Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1895-05-31
MISSOURI SNAKE CATCIILRs
A Queer Industry Carried On
Along the Mississippi
The Reptiles Forsake the Low Lands In
the Fall and Seek the Bluffs,
Where They Hibernate
Through Winter.


The cool fall weather affords the
careful observer fine opportunity for
noting one If the curious things in
nature the migration of snakes. says
tho Alton correspondent Of the st.
Louis Republic. These reptiles look
up their winter quarters. and these
quarters in this vicinity may hr found
III the bluffs which line the river bank
above the city. All the snakes which
spend the summer in the bottom lands
# Missouri point. just opposite. make
their way across the river "a the bluffs.
where they hibernate until the gentle
l'rrcZc> nf spring thaw them out, when
they Slip down the Shalr and debris
which undrrlic the bluffs and again
seek the lnwlands.
The crossing of the river is very
simple matter for them. They simply
swim over. and many are killed by
fishermen while making this crossing
An old resident of the bluffs above
this city states that he has seen the
time i'll November when the river
could not be crossed in a skiff, especial
~ in the middle of the day when it
was wa-mcst, without at least IL dozen
snakes being seen swimming for the
bluffs. and he has frequently killed n
half dozen rattlcsrakeS with an oar
while going to and from Alton.
A hunter along these bluffs lately
saw an old man who appeared to
be looking very intcntly at the water
with tield-glass. and, curious to dis
cover what it meant. joined him at the
edge of the water. The man had with
him besides the field-glass a heavy
sack and II curious pair of long wooden
tongs, and in answer to questions said
he was snake catcher. watching the
surface of the water the while.
Presently he sighted snake swim
ming for shore 4 short distance above
where he was standing, and proceeded
to meet him with his tongs, with
which he picked up the snake as he
landed. Improved to be a black snake.
and was dropped into the sack without
further ado. During the next hour he
caught two water snakes, garter
snake and n spreading adder. The
last he put in his sack and turned out
the others, saying that they were mo
good"
The old man had grown quite friend
ly by this time, and visit, by invita-
ton. was paid To his cabin boat. in the
back room of which he had corraled
over fifty live and kissing snakes,
which he said he sold to a party in st.
Louis. who resold them to others for
different purposes. The trick of catch
ing them he had learned when a boy
| from Indians, who would come down
to the bluffs and catch rattlesnakes as
they crossed the river. These Indians
used to catch them with boats, and
sold them to a man at the fort. lie
had learned something that the In
dams did not know, however and that
is that a man can catch more snakes
along the shore with half the work.
Snake catching is followed every fall
of the year here by number of men
who appear to find recreation, excite
ment and profit in the occupation,
while at the same time they are rid
ding the neighborhood of some very
undesirable visitors and thus con-
ferring benefit on their fellowman.