Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1893-09-02
HE is A SNAKE FANCIER
A QUEER CHARACTER NAMED
PETER GRuEER.
lie Handles Ferocians Reptiles In His
Naked Hands. and Knows ANY GUAM
tlty of Snake Lore--How to Catch a
RatsIer without Getting Bitten.


Rattler Without Getting Bitten.
Peter Gruber, better known as ''Rat-
tlesnake Pete. OF Oil City. Pa. has
put ON q new suit Pete is known all
over the country as an eccentric col
lector and hunter Of reptiles, Some
time ago he read of man who was
going to the worlds fair dressed in
the skin OF boa-constrictor and he
decided to go him one better in cos
/ tune. After a great deal OF trouble
and time the rattlesnake king OF Ven
ango county has just completed the
most unique suit any man ever wore.
II consists OF coat, trousers. vest,
hat, shoes and shirt snakeskin
stuffed and vanished, answers for a
cane, while rattle serves the
purpose OF a pin for his tic.
! Two hundred snakes were required
to make the outfit and TO preserve
the brillianey and hexibility OF the
skins in the greatest possible degree
the snakes were skinned alive, first
being made unconscious with chloro-
form. They were then tanned by a
method peculiar to Gruber and are
as soft and elastic as wooden goods.
The different articles OF the outfit
were made by Oil City tailors. shoe
makers, hatters. and the costume is
valued at $500
Gruber who is now 33 years old.
first began to catch and handle rat.
tlesnakes nine years ago, and since
then has caught hundreds OF them
and made them the subjects OF all
kinds of experiments.
He said to Cincinnati Enquirer
reporter in his place Of business the
other day "the rattlesnake Is pure
and unadulterated, and with that
he yanked out OF the cage a big
RATHER and tossed it on the table. IL
was right on its dignity. and ratified
furiously around the table, showing
its iangs and darting tongue. Watch
ing his chance, he seized it by the
back Of the head and 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 enragcd reptile.
70 more fully illustrate the snakes
way OF doing business Pete removed
the knife and then proceeded to tease
him with stick He became furious
and struck at the stick, emitting
poisonous yellow fluid.
The snake used on this occasion
was the Rocky mountain rattlesnake
and was five feet in length. It's string
OF rattles numbering eighteen. lie
said they were the most dangerous
between July | and September /.
when they are moulting their skins.
They 60 blind when the shedding Is
In progress, and viii strike at any
strange sound or touch. Even the
eyes Of the snake peel OIL In tho
shedding Of the skin, which some
times takes place in a couple OF
hours and sometimes requires several
days OF the varieties OF rattlers.
the black, the yellow. and the swamp
rattlesnakc, he has found the last
mentioned the most dangerous, being
the quickest 70 snap and making the
lightest noise whpa II rattles
Pete also volunteered the informa-
tion that the rattlers used by snake
fakirs in museums are perfectly
harmless. Their mouths are invari.
ably sewed up. II they are too
lively drugs are used TO deadcn
them. No person would DO fool
hardy enough to place genuine
RATHER about his neck unless his
snakeship was fixed for the occasion.
There arc snakes in Pete's place
that have not eaten anything in three
years. II is offered them, but they
take nothing but water. They are
fat and slick as when first caught
Some of them eat occasionally in
captivity. their preference being
chipmunks, swallows, English spar
rows, mice, etc.
The female RATHER gives birth 10 |
her young alive, and is the only snake |
that does, the others laying eggs, |
from which the young are Matched.
Pete, in addition TO being an adept |
= handling snakes, Is equally at
home with the boxing gloves, and is
the best all-around athlete IN OH
City. OF powerful build, he IS not
quarrelsome, and seldom displays his
abilities in that line.