The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-06-03
MIR. BARrLETT,S SNAKE MINE.

| State Farms--The Accidental Discovery
! That an Adder Makes a Good Walking
StiekResults in the Establishment of
| Unique Industry.
[From the Worcester Telegram.l
Hamilton, or Ham Bartlett, as he is
known among his neighbors, is proba-
bly, one of the very few men in the
country who breed and rear snakes for
a livelihood This, however, is Hams
occupation, and during the fall months
of the year. when he harVests his crop
of kissing, twisting, swapping pets, he
is enabled to lay by goodly number Of
sheckles for rainy day.
Mr.. Bartlett lives in Shrewsbury, on
what is known as the old Turnpike
road, in the western part of the town
ship. Here he has a farm that was
titled by his father and grandfather be-
fore him. The little farm is an unpre-
tentious affair, comprising about TWEEN
ty acres, at least one-half of which is
pasturage In the rear of the little old
farmhouse is situated ledge running
nearly the entire length Of the farm.
1t is a sort of rotten limestone, in some
rocks have for years been crumbling
away. On tho top of the knoll or ledge
is a grove, consisting mostly of low ev-
ergreen trees and mountain laurel. 1t
is here that the snakes which are so
profitable to Mr.. Bartlett are reared
and caught In tho summer they ven
ture out of the grove, which Is
swampy sort Of a place, and then the
sides of the ledge can be seen to be lit
orally alive With snakes of the adder
variety
I These snakes have made this place
their home for years. even the oldest
inhabitants remembering when the
Bartlett homestead was Stunned by
many of the townspeople, who believed
the bite Of the adder to be poisonous,
and who feared to venture near 1t, For
years also did the Bartletts try every
known method to rid their farm of the
pests. Armed with clubs and other
missiles, they would day aster day visit
their home on sunny side Of the ledge,
and there slaughter as many as posi-
Bile. The day was to come, however,
when the true value of these serpents
was to be made known.
1t was three years ago last summer
that the Bartletts received visit from
a city cousin whose home is in Boston
He had come out to spend his vacation
with his fathers brother, who is
prominent shoe dealer at the Hub
Young Bartlett is dashy sort of fell
low, the personification of neatness in
his dress, and invariably carrying
cane in his hand. One day he observed
a dead adder lying by the side of the
ledge where 1t had fallen a victim to a
club in the hands Of his cousin. He
could not help being attracted by the
great beauty of the spotted colorlng of
the snake, and simultaneously 1t oc-
Cured to him that 1t would not be a
bad idea for him to send the snake to
some taxidermist and have the skin
properly prepared. He could then
stretch 1t upon stick to be used as a
cane. The thought was parent to the
action, and the dead snake was boxed
up and shipped off to Boston. The
cane made, it was proudly exhibited
to his friends by young Bartlett, all of
whom acknowledged its great beauty,
and were DESTROYS of securing like
canes Thus it was that from time to
time Mr.. Bartlett received requests for
a dead adder accompanied by liberal
checks. Now Mr.. Bartlett harvests a
regular crop each fall, getting exceed
ingly liberal prices, the sum total OF
which exceeds what he would be able
to make on a dozen Shrewsbury farms
Mr.. Bartlett's snake farm was visited
yesterday by a. Telegram reporter, and
he saw no snakes on the
ledge, they being in their winter quar-
ters, he did listen to any amount Of |
snake talk, all of which proved inter- |
sstlng.
II guess" remarked Mr.. Bartlett, af- |
ter cordially welcoming the scribe, |
that you have come to the only snake |
arm in the country. I have heard, |
however, that there Is chap out west |
who breeds rattlesnakes for
heir oil, but I don't know as there is
my such fellow, and I even forget |
where he lives"
Mr.. Bartlett explained his method Of
capturing the adders, which is by |
means of long fish pole, from the end
If which is suspended wire slip moose
\ snake sighted-and there Is sure to |
,e any number in sight on a sunny day
n summer-all he has to do is to hold
t over the snakes head. 1t will then
1t once raise its head several inches so
is to enable it to look around better
md see what Is going on Now Is the
ime Mr.. Bartlett gets in his work.
With a hasty throw the moose is
ropped down over the viper's head and
uddenly jerked up, and the snake is a
Mr.. Bartlett was formerly
.fraid of their bite believing with
many others that the touch of Its fangs
5 deadly. He has learned from expert
nee that there is nothing more harm
I'll about the bite Of the adder than the
caused by the bite of
at or dog.
One thing which causes Mr.. Bartlett
ny amount of perplexity is as to the
est method to be used in killing them,
s they die exceedingly hard. OF
curse it is very essential that the skin
e kept intact and not bruised OF lace