The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-04
MONEY IN SNAKE FARMING.
4 RANCH WHERE SNAKES ARE
GROWN o. TIE TRADE.

a Snake Chhrmer In Minnesota Farming mis-
Talents TO Account by breeding Reptiles
for Circnses - IintchInE out RattIrru nua
Addcrs-Diet aud Ways or his Stock.
ROCHESTER,, Mimi. July 2.--AlonE tho warm
and honoycombcd limestone bluffs that limo the
Zumbro River in this land Of wheat and cream
cries are the homes of vast numbers OF snakes.
In tho carly days Of settlement OF the North
west there were myriads OF all tho sorts %
deadly snakes known to North America to 10
found in this nciphhorhood. To-day there are
moro snakes caught for circus companies ana
other buyers here than anywhere else in the
country except in some of the lower counties Of
Florida All along the Mississippi and triDu-
tary streams where snakes are TO be found they
are caught for tho Rochester farm and sold 70
u. w. Estes, n young man, who runs the snake
farm and for several years has boon making q
success OF the venture.
MIR. Estes also carries on a snake hatchery
something after the manner Of n hennery, buh
considerably moro exciting The eggs produced
by his stock are gathered and laid In the sun On
tho sand. whore In time they hatch out young.
uters fully as lively and vcnornous ns their
parcnt6. So far this year several hundred have
been hntchcd, and all have tlrived on tho treat-
ment Rivcn them by Mr.. Estes and his as
~sistAnfs- Many OF these young snakes arc
reared for sale, and others arc used for food foe
tho king Anakc and others that cat only theip
own kind
A large part Of the business OF this Minnesota
farm Is In rnttlesnakes, At they arc moro plenti-
fl than any other variety All this region
used to be orerrun by them A single dny's re-
ceipts Of diamond-backed and other rattIcrv
often runs up to several score, especially when
an outside catcher for the farm. brtngs In his
encts full and sells them 10 MIR. Estes. Tboso
thhses vary from lhrte 10 six feet In length,
among tht OLlicr Earlcttcg received and RrOyn
arc spotted aqders,. blowsnakes, the beauifu1
blue racers, the spreading adders, and many
klpas o. wafer, s,ass anu garter snakes. AliEs
as well as some foreign snakes, are constantly
kept in stock for customers. mostly circus men.
Estes is a natural snake charmer. and never,
unless requested by his customer, takes out thG
fang. OF the animals in which he deals, and 10
this fact he attribute. considerable OF the suo.
force open its mouth and with his finger mad
hi. long experience in dis sort Of thing he has
never been bitten. His f%avorite method Of cap
trously swing the snake into a sack, but when
one y found lying at full length Estes grasps 10
assistants among the farmers Of this vicinity,
there Is no other man in this part Of the United
Ss@lss s %h e. d iiass i TO- open sna iT iaHs With bare
Hazel, who is only 8 years old, seems 10 have
b ss0 . ssmf h PSGfr oT Ese nh; as. Fe 5s |, s sS,.s can as o,to q.
Toying them TO twlne about her arm. and neck
80 far this year about 800 snakes Of tho moro
valuable varieties have beca shipped from this
farm. Not only are circuses and mcnagerieo
customers of Mr. Estes, but In many cignr storto
and saloons the reptiles are displayed as ct
fractions 10 custom A few days ago a rattieR
slx feet long, eight inches in girth and with
Wcnty-Sl IL rattles, Was sent to a Minneapolis
saloon keeper for his window. ~Isattlcrs are in.
sIpsns,ve things 10 have about the house, for .
healthy reptile taken in the spring will need no
FOOD Tor a year. The %rattlers in confinement are
now becoming blind preparatory 10 shedding
their skins. The wild. ~rattlers do not shed their
M Ilf 50 ThR mr. INn ana mt
CONSISTS chiefly OF, Sophers; frogs, rats, sguirrelS,
birds and rabbits being added Occasionally.
The small boys in this vicinity derive a con.
siderable revenue from catching and selling
snake food to the farm. A stranger scene can
hardly be witnessed than a cage full of snakes
making a meal Of fifty or one hundred frogs. In
their greediness they often swallow one another,
and II Is no unusual thing for 4 snake TO back
out of a compartments stomach. into which 1t had
pursued a tempting frog or gopher.