The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1897-11-13
WEALTH IN SNAKES.
a Minnesota Man Raises Theam
Tor PROFIT
He Sells the Reptiles Ter Exh1Ait1sn
Purposes and Ships HuAdroaa
Of Then Ala Over the
C01AtTy.

ParDoses and Ships Hundroaa
Of TAeM All over the
Along the warm and honeycombed
limestone bluffs that line thequiet Zum-
bro river in Minnesota are the homes Of
snakes by the million, and in the early
days of the settlement Of the northwest
there were myriads of all sorts of dead
ly reptiles known to North America to
be found in this neighborhood. To-day
there are more snakes caught for cir
Gus companies and other buyers there
than anywhere else in the country ex-
cept in some Of the lower counties of
Florida. All along the Mississippi and
tributary streams where snekea are to
be found they are caught for the
Rochester farm aud sold to O. w. Estes,
the bright, keen-eyed young man who
runs the snake farm, and who for sew
eral years has been making q success
of the venture.
Mr.. Estes also carries on . snake
hatchery, something after the manner
of hennery, but considerably more ex-
citing. The eggs produced by his stock
are gathered and laid in the sun on the
sand, where, in the course of time,
they hatch, and there are youngsters
fully az lively and venomous as their
pareota. So TAR this year several hum
dred have been hAtched and all have
thrived on the treatment given them by
IL e. g. -
these young snakes are raised for sale
and Others are used for feed for the
king snake and others that eat only
their own kind.
A chief part of the business OF this
Minnesota farm Il in rattlesnakes, as
they are more plentiful than any other
variety of the valuable reptiles. All that
region used to be overrun by them. A
single days receipts of diamond
backed and other rattlers often runs up
to several scores, especially when some
one or more Of the outside catchers for
the farm brings in his sacks full and
sells them to Mr.. Estes. These snakes
vary from three to six feet in length.
Among the other varieties received and
grown are the spotted adders, blow
snakes, the beautiful turtle heads, the
sullen bull snakes, the gentle blue
racers, the spreading adder and many
kinds of water, grass and garter snakes.
They are sold to the leading circus ag-
gregations, such as Barnum's, Ring
ling's, Forepaugh's. Sells and many
Others, while the lesser concerns take
the less expensive, because less harmful,
varieties. Alligators from FloridA and
crocoEles from abroad, ss well as some
foreign snakes. are constantly kept in
stock for customers.
Estes is q natural snake charmer,
and never, unless requested by his Gus
toner, takes out the fangs of the rep
tiles in which he deals, and to this fact
he attributes considerable of the sue
cess he has had in raising them. He
will, without fear, fondle rattler,
oull or an adder, force open its mouth,
and, with his finger nail deftly expose
the poison sacs and fangs. In all his
long experience in this sort OF thing
he has never been bitten.
His favorite method Of capture is to
grab the rattler by the tail and dex-
yerously swing him into sack, but
when one Ia found lying at full length
estes grasps it tightly back OF the
head. Though he has many assistants
.mong the farmers of the vicinity,
there is no other man, in that part OF the
United States at any rate, who dares to
open their jaws with bare hands, as he
does fearlessly. His little daughter
Hazel, who is only eight years Old.
seems to have the same power over the
reptiles. and can often be seen handling
he most deadly snakes and allowing
hem to twine over her arms and about
her neck.
So far this year about 600 snakes OF
the more valuable varieties have been
shipped from this farm. Not alone are
circuses and menageries customers
OF Mr.. Estes, but many cigar stores ana
saloons where the reptiles are displayeo
=. an incentive to custom or horrible
example purchase from the Rochester
farm. A few days ago a rattler. six feet
long. eight inches in girth and with 20
rattles. was sent to a Minneapolis sa-
loon keeper for exhibit IN his window.
They are inexpensive things to have
about the house, for healthy reptile
taken in the spring will need no 1000
for a year. The rattlers in confinement
are now about becoming blind, PreParr-
TOW to shedding their skins, which they
10 every summer, appearing in about
ten days with new, bright diamond
backs. The wild rattlers do not shed
their skins quite 30 early. The food
given these pets consists chiefly OF
eophers, while frogs, rats, squirrels,
birds and rabbits are added occasional
". The small boys in the vicinity de-
rive quite a revenue catching and sell
inc snake food to the farm. A stranger
scene can scarcely be witnessed than q
caoe full Of snakes making meal OF
so or 100 frogs. In their greetAness
they often swallow each other. and IT
IL no unusual thing for snake to back
out of a companions stomach, where II
has pursued q tempting frog or gopnef
The trade on this farm has not oeen
Influenced by hard times, but has IN
creased materially the past year r.-Cna'
cago Chronicle.
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