Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1894-06-07
DAKOTA SNAKE CHARMER.
Control of a Bad
Lands Resident Over
Rattlesnakes.
lodv of a Missing CoIored Man
Found Floating in the
River.

Found Floating in the
River.
The Bismarck Tribune gives an &C.
count of the Medors rattle snake
cb.rmer whose fame is gradually spread
inc beyond the confines of hls home at
Medors, in the midst of the great snake
region, the Bad Lands, of this state. He
visited jamestown last fall with collec-
tion of snakes and gave an exhibition in
a modest way in a small tent. The mans
name is Henry Fl. Shupe. He is native
weeterner, formerly Northern Pacific
brakeman at Brainerd, afterward resi-
dent OF Bismarck, back in the early 7O's,
and still later one of that army OF bison
hunters which thronged the western
prairies up to the early SOS. That Shupe
is a phenomenon, says tbe Tribune, no
one who has witnessed his performances
can deny, and his phenomenal character
istics lie and exist altogether in his
ability to communicate with serpents in
their material and visible forms. Not
the harmless snakes, such as are handled
in side shows and museums, but
genuine rattle snakes, the dull, dead
colored denizens of the scoria buttes,
and naked crags of the Bad Lands,
whose venom Is deadly poison, and
whose abilities are to rattle, first, and
strike, next, anything which approaches,
and whose bite is legally stamped paes-
port to the regions Of everlasting life.
unless some powerful antidote can be
Immediately secured.
The rattle snake is perhaps the most
deadly Of the serpents which are to he
found in North Dakota. To strike, with
him, is matter of instinct, and, indeed,
it is sort OF reflect action, to illustrate
which, 1t may he said that one of them
after having been killed, and his head
removed, will coil and strike, ,nvolun-
tarily with the bleeding stump from
which the head has been cut off.
1 That any person is enabled, by what
ever mysterious process he may employ,
y pick up from It's native heath, one of
Aese serpents, pet 1t, and stroke It's back
% though it we're kitten, twine it
about his arm, and rest it's wicked look
ing triangular shaped lead, with pro.
truding tongue and Rlittering eyes,
against his cheek, and to do all this and
escape harm, seems almost Incredible,
and yet it is fact, nevertheless.
just what gift enables Prof. Shupe to
obtain such complete mastery over
venomous and vicious serpents, one is at
loss to imagine. In person, there ls
nothing to indicate his extraordinary
powers. His dress is that OF the typical
westerner; broad brimmed white hat,
neither garments whose cut is not after
latest pattern, flannel shirt, with gen.
orally one or two of the top buttons
opened, coat and vest two unknown
quantities. His hair is long and is kept
IN place with frequent and liberal appl,cs-
cations some distinctive smelling oil. He
ls short, and his back is rather bumped,
probably from excessive STOPPING, in his
communion with snakes, with all Of
whom he is on such excellent terms.
want to see me catch rattle snake,
DO ye," said the professor several morn
lnes ago, as crowd of the curious, who
had heard of his abilities. but were still
doubtful, stood about his unpretentious
domlcile. "Well, I'll be along in q
minute" and disappeared, to return in q
moment with seemless sack in one
hand. "Come along" he continued, and
the party started. A brisk walk Of mile.
and sage brush fiat presented itself to
Wew-a spot which promised an abund-
ance of snakes. There goes one," re-
marked the professor ut length, and 4
rattler about three feet long glldad from
beneath mass OF sage brush, coiled
Itself in defense, and an ominous rattle
indicated that his snakeship meant bust.
ness. The ordinary man would have
Preferred to handle the snake with a
good stout club, about four feet in length,
out the professour 10 by no means an or
binary man, and his mode savored more
OF moral suasion. He approached the
rattler unconcernedly, ana extended one
hnger toward it. Quick as lightning the
head of the serpent shot forth, % he en-.
deavored to reach tho intruder, but the
professor was too quick, and the snake
missed. only to withdraw into the coil
again, and wait another chance. With q
gentle chirrup, as though clucking to a
morse, the professor approached nearer.
wonderful to relate, the snake seemed
stupetied as though under some mesmeric
'nfuence. Within ten minutes, the
professor had the snake, grasped by
tne middle, and was strokinR it, and in