West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1893-07-20
"RATTLEsNAKE PETE"
A Rival for tho Laurcls OF Lcve Dor.
ton and ST summers.

~ ANa'e"ahS oeOil SVthto AtOUi
Oil City, Pa, aud we publish it for
the special benefit of Levc Dorton
and 81 Summers, the champion
hunters of Monongalia and Preston
counties. We shall send for our
champion ut once and try TO make
arrangements to enter him at tho
Worlds Fair for the first premium,
and we hereby serve notice on
liennery Morgan, of tho Post, TO
that effect. But here Is the story
from Oil City:
Peter Grubcr, better known as
"Rattlesnake Pete" has put on his
new suit. Pete is famous all over
the country as an eccentric collector
and hunter of reptiles. Some time
ago he read of man who was going
to tho Worlds Fair dressed in tho
skin of boa-constrictor, and he
decided to go him one bottor in
costume. Aftor great deal OF
trouble and time the rattlesnake
king of Venango county has just
completed tho most unique suit any
man ever wore. 1t consists of coat,
vest, trousers, hat, shoes and a
slirt. A snake. skin, stuffed and
vanished, answers for u cane, whilu
"rattle" serves tho purpose of u
pin for tie. Two hundred snakes
were required to make the outfit,
and TO preserve the brilllancy and
llcxibility Of the skins in the great
est possible degree, the snakes were
skinned alive, first being mado un-
conscious by chloroform. They
were then tanned by "a method pc
culiar TO Gruber and are as soft and
elastic as WOODEN goods. The diff
fercnt articles of the outfit were
made 10y Oil City tailors, shooma-
kers. hatters, and the costume is
valued at $500. Grubor, who is
now 33 years old, first commenced
to catch and handle rattlesnakes
nne years ago, and since then has
caught hundreds of them and made
them the subjects of all kinds of
experiments. "This rattlcr," he
said to reporter IN his place of
business the other day, els pure and
unadulteratcd," and with that he
yanked out of a cage a big rattler
and tossed it on the pool table. IL
was right OIL its dignity, and ratified
furiously around the table, showing
its tangs and dartIng tongue.
Watching his chance, he seized it
back Of the hosd with his naked
hand and inserted in ITS mouth an
ivory knife and showed the poison
sack and fangs on the upper jaw Of
the now thoroughly cnraged reptile.
TO more fully illustrate the snakes
way of doing business, Pete removed
the knife and then proceeded to
tense the snake with stick. lie
became furious, and struck at the
stick, emitting poisonous yellow
fluid. The snake used on this oc.
casion was the Rocky Mountain
rattlesnake, aud was five feet in
length, its string Of rattlee number
ing eighteen. Ho said they were
most dangerous between July 1st
and September 1st, when they were
moulting their skins. They go
blind when the shedding is in pro-
cess, and will strike ut any strange
sound or touch. Even the eyes Of
the snake peel off in the shedding
Of tho skin, which sometimes takes
place in couple OF hours and some
times requires several days. or the
varieties OF rattlers, the black, the
yellow and the swamp rattlcsnake,
he has found the last mentioned the
most dangerous, being the quickest
to snap and making the lightost
noise when it rattles. Though the
black and the rattlosnake are enc.
mics in the woods, they nevor fight
IN captivity, but the blacksnakos
will sometimes attack each other
when hungry. tbe victorious reptile
not infrequently swallowing anoth.
or half or two.thirds as large as
itself.
a....a. .-
The would.be aristocrat girls Of
1G, or therc-about, who consider