Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-02-19

rather sickly: a good deal of an invalid
don't look much like an invalid Tow, do L?
BY cam ping out and marching / became
robust and strong. After the war when
returned to peaceful life, the same old
feeling came back. My doctor advised me
to go TO a warm climate and get out doors
as much as possible. So 1 got tent and
Hent to Florida, and for a number of years
! camped out great deal
I began to collect things, such as birds
eggs and snakes. and l opened some In
dian mounds. Some way it got noised
around the country and people from all
over wrote me for snakes The Smithson-
ian Institution at thLt time was particular
~ interested in getting snaEes for physi-
Clans who were making scientific expert
entS L sent thousands to that inStitu-
ton, and many that / collected went TO
Toronto for the Historical Society, while
others We're sent to Berlin. Ps ris and Lor-
don 1 might say that most of them went
through the Smithsonian. I continued In
the business until about five years ago
when i begin to be known as the snake
man 1 was not ambitious for such a title
so l stopped it.
Hunting Snakes.
81 was special agent for the land office
of the government for twelve years. and
this gave me an opportunity of furtherng
my knowledge Of snakes and their ways
Yes. have had some very interesting ex-
periences- But, dc you know that while
/ have handled thousands of rattIesnakes |
never came across more than two in my
wa1derings through the woods of Florida
You know 1 usually buy them of the COL
ored people, some of whom have in DAYS
gone by made living supplying me with
snakes l have hunted for rattlers MANY
tunes, bur these two occasions were the
orr ones that ever encountered any.
The first time was in 1875. The state
wanted me to represent 1T with flora and
fauna at the centennial. 1 was looking for
certain kind of wood / had my hand
resting against q big tree while 1 was look
Ing above into the branches, when 1 heard
the ground and saw a big RATHER all coiled
up was afraid to move for fear that II
wouh strike me. 1 was virtually standing
right over it. 1t raised its head as 7 sun-
posed. to get ready to strike but, instead.
turned around and glided away And 1
mace spring IN the opposite direction.
1or was unnerved, as 1 knew the danger
Of a Tattler's bite After / had gone on a
short distance 1 realized what a fool was
ana went back and got the snake. With
The aid of a forked stick L caught IT by the
pack OF the neck and carried 1t home in
my hands.
The second instance. I was going from
Tampa TO old Tampa bay and had to pass
tnreugh piece of thick palmetto scrub.
was following cow path, and my guide
was just ahead OF me. As / looked ahead
ne was Just stepping over a big RATHER that
was cc1led up / waited until he was pa ST
the snake, and then 1 yelled at him. He
to the cattier. He sprang back and CATCH
ing up pine knot, slammed it on the
snake before could prevent him from do
ing L. OF course, he ruined the snake for
my use.
One Peculiarly.
A popularity of snakes is that if YOU
bruise one the skin viii slough off aud then
the ants will get at it and eat 1t alive Any
snake wounded in this way is bound to die.
The ants used to battle great deal If a
healthy snake should come in contact with
a dead snake the odor would be retained
and the ants would attack the healthy
snake and eat it, j have seen many cases
Where snake thus dies In captivity with
others the only way you can preserve the
rest Is to put fresh earth in the cage and
Isolate the cage In water so the ants cam
get TO IL. And then you may be defeated.
The ants are persistent, and their love for
DEAD snake meat is paramount to their
other desires.
"A dozen years ago. Mr. Shindler. the
celebrated artist of the Smithsonian had
an exciting experience with a snake / sent
to the institute. Mr.. Shindler Ia now en-
gagged restoring the pictures in the Catlir
collection that were injured IN the Smith
sonian fire a few years ago. He ia a
painter of fishes, snakes and animals. and
ranks among the best in the world / had
got a snake which the people of Florida
call the calico, or thunder snake. but the
true scientific name of which Is the eiapse
The elapse is very brilliantly colored and
grows seldom more than eighteen inches in
length Its rings are yellow, black and
red ] had known 1t to be a very poison
Gus snake. In fact, few who have been bit
ten have ever lived more than six or eight
hours The bite Is like that of the Egyp-
tian asp The victim soons falls into q
comatose condition. from which it is hare
to rally him.
ON this elapse the markings were some
what different, and asked. In sending II
70 the smithsonian, that 1t be examined
carefully to determine whether IL was reaI-
" an elapse or new species Shindler
Wno is great admirer of snakes or was
II that time. and had many pet harmless