
cooled.
From this kettle the oil is removed
and placed in shallow tin pan with n
handle and Il wide spout in it, The pan
is placed over 4 FIRE, and when The Oil is
thinncd it is poured through a CLOTH
linen of very fine texture, into 4 glass
jar. When thus clarified it has the APP
pearance of vaseline. In this shape il
is marketed
RattlesnalIc oil is used as a remedy
for rheumatism, and it is one of the in
gradients employed in the manufacture
of some of the patent medicines found
in the market for neuralgia, rhcuma-
tism and obscure diseases of the Joints.
1t is powerful irritant, and when I
drop of it is applied to the flesh it has
about the same effect that the apnlica-
ton of 4 coal of fire would. For this
reason the manufacturers of this OIL & re
obliged to exercise the greatest care,
AID while working at the kc;tics they
Invariably wear gloves, ana WHOM their
face is not protected 10y a beard they
cover the lower portion Of It with .
'nnsc cloth fastened in lace ny al
',HS,ic band.
! - p"rs:stoutly has the sattjesnall
>:.'r-. nunsr.. IL this vicinity. lie Is ROW
Hr '.--,y found. Now and then one i.
II t.r~,lia some .solu.ed lo>uliiy a:uon4
4 20. .lgrs and in the swamYs. lu tht
1ll;raI part % the state this species Of
serpent is common, ami hunters ther,
procure 4 goat deal o. rattlesnallc Of
! curing the year.
Next to the Rationale in importance
o the hunter is the polecat. The pelt o.
his "bnOXious animal brings from 81. II
10 :! readily, and the fat of the ANNA
produces n grease that sells for from 81
; - - cents a pound. A great deal o
j his grease is consumed by New En-
! gland people. who believe it to he
/ sovereign remedy for Group in children
"nL hoarsrncss AMI soreness Of The
chest in adults. The grease is applied
Nr:m to the throat and chest Of the pa
:cul. and as Il virtuous remedy ii la:
iumphantly stood the test OF many
rA tratiOnS.
L healing article this grease pos
| ~eal,S great merit, and il is used 10y
| lpothocarics in the manufacture o
olutmcuts. The pelt OF the black pole
at - quite valuable, and it is Otter
manufactured into mutfS and hoas ant
sold for monkey skin.
Tho men who follow this business %
hunting are very retiring in their ha bit
nf living They dwell in poorly con
~tructcd hutS among the hills and arr
only seen in towns when they hav,
something to sell 1t is estimated tina
each one of them is worth ten THOUSAND
dollars, and il has all hccn made At thi
peculiar business in the last dnzcl
years ---Philadclphia Times.
Kitchen Utensils.
There are great many kitchens tina
are not possessed of the luxury of
brush for cleaning potatoes 1t is mex
to impossible to wash potatoes per