The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1892-10-29
WHERE kATTLESNAKES THRIVE.
A prospector's Tale of a Trip Through .
Gulch In the Madre Chain.

A prospector's Tale of Trip Through .
Gulch in the Madre Chain.
'sralking about snakes" said a griz-
zled old prospector in Tucson to party
of eastern tourists, you fellows ought
to go down here in the Madre noun
tains, near the Mexican line, and you'd
see snt ICES. You see, not very many
miners and prospectors go in the
Madre, because there is almost nothing
in our line there, although you do hear
stories about wonderful mines,a and gold
and silver piled up in stacks when the
old Mexicans abandoned the diggings,
but all the gold there is about it is in
the ears of the man who believes such
stuff. Besides, if they do go they
are most eternally glad to get out
again if they have the god luck
not to be bitten by the rattlers-
Why, the average RATHER in the Madre
chain is seven or eight feet long, and
there are lots of 'em good deal bigger
than that. The stupid little reptiles
that go by the name up in Utah and
Colorado aren'ti in it with their Mexican
brethren when you get to talking about
snakes. / have been there, and you
bet know what am talking about.
''fhree years ago Jack M:Quade and
l were prospecting together, and we got
tip on the quiet that there were some
rich finds over near Colquiton, little
Mexican town about one hundred and
seventy-five miles from here. So we
went, but didn't get track of anything
worth very much, although two or
three fellows made their pile. Finally,
left Jack there and came back, and
/ made up my mind to come
through the Madre. The boys told
me 1 hadn't better try it, but did,
and / am not hankering after any
more trips of the kind. had two bur-
ros and got along all right, and didn't
see anything extraordinary until / had
gotten fairly into the range, when one
morning l was riding down ravins
that would let me out at the base of a
big peak which would go around. At
the further side there ought to be some
of the headwaters of the Maleskyne, as
the Indians call little mountain river
that runs out on the plain and Loses it.
self in the sand, and then for the rest
of the way it would be all plain sail
ing. Well. / was riding along down,
smoking and leading one of the burros
behind, when / noticed two rattlers
right in front. l went around them
and they raised up and ratified like a
basket of eggs But / didn't mind a
little thing like that. Pretty soon
saw some more, and then they seemed,
all the rest of the way down. to in
crease and multiply with the most as
tonishing rapidity. Luckily the bot
tom of the gulch was wide enough, SO
that we got by 'em all right; but If
those donks weren't scarf! I never
saw the stupid little brutes
SO much alive as they were
then, and just as we came
to the mouth of the gorge it narrowed
up and the snakes were just as thick as
ever. There was no other way of get
ting out, so hit.the donks and we went
through like house afire. At one
place we shook lot of rock loose, and
big bunch of snakes rolled down un.
der the very feet of the burros. 1
needn't tell you we didn't stop till we
got outside, where there was plenty of
room.
Before could stop the little beasts
we nearly ran over a couple of Mex
leans, who were almost frightened out
of their wits. They must have thought
was ghost to have come through
the Snake gulch, as they called the
place, upscathed. But what was the
most curious thing about the whole
matter was that the Greasers camped
right there and caught snakes and fried
the oil out for the eastern patent
medicine market. 1t seems there is
quite demand for the oil among GER
tain class. Their camp was raised up
on posts out of the way of snakes. The
snakes were caught by means of a
steel fork on long pole, which they
used to pin the rattler's head to
the ground. The snake was helpless
then, and with small Ratchet they cut
off its head and hung the body on a
stick fastened across the back of a
burro. When donkey load had been
killed they were taken to place where
the suns rays in the afternoon beat
down against wall of rock and made
it hot enough to roast eggs. Here they
slit the reptile and hung him up on a
wooden frame with pan underneath
to catch the slowly dripping oil A
good fat snake would furnish quart.
The stencil about the place was some
thing that no words can convey an idea
of, but the Greasers didn't seem tomind
it much. The rock in the gulch was a
shelving, scaly formation, that was full
of holes and crannies, and at the mouth
was sort of mountain meadow, ending
in marshy slough, and full of frogs
and vern:in of every description, and on
these the snakes subsisted. The Next
cans had a bonanza there, but don't
want any of it. / went away the next
day and never want to go back again. =
IN. Y. Sun.
Heaven In All Countries.
The t,-ite but trne aphorism which