Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1894-06-08
Worth Dakota Wonder, in the Per-
0 of7Professor shupe, a Gen
uine Snake Charmer.
How He Catches venomous Rattlers
From Their Haunts On the
Open Prairies.
Handles and Pets Them With As
Much Ease As Though They
Were Kittens.
A North Dakota Snake Charmer.

Landslide town made famous by the
exploits and adventures of the Marquis
de Mores-once notorious for its dash
ing cowboys, it's grizzled plainsmen, long
haired hunters and trappers, and It's
frontier wildress-but now stripped by
time and circumstances of these dis
ti%nguishing characteristics-and famed,
alone, for it's picturesqueness of location,
and for the still surviving memories Of
the long ago-out at this little town,
there lives a phenomenon in the person
of Henry H. Shupe, a native westerner,
formerly a Northern Pacific brakeman at
Brainerd, afterward a resident of Bis
marck, back in the early 70's, and still
later n of that army of bison hunters
which thronged the western p%rairies up
to the early SOS. That Shupei is a phen-
omenon, no n who has witnessed his
performances a deny, and his phen-
omenal characteristics lie and exist al
together in his ability to communicate
with %serpents in their material and visi-
BILE forms. Not the harmless snakes,
such as are handled in side shows and
museums by gaudlly attired, sol distant
snake charmers, who allow themselves
to become entwined in the folds of the
sluggish anacondas and the listless and
lazy Demonstration, but genuine rattle
snakes, the dull, dead colored denizens
of the scoria buttes, and naked crags of
the Bad Lands, wnose venom is deadly
poison, and whose only abilities are to
rattle, first, and strike, next, anything
which approaches, and whose bite is
a legally stamped passport 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 be
found in North America. TO strike,
with him, is a matter of instinct, and,
indeed, it is a sort of reflex action, to il
lustrate which, it may be said that one
of them, after having been killed, and
his head removed, will coil and strike
involuntarily with the bleeding stump
from which the head has been cut off.
That any person, under these circum.
stances, is enabled, by whatever myster.
ious process he may employ, to pick up
from it's native heath, n of these SER
pents, pet it, and stroke it's back as
though it were a kitten, Irvine it about
his arm, and rest it's wicked looking
triangular shaped head, with protrudine
tongue and glittering eyes, against his
cheek, and to do all this and escape
harm, seems almost Incredible, and vel
it is a fact, nevertheless.
just what gift enables Prof. Shupe tt
obtain such complete mastery ove1
venomous and vicious serpents. one is al
q loss to imagine. In person, there il
nothing to indicate his extraordinary
powers. His dress is that Of the typica.
westerner, broad trimmed, white hat
neither garments, whose cut is not aftel
the latest pattern, and altogether devoic
of any indication of creases, flannel shirt
with generally one or two of the top but
tons opened, presenting an extensively
decollete appearance, and coat and vesi
two unknown quantities. His hair il
long, and is kept in place with frequen'
and liberal applications Of some dis
tinctive smelling oil. He is short, ane
his back is rather bumped, probabl,
from excessive shopping, in his com
munion with snakes, with all Of whom
he is on such excellent terms.
"Want to see me catch a rattlesnake
do yep said the professor several morn
ings ago, as a crowd of the curious, wht
had heard of his abilities, but we're still
doubtful, stood about his rather unpre
tentious domicile. Swell, I'll be along
in a minute" and the professor disap
peared, to return in a moment with
seamless sack in one hand. "Com,
along" ne continued, and the part!
started. A brisk walk Of q mile, and
sage brush fiat presented itself to view
q spot which promised an abundance o
snakes. "There goes one" remarked tn,
professor at length, and a RATHER abou
three feet long glided from beneath
mass Of sage brush, coiled itself in de
Tense, and an ominous rattle indicated
that his snakeship meant business. TIL
ordinary man would have preferred. Il
handle the snake with a good stout club
about four feet in length, but the pro
lessor is by no means an ordinary man
and his mode savored more of mora
suasion. He approached the RATHER, un
concernedly, and extended one fnge
toward it. Quick as lightning, the hea.
OF the serpent shot forth, as he endeav
ored to reach the intruder, but the pro
lessor was too quick, and the snak
missed, only to withdraw into the col
again, and wait another chance. With
gentle chirrup, as though clucking to
horse, the professor approached nearer
Wonderful to relate, the snake seemed