The Lehi banner. [volume] (Lehi, Utah) 1891-1917, 1897-07-27
A SNAKE FANCIER.
Tells About Harmless Snakes and
Says Some Are Useful
Small serpepts Could RID Farm OF
~ tho Army Worm--The Rattlers
| Sometimes ComnIt
~ Suicide.

several garter snakes. Pete had Just
finished placing l3 new snakes INTO the
case adjoining the den of rattlers which
has long been the pride of his heart.
CAS- soon as anyone commences talk
ing snake" said Pete. I'm right az
home. How many snakes have in ali
Oh. about rs. Those in that side are a;
poisonous, hut these are not known t.
be very bod"
At this the snake fancicr tori; irc..
a bunch OF reptiles q light brown Sreks
with dark spots on its body. Pctr ey.
planned that it was "A spotted adder, anj
was one OF new lot that he had lust
received.
"The spotted adder can bite" said
Pete, shut there is no poison. AS ne said
that he opened the snakes mouth with
his fingers and exposed dangerous
looking tongue, bat there were no fangs
such as the rattlers and other poison
Gus snakes have.
The new snakes received the other day
were contributions from friends of
Peta's in Miami. I. T. The box in which
the snakes came was marked "11h
pounds of snakes, IS cents 4 pound"
Thars was no other writing on the box
other than the address Of Pete Gruber,"
which is "Rnttlesnake Pete's" more
formal name. The box contained snakes
q Ae following species: Cotton
mouth snakes. copperheads. chicken
snakes, coppe bottom and mud snakes.
It will be seen that mcet Of these
snakes are very poisonous. The cotton
mouth snake ia similar 10 the RATTLE
snake in every way excepting he lac'
OF rsttles. It Is said that these snakes
are more poisonous than ratJers, but
Pete, who has had considerable rxpe-
rience nursing snake bites, does not be-
lieve 10. ---Ass. -',y....sT,a v,s-'-'' '''.
& The chicken snake is a black snake,
with red spots dotted here and there or
i1ta body, and is quite pretty. As Pete
took one of them from the case md ex-
amined him thoroughly, he remarked
that he guessed there wasn't much roi>
son aboutit. The copper-botton snakes
are similar 20 the SNAKES found in Flor
ida and otherVsouthern states. Pete
also handled them with great readiness.
but, in taking the cotson-T.outh. cop
perhead and mud snakes from the box,
he used more caution.
While the reporter. was talking 20
Pete, long box arrived by eXpress
which was Immediately opened. Il con
tanned large, bright-colored snake
which is known ss coach whip. II
was seven feet bong, and came from
Chadwick, Mo. The man Of many snakes
took the reptile and threw 1t in with the
others and locked up the cage.
AS he locked the door be pointed 70 a
four-foot snake which was curled M
in one corner of the cage. He was n cop.
per-bottom from Florida. He had just
swallowed field, or garter snake, meas
uring about three feet in length. An
other snake in the same cage had iust
been fed 16 small mice and one kitten :
week old. In order 80 prove tina: the
snakes would eat anything, Pete opened
the den and placed an ordinary egg in
trout of one of the largest reptiles. His
snaaleship was not long in encirclirc
the egg, and when he swallowed II hC
WINS seen TO tighten the body as il IL
break the she'll
The attention OF Rattlesnake Pete was
called TO n statement which was pub.
lished from Cleveland, which stated thai
the army worm, which had been doing
much damage in the northern part al
Ohio, had an enemy in the r0ttlesnake
Pete stated that not only did the rat
tlesnalkes dcvour thearmy worm, but al
snakes were fond Of them.
"If the farmers only knew when they
were well Off" said Pete, their garden
truck would be much better II 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 fact whore snake,
have gone through gardens and picl;ct
b, gs off the vegetables, Hence his mp
peal for the harmless little creatures.
In speaking Of the nature Of snnl;e'
in general, Pete wound up the converse
ton by describing the attitude OF the
black snake toward the rattlers, ard il
fact all Others but particular the
former. Pete has a large number o.
black snakes and rattlcrs in the snm,
cage. When one of the r0ttlers starts "a
dauo,,r a eu,aIler snake or apVth ipr n n