The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-02-21
SNAKES AS SURGEONS,
Farmer A1lsley's Rattlers Lead to
Important Revelations.
A Crop That Never Fails and Can Do ~,
own DoctorIng Blacksmith Ham
ley,s stories Of Gifted Reptiles
Two Dollars Ahead.

Al. A. Ansley owns and lives on a big
farm in Pike township, this county.
Pine creek and the turnpike road from
Condersport to Galeton run through
the property. and the high pine bar
rem known as Hucltleberry hill rises on
one side Of It. Farmer AnsleY Is one
Of the solid citizens 81 Potter county.
Some Farmers would not think that
they had reason to be proud Of the fact
that they had three big rattlesnake
dens on their farms; much less would
they regard such app,iktenances there
unto belonging rs something to add to
the value 81 their holdings But Farm
cir Ansley does both. He points with
pride to the rocky face Of Hucklebcrry,
hill and indicates three different places
within the space of few acres where
rattlesnalxes den and have dcnned from
time out Of mind The Ansley farm is
no better for hay, grain, potatoes and
buckwheat than any Of the neighbor-
ing farms OF that part Of the Pine
creek country are, but the owner values
Il at not less than five dollars ansacre
more than the average price Of SUR
rounding soil.
why" he says, there isn't another
cultivated farm in the county, nor in
the state, guess, that has three fertile
and prosperous dens of rattlesnakes on
it have never attempted TO gather 4
full crop OF rattlesnakes. on my farm,
because haven't had to, but ! believe
could pick five hundred marketable
snakes most any season. At the rate
rattlesnake products are ruling nova
days skins, oil and rattles these use
full snakes ought to net about three dol
lars apiece. Now s'pose drought should
make a failure Of my hay crop, and rot
knock my potatoes into cooked hat,
and the weevil chew my wheat all up,
and early frost nip my bncltwheat, I'D
be in just as bad shape as any other
farmer in these parts, If itlwasn't that
would have the rattlesnaise crop "a
fall back on in such an emergency.
Dry weather doesn't shrivel up the rat
tlesnaxes, nor rot doesn't get into EN-,
nor weevil bore EN-, nor frost cut then
down to the roots They are sure ant
handy by, and all ] would have TO Dc
would be to harvest them and get then
ready for market Why, with a-ncver
failing reserve crop like that waiting
for me, Id be actually sacrificing thii
farm If Esold it, even with the FIVE dol
lars4an acre added to the price Qfsfarm
that haven't got this great advantage
The three snake dens On the Ansle-
farm are visible from the road, III
among the rocky openings of IIuckle
berry hill Farmer Ansley Is obliges
TO kill several dozen rattlesnal1es ever,
year, as they come down into hi
fields and interfere now and then will
the gardening Of his crSps He had t,
stop reaping one day because a bi.
rattlesnalSe objected to the passing o
the machine at the same time he him
self was going across the field, al,
pitched into it. The result was tina
the snake got tangled up in til
cutting bar and cloggei up I'll
knives 50 chat I they could no
work, and ina reaper and tn
team had to stand idle for an hour O
more while the shattered remains q
the snake were picked and dug out 9
the MACHINE One day recent,
Farmer Anslev has, hanging ia hi
orchard nine handsome specimens &
what his rattlesnake crop would be |
It should be gathered These min
were killed because their presence i
certain localities on the farm delaye,
the work Of the hired men.
Farmer Ansley has decided opinion
about the ability 81 rattlesnalses
least those that grow on his farm--t
do extraordinary things, and one {
these is an operation in ophidian SUI
gerry, IN the successful performance 3
which, as wonderful as il is. FaFme
Ansley is not only willing but appai
emily anxious to back up any of hi
snakes with money.
There's one 81 my snakes nov.
said the farmer the other day. speakifl
about his dens to a number OF cnriou
callers, as q big, bright-hued, fer,
eyed rattlesnalse crawled INDECENT
nndeE rail fence8and out to the roae
side, where he paused to bask ia III
sun. Now, I'll bet any Of you a
even ten dollars that can cut ths
snake lin TWO with an az, place III
two parts ten feet from each othe.
leave them there, and in ten hour
time the part with the head on wi
have come back 70 the other hal
showed its cut end against the cut en-
q the piece with the tail on, and by i
operation Of is own viii have cements