Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1893-01-06
Rattle,nake Oil.

The popular idea is that a rattle
snake is a curse to mankind and of
absolutely no use, except possibly to
give the male contingent in camping
and picnic parties an excuse for pro
viding a well-known serpent-bite an
tidote. Andrew Akers, white haired
examiner, who occasionally comes to
town from his lonely home away up
in the San Bernardino mountains,
tells us that the rattlesnake is, in its
way, a blessing to mankind.
II reckon | ought to know some
thing about the serpents," said he the
other day, 'for l have earned the
whole living OF myself and wife for
several years in catching rattlers and
getting the oil out of them. / know
some folks are mighty scary about
rattlesnakes, and for one who don't
know about the critters ways it is
pretty risky business getting fanged
by rattler. | occasionally get ner-
vous among the rattlers, but | have
to keep steady nerve and quick eye
in my business.
The old man tells us that he had
always heard how valuable pure rat
tlesnake oil is, and that several years
ago he got the oil from dozen snakes
that he came across i'm his wood-cut-
ting operations in the mountains.
When the summer was over he had
twenty ounces and got SO an ounce
for all of it from a Los Angeles drug
gist. He has since made a business
of hunting rattlesnakes up and down
the mountain sides and through the
canyons. He catches from one hun
dred and fifty to two hundred snakes
in a summer, and generally gathers
from $500 to S400 worth Of oil from
them. The market price for the pro-
duct is now SO an ounce, and there is
little fluctuation. Rattlesnake oil is
used i'm rheumatic cures and in ONT
ments for some skin disease. The oil
when sold has pearly white color
and is free from any odor. 1t tastes
much like tallow. A good-sizsd rat
tlesnake will furnish from one to two
ounces of OIL
How do catch the snakes Well,
this is easy enough. | wear boots
up to above my knees so as to pro-
tect NE from any rattler may tread
upon, and | always go with strong
forked stick or club in my hand.
have to keep my wits about me- con-
stantly and to think quick when /
AIN in a snake locality and hear a
rattle. always try to get the rat
tiers by putting the fork of my stick
over their neck as quick as a flash,
and then | have the critter just
where l want him. l next strangle
the snake by pressing my fingers
down upon the neck. | get the rat
tiers in this way so as to keep them
from biting themselves and thereby
letting the poison into the oil that /
ain after.
I'm nine cases out Of ten rattle
snakes will bite themselves if they
have a chance, and they are the
smartest things alive except human
beings. Once in a while l get the rat
tiers by smashing them in the head,
but l don't like that way, for it's
more dangerous and the oil is not so
good. Have | ever been bitten {?
Yes, five times; and suffered so much
the last time that all the money on
earth would not induce me to be
poisoned so again. That was four
years ago, and | can feel pains from
it to this day. | don't believe any
one ever fully recovered from dose
of genuine rattlesnake poison. 1t is
the most awful stuff on earth. have
seen great big cows die OF drop OF
the poison in an hours time"