The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-09-05
A SNAKE FANCIER.
Tells About Harmless Snakes ano
Says Some Are Useful
smau serpents Could Rid = Farm q
the Army Worm-The Rattlsrs
Sometimes Commit
Suicide.

) tits q shame to kill those harmless
little snakes" said Rattlesnake Pete,
when a reporter told of recent trip to
the country, where he saw farmer kin
several garter snakes. Pete had just
finished placing 13 new snakes into the
case ad joining the den of rattlers, which
has long been the pride of his heart
"As soon as anyone commences talk
ing snake" said Pete, I'm right al
home. How many snakes have in all ?
Oh, about Is. Those in that side are all
poisonous, but these are not known tc
be very bad"
J At this the snake fancier took from
Abunch Of reptiles light brown snake
with dark spots on its body. Pete ex.
planned that it was a spotted adder, and
was one Of new lot that he had just
received.
THE spotted adder can bite" said
Pete, ''but there is no poison. As he said
that he opened the snakes mouth with
his fingers and exposed dangerous
looking tongue, but there were no fangs
such as the rattlers and other poison.
ous snakes have.
The new snakes received the other day
were contributions from friends OF
Pete's in Miami, I. T. The box in W hich
the snakes came was marked: "11H
pounds of snakes, IS cents a pound"
There was no other writing on the box
other than the address of pete Gruber."
which is "RattlesnaIe Pete's" more
formal name. The box contained snakes
Of the following species: Cotton
mouth snakes, copperheads, chicken
snakes, copper-bottom and mud snakes.
It will be seen that most of these
snakes are very poisonous. The cotton.
mouth snake is similar 70 the rattle
snake in every way excepting the lack
of rattles. 1t Is said that these snakes
are moro poisonous than rattlers. but
Pete, who has had considerable expe.
rience nursing snake bites, does not be
lieve it.
The chicken snake is black snake,
with red spots dotted here and there on
its body, and is quite pretty. As Pete
took one of them from the case and ex.
amined him thoroughly, he remarked
that he guessed there wasn't much poi.
son about it. The copper-bottom snakes
are similar to the snakes found in Flor
ida and other southern states. Pete
also handled them with great readiness,
but, in taking the cotton-mouth. cop
perhead and mud snakes from the box,
ne used more caution.
While the reporter was talking to
Pete, long box arrived by express
which was Immediately opened. 1t con-
tanned large, bright-colored snake
which is known as a coach whip. II
was seven feet long, and came from
Mo. The man Of many snakes
took the reptile and threw it in with the
others and locked up the cage.
AS he locked the door he pointed to
four.foot snake which was curled ur
in one corner of the cage. He was cop
per-bottom from Florida. He had just
field, or garter snake, meas.
uring about three feet in length. An.
other snake IN the same cage had just
been fed 16 small mice and one kitten
week old. In order to prove that the
snakes would eat anything, Pete opened
the den and placed an ordinary egg in
front of one Of the largest reptiles. His
was not long in encircling
the egg, and when he swallowed it he
was seen to tighten the body as if to
break the shell.
The attention Of Rattlesnake Pete was
called to a statement which was pub
lished from Cleveland, which stated that
the army worm. which had been doing
much damage in the northern part OF
Ohio. had IN enemy in the rattlesnake
Pete stated that not only did the rat.
devour the army worm, but all
snakes were fond of them.
IF the farmers only knew when they
were well off," said Pete, "their garden
truck would be much better if they al
lowed the small snakes about the gar.
den which are generally killed TO live,
that they might devour the insects"
Pete has known for a fact where snakes
have gone through gardens and picked
bugs of the vegetables. Hence his APP
peal for the harmless little creatures
In speaking Of the nature of snakes
in general. Pete wound up the converse.
ton by describing the attitude of the
black snake toward the rattlers. and in
feet ell others, but particular the
former Pete has a large number Of
black snakes and rattlers in the same
cage. When one of the rattlers starts &c
devour a smaller snake OF anything that
the black SNAKES want, the latter twists
around the body of the rattler and
soueezes so hard that he cannot swallow
the object.
The result is that the RATHER invari.
@ IDLY chokes up whatever he has started
to eat and moves slowly away. They
never attempt to strike at black snake.
Rattlers often strike at objects which
they miss and happen to bury their
iangs in other snakes. but in all his en-
perience Pete has never had one of these
cases which proved fatal.
However, he claims that suicide is
common thing among rattlers. as only
the other day he had large rattlesnalle
die from a wound self-inficted. tap
pears that about a week ago this big
snake turned slowly around when Pete
was standing in front of the cage and
struck at himself. Its fangs were buried
deep into his skin. and IN the morning
he died.-Rochester Democrat and
Chronicle.
POOR ITALY.