The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1894-08-03
No Food Like Rattlesnakes.

John Henry Howard, Of Kentucky,
eats rattlesnakes. He says there is no
finer delicacy than Juicy rattler if
well cooked. Mr.. Howard, who lives
on Spy Run Creek, near Vanceburg,
Ky, VIII therefore never 90 hungry as
long as he retains his cunning in cap.
turing the reptiles and his recipe for
doing them to delicious brown.
Mr.. Howard has been eating rattle.
snakes for about ten years. Possibly
this accounts for his fine robust ap-
pearance and general health, and in a
measure for the fact that he weighs
a2o pounds. 10 World correspon.
dent who ask him to tell how he ac
quired this strange liking for rattle
snakes, he said
One of my unc,es told me he had
heard Of people eating rattlesnakes,
SO, out OF curiosity, | thought I'd try
one. The woods in the section where
| live has alters b.en full of snakes.
The next day after l had been told
snakes was good, started out on a
hunt for rather l wasn't long in
fndin' one. hammered his head off,
took hun home, skinned him, and
soon had him in the fryin' pan.
"My mother and sisters wouldn't
stay IN the house while l was cookin'
of the thing, but l couldn't help that.
Arter the sarpent was done, | took
him out, put him on a plate, peppered
him over, sloshed little vinegar on
him an went to work. My stomach
kinder bumped up in protest at the
first bite, but on the second it quieted
down and received the snake with
evident satisfaction.
"The next day / had another sar-
pent under my belt, and the day after
that and SO on, until | formed per.
feet passion for snake fries. Thar amt
no food on. earth that's any better
than fine, fat, well fried rattlesuake.
Young rabbits is good, squirrels is
toothsome, quails is awful nice, young
chickens is not to be sneezed at-but
none of EN- has any chance with me
if can git big, fat rattlesnake. The
rattler's flesh looks good deal like
chicken, and when it is fryin' the
odors of it is exactly like young chick
ems fryin'. l tell you, you won't never
know hrst-class eatin' until ye Farm,
like me, the glories of a rattlesnake
feast"
"How do you catch them ?"
"With torked stick. You see, in
capturing snakes for the table you
must be very keerful ter keep 'em
from bitin' themselves. So | take a
forked stick about five feet long, an
when | find my prey, with short,
quick move | fasten the fork across
his neck, about an inch from his
head. / then hold him firmly with my
left hand and with my right stoop
down and cut his head square off.
"Where do | find most of 'em
Oh, in bark piles. My part Of the
country is a great tan.bark country.
In a month or so after the bark is
peeled and corded you'll find rattler
or two in everylpile. Do do without
snakes in the winterp Oh, no not
much | don't.
"During the summer season / lay
by stores for winter. / catch scores
an scores of the sarpents skin 'em and
dry 'em, and prepare 'em for winter,
Jest the same as others would store
away their winters bacon. Catch me
goin hungry in the winter for the want
of snake p! Not much I'm no grass,
hopper to dance through the summer
and starve when the winter time
comes"
Did you ever try eating any other
snake ?"
"Yes; tried copperhead-one c
bite. That done me from then til
now 1t made me sick. Whew ! !
don't like ter think about that ar J.