The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1894-07-31
A KENTUcKIAN
Eats Rattlesnakes 1t is the Host
Delicious of all Meats.

, well cooked. Mr.. Howard, who live
on Spy Run creek, near Yanceburs
KY, will therefore never go hungry a
long as he retains mis- cunning j
capturing the reptiles and his recip
for doing them to delicious brown
Mr.. Howard has been eating rattle
snakes for about ten years. Possibl.
this accounts for his fine robus
appearance and general good health
and in measure for the fact that h
weighs 220 pounds. To New Yorl
World correspondent who asked hin
to tell how he acquired this strange
liking for rattlesnakes, he said:
"One of my uncles told me he ha6
heard of people eating rattlesnakes, SO
out Of curiosity thought I'd try one
The woods in the section where / live
has alters been full of snakes. The
next day after 1 had been told snakes
was good 1 started out on hunt for a
rattler. l WASN'T long in findin' one.
hammered his head of, took him
home, skinned him, and soon had him
in the fryin' pan.
"My mother and sister wouldn't
stay in the house while was a-cookin'
of the thing, but 1 couldn't help that Z.
AFTER the serpent was done I took
him out, put him on 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 serpent
under my belt, and the day after that,
and so on, until formed a perfect
passion for snake fries. Thar amt no
food on earth that's any better than
fine, fat, well-fried rattlesnake.
young rabbits is good, squirrels is
toothsOme, quails is awful nice, young
chickens is not to be sneezed at-but
none of 'em has any chance with me if !
1 can git big, fat rattlesnake, The
rattler's flesh looks a good deal like
chicken, an when it is fryin' the odors
fit is exactly like young chickens
fryin', l tell you, you won't never
know tirst-class eatin' until we Parn.
like me, the glorious OF a rattlesnake
feast"
allow do you catch them?"
with forked stick. You see, in
snakes for the table you
must be very keerful ter keep 'em
rom bitin' themselves. So take
orked stick about five feet long, an
when | find my prey, with a short,
quick move l tasted the fork across
lis neck, about an inch from his head.
then hold him firmly with my left
land and with my right 1 stoop down
nd cut his head square off. Il
"Where do find most of 'em? Oh,
n bark piles. My part of the country
great tan-bark country. In a O
month or so after the bark is peeled
nd corded you'll fluid a rattler or two
n every pile. Do do without snakes f
n the winter? Oh, no; not much 1 s
ont. Z
During the summer season 1 lay by q
tores for winter. I catch scores, an '
cores of the sarpents, skin 'em and b
ry 'em and prepare 'em for winter, d
'st the same as others would store v
way their winters bacon. Catch me v
oin' hungry in the winter for the p
ant of snake! Not mach! I'm II
0 grasShopper to dance through the s.
lmmer and starve when the winter D
me comes" q
"Did you ever try eating any other
lakeW
"Yas; tried copperhead-one bite. a
hat done me from then ill now. 1t e.
ade me sick. Whew! l don't like a
+ think about that ARP g,