Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1895-01-24
RATTLESNAKES' PARADISE.
Southern Arizona Is the Reptiles
Favorite Breeding Ground.


Ihere Is no locality in the union,
SO Prof Henry Palmer, Of the Smith
sonian institution says, that is so nat
ural a breeding-ground for the rattle
snake = the Crotalus horriIus - as
southern Arizona. Similar authority
Is quoted to the effect that there Is
scarcely a more venomous reptile In
the country than the bloated RATHER
Of this region. The rocks Of tho
mountains and foothills are heavy
yellow and gray color, and the soil is
SO nearly the hues Of a RATHER that a
snake can move slowly along and be
hardly perceived by person fifty feet
away. The hot, dry air, and the warm,
sandy earth, through at least ten
months in the year, and the immense
quantity Of small birds and ground
squirrels in the mountain canyons and
brush, all combine to make life for
rattlesnakes in this region one OF rare
ease and comfort for many a long year
There are literally tens Of thousands
Of rattlers in the sage b ush and chap
arral along the edge Of the southern
Arizona wastes. They grow to enor.
nous size, and 1t is common to read in
the local newspapers Of this part OF
the territory items Of news Of the cap
ture Of rattlcsnalcs I've and six feet
long and with fourteen and fifteen
rattles. Localities and objects Of ma
ture all over the territory have been
named from the serpents. There are
rattlcsnale canyons, rattlesna,c or.
royos, rattlcsnale creeks, rattlcanale
mountains and rattlesnakc gulchcs.
Over at Marieopa an old fellow has
named his dispensary of intoxicaats
after the most yenomous American
snakes, and RattlesnaEe Roost,'
painted in clumsy latters, stands in
bold relief over the door.
The best informed man In regard to
rattlers in this part Of the territory is
acknowledged to be Jim Davis. lie is
about sixty-lve years old, and has
lived on the border of civilization for
fifty years. lie is one Of the large
army of men who were eternally de.
moralized by the gold booms in Cali
fornia years ago and became relegated
to devil-may-carc, Independent and
happy-go-lucky way OF getting his liv-
Ing by using his gun and by travelling
across the mountains and over the val
leys with q blanket and a skillet across
his back. Everyone says that for un-
adulteratcd snake information there's
no one like "Rattler jim"
'Do | know much about rattle
snakes?' said the old man as he sat
tipped back In chair, sucking vile
corncob pipe, in saloon in Benson,
A. T., the other dry "You bet yer
life know thing or two about 'em.
I've killed thousands Of EN-, I've been
here In this snake country just close
onto twenty-four years, and never
have been out OF 1t, could sit all
night and keep telling you something
new every minute about rattlesnakes.
GOSH how ! hate the varmints. |
never miss trying to kill EN- off, but
It's about useless tryin' to clear out
this yerc country Of rattlers. They
breed SO darned easy. Every female
rattler Is good for thirty or forty rat
tlesnakes year, 80 I've about given
UP tryin' TO do anything more at snake
KILN.
"This Is the dryest year we've had In
long time in this end Of the territory,
and it's an awful season for snakes. 1t
Is so dry and we have had terrible hot
weather since May. These here locust
bugs are all over the country, and they
buzz Just like the rattlers. Whenever
I'm out hunting and kick bush q
whole swarm Of locusts, buzzln' for oil
they're worth, come flying out Their
singin' puts me off my guard, because
| can't hear the rattlesnakesa rattlin'.
I'm most afraid to hunt at all now, for
you know it's just about certain sure
death for IN old white man like me to
get Arizona rattlesnake venom IN his
body at the end Of long summer I'd
rather DO shot plumb through the chest
any day than to take chances on
pullin' through pizenin' by desert
RATHER, when he is pulled up plumb full
Of pizen as they are now. At some
seasons Of Che year there amt any.
where near as much danger from rat
tlesnakcs
"But Arizona rattlesnakes amt near
SO dangerous in some ways as them
used to be back In the mountains Of
Pennsylvania and Ohio. The desert
m ttlera pre int and law Thev Amt