The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1897-07-15

AouO1oo uooO1y IoPtIloo Will lu0lI
fangs intact. The Journal of July Sd
has long article about the farm as
follows:
Along the warm and honeycombed
limestone bluffs that line the peaceful
Zumbro river in this section are the
homes Of snakes by the million, and in
the early days of the settlement of the
northwest there were myriads of all
deadly snakes known to North Ameri-
ca to be found in this neighborhood.
To-day there are more snakes caught
and raised for circus companies and
other buyers here than anywhere else
in the country, except in some of the
lower counties of Florida. All along
the Mississippi and tributary streams
where snakes are to be found they are
caught for the Rochester farm, and
sold to 0. w. Estes, the bright, the
keen-eyed young man who runs the
snake farm, and who for several years
has been making success of the VEN
ture.
Mr.. Estes also carries on snake
hatchery, something after the manner
of a hennery, but considerably more
exciting. 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 as alive and venom-
GUS as their parents. So far this year
several hundred have been Matched,
and none but have thrived on the
treatment given them by the Mr.. EST
es and his assistants. Many of 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 is in rattlesnakes, as
they are more plentiful than any
other varieties of the valuable reptiles.
All this region used to be overrun by
them. A single days receipts of dja-
mond- backed and other rattlers often
runs up to scores, especially when
someone or more of the outside catch
ers for the farm brings in his sacks
full, and sells them to Mr.. Estes.
These snakes vary from 3 to 6 feet in
length. Among the other varieties re-
ceived and grown are spotted adders,
blow snakes, the beautiful turtle heads,
the sullen and venomous 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 aggregations, such
as Barnum's, Ringling's, Forepaugh's
and others, while the lesser concerns
take the less expensive, because less
harmful, varieties. Alligators and
crocodiles, as we'll as some foreign
snakes, are constantly kept in stock
for customers.
Estes is a natural snake charmer,
and does not bother to take out the
fangs of the animals in which he deals.
He will, without fear, fondlea rattler,
bull or an adder, force open its mouth
and with his finger nail deity expose
the poison sac and fangs. In all his
long experience in this sort of thing
he has never been seriously bitten.
His favorite method of capture is to
grab the rattler by the tail, and dex-
terously swing him into a sack, but
when one is found lying at full length
Estes grasps it tightly back of the
head Though he has many assist
ants among farmers along the river,
there is no other man, in this part of
the United States at any rate, who
dares to open their jaws with bare
hands as:he!does, fearlessly. His lit
tie daughter, Hazel, who is only eight
years old, seems to have the same
power over the reptiles and can often
be seen handling the most deadly and
full-fanged snakes, and allowing them
to Irvine over her arms and about her
neck.
So far this year about 600 snakes
have been shipped from the farm. Not