The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-08-14
SN1kkS rs STRn EOA
Farmer Ans'ey'. Hnttl-snnae Oens Lead ~
Important Resolutions.

county. Pine Creek aud the turnpike road
from Condersport to (ialcton run through tho
property. and the high Pine barren known NJ
Huckleberry Hill rises on ono side Of It.
Farmer Anslcy is one of the solid citizens OF
Pottor county. Some farmers would not think
that they had reason to be proud OF tho fact
that they had three big rattlnsnake dens on
their farms: much less would they regard
such appurtenanccs there,into belonging as
something to add to the value Of he!r hold :
ings. But Farmer Ansley does both. He points
with pride to tho rocky face Of IIurkleberry
Hill. and indicates three different places
within the space Of fcw nr-cs whore rattle-
snakes don and have deunod from Tine out Of
mind Tho Ansley farm Is no better for hay.
grain. potatoes. and buckwhent than any OF !
the ncighboring farms OF that part of tho Pine
Creek country are. but tho owner values It at y
not less than 50 an acre more than the aver. q.
age price of surrounding soil.
why" no says. there isn't another cult
waited farm in the county. nor in the State.
guess that has three fertile and prosperous
dons OF rattlesnakes on it. | have never at.
tempted to gather n full crop of rattlosnakes
on my farm. because l haven't had to. but
believe | could pick 500 marx etihle snakes !
most any season. At tho rate rat- =
tlosnako products are rulln! nowadays-s ms. J
oil and rattlcs these useful snakes ought to
net about 50 apiece. Now, s'lose drought
shoul! make n inilur" Of my hay crop. and rot
knock my potatoes into n cooked hat and the
weovil chew my wheat all M. and carly frost !
nip my burkwhrat. Ia i,e in tk ~, lad shape
| as any other farmer in thcsn parts. if 1t wasn't
that would have tne rattle -nG,c crop to fall
back on in such an emergency. Dry weather
doesn't shrvel up tho ratti"snakes. rot
doesn t get into en-. nor wc"vil bore en-. nor ,
frost cut them down to tn" roots. They are
sure and handy by. aud all would nave to do
would he to harvest them and i them ready
for market. Why. with IA never failing reserve
crop like that waiting for mo. I'd he actually
sacrificing this farm if sold II, with tho
So all added to the prcc of farms that
haven't got this great advantage"
The three snake drns on the iu%loy farm are
visible from tho road. nj among the rocky
openings OF Huckleherry Hill. Farmer Ansley
| is Obliged to kill several dozen attesnakes
every year, as they come down into his fields
and interfere now and then with the garner
| ing OF his crops. Ho.had to stop rearing ono
| day because big rattlesnaie objected to the
pa sing o! tho machine Mt tho same time he
himself was .oins: across 4 o Held. and pitched
into it. III" result was t..at thr snake got
| tangled up IN tho cutting bar and clogged up
tho knives that the could not work.
and the reaper and the team had to stand
idle for an hour or moro while the shat
tered remains Of tho snake were picked and
du;: out Of tho machine One La recently .
Farmer Ansley had hanging in his orchard
nine handsome Specimens OF what MS rattle :
IN AXE crop would cc II i, shVuii De gathered.
| These nine wero Killed because th"ir presence
| IN certain lucallt ties on the farm delayed the
work Of the hired man.
| Farmer Anslev has decided opinions about
the ability OF rattlrsnahe at least those that
| grow ON h tarm,to do extraordinary things.
and one " these Is an Operation N ophidan
which. AS wonderful rs it Is. FARMER Ansiey 10
| not only Wl!Itpg but arnarrntly anxious to
| "Thor.'s on" II my snakes now" said the
| farmer the other day. speaking about his dens
| nriGht-hucd fery-cyrd ratllosDnke crawed
| ina2lcrty under rail fence and out to the
Tss am he p7 20" AT t" II III th4 an
can cut that snake in tw, with an axe. :
oh" S nS17 ,n to" a 9a' in from ten
hours time the rart with thi n.hd IN VIII
GU end against the cut end OF tn" piece with
the tau on ana toy an onetAtmp o. Is own VII
SO that it can trlre! away lust as a ood snake
There either WIS no; 81 amonrih he visitors. F,
AFRAID to take t." pet. l9r If va. n ta."n
IN bet y%9 s Sa,4 t, me, t.. r!y dom.
pn. any 81 my snnf"S T. 10 strain Of that
80 the men came away, They wore from
H ana ntry WEI we" a." yS 9 Set t Sn1
bet they offered to n,ot.". tor Dan lianiey told
Hem .1WHSt@ h 2H 5cn w. nsH hs t Maa,a
nay" Won the s,"& Dan tn."s rs the village
packsmitn. He is u wc,i-'o-do "tizen. and
SATURDAY. last u it "as s"lere| any, since !
stance that rnHErs are auio 10 do pur or things.
Thcr" is 10 do4.t tnat tie. Itttiesnaks
offered T. bet it rorid. sa1d b,acksmith
IianIsy. II know il lFom wat nave seen
| wnru uvO IT these common carter snakes
cl.ng out 81 tine grass onto the walk. had o
hS in ny n' wo 1 M 20" rht s"a w wtS tss
tni On -npirmcd about Il goo bit, hut the part
" ,% 90" TIC ' ana On M uSs 4 VAR. ss
! th"rp while. some"n-: 20. .risrd at what
@ a u ana Sy ' u"tsr lie b Be srs
| Irety soon tho shako can" bodily out.
where the other hall lay ii uacSed itself SELF up
hsainst the severed end OF the other part.
prcsssed u" two ends together. and then bent
| with it, mouth anu tongue cover I'D tho wound,
with a Slmy s"1stnnce. al a:o4pd about the
and lay laist Tor some i'm" IhCn The snake axe
i, was before chopped III, hoe through It.
ana disahreareh in IN" Grass and IN, hes.
had been cut IN two or sqnashed ip two Ey
something., | don't, know ,wnat Now that
unable to turn tsolf and perform The rurgical
| operation ] had seen the garter snake por-
form b"t ,ihuth"r snake Wa There. "A was
trylDg To- do tho act for the severed snaao. mo
! well snake worked with IL WIZ. tiy.m,, o Join
| tho two parts vl tho uther one BY plusterns
! effort was = failure thrugh. and after awlIi"
| The hood Samaritan snakn gave AZ tho at
| Tempt and went away | hay" a winrss to
| M Ea!i"r snakes mra"in. 81 itsel', and
| wiii 10 with any OF" Hni mi AFFIDAVIT to
| both ot these queer sna - doing. Tie Mates
| weren't ratNers OF rnurS"; hut II common.
| "N"ry-daS. no-arcount "hhSrs az h"iC O doe
| Tor ih-!ns"iyea upIn th.7 way, LOW c..u any
| one dare I" DOUBT that wdr."wtke, gifted
! snake Ike HrH'tlosHake AN dc 4 ~
| And there the subject is "a urH5eht. But
| the var,v who visited ia ,'"r Ar.l"y are con-
| srgtnlatin. lnemseIyrs mat There Is - moro
| in Roulette than there would have been II tha
In ~, / Il iIll La n ar