Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-08-30
THE RATTLESNAKE'S MASTER.

tney come.
THE RATTLESNAKE'S MASTER.
If This Weed Is Not Wonderful, the Story
About 1t Is.
News and Courier.
The horticultural department at
Clemson college is making an expert
ment with the growing of rather re-
markable weed which has been known,
though in a quiet way, for years in
the up-country. 1t is down in the
lists as "The Rattlesnake's Master"
and its good properties are said to be
such that snake might bite man to
its hearts content, and get only jolly
in return, provided the weed is used
in the proper kind of way. The
"master" grows in Anderson county,
as we'll as in other sections, and re-
Gently it was given care and attention
by Prof. DuPre, the horticulturist at
Clemson.
To the best recollection of people
who know the weed it was brought to
to this state from Texas, though it is
more than probable that it was thriv-
ing here when Texas was not on the
maps. Some years ago man from
the Lone Star state came this way
with a weed, potted and blooming, in
his caravan.
"It is a great thing" he told the
people, "and as long as you have it
about, you will never need whisky for
snake bites. 1 discovered it acciden-
tally one day." he went on to say,
"and I have never lost it since. Driv-
ing along the road once 1 saw a snake
fight which was being bitterly con-
Quoted by black snake and d rattler.
1t was fierce while it lasted and it was
peculiar affair. The rattler was get
ting in some rather swift punishment
on his opponent, and every now and
then the black viper would dart off,
stop.a moment by a green bush, and
then come back to renew hostilities.
This was kept up. Five times l saw
the snake 20 to the weed, and then l
decided to investigate. I went over
the side of it, and the next instant the
snake ran up and began biting vicious.
ly at the weed, and as soon as he
returned to the rattler I jerked the
weed up by the roots. Three or four
minutes later later the snake came
back for his health restorer but it
was gone. You should have seen
its antics. The snake was wild. 1t
jumped and darted and made terrible
struggles and lunges to find the weed ;
but it was missing. In less than three
minutes the snake, finding that its
ally was gone, tumbled over and died.
"In the meantime the rattler was
lying quietly, overcome by the fierce
struggle, thought l would try the ex-
pertinent further, so cut small piece
of the root, put it between the prongs
of long staff, and jabbed it toward
the rattler. From his half sleeping
position it jumped up like man shot.
He was drunk, or crazy, and made a
desperate effort to get away. But l
headed it off. Every direction it turn
ed it was met with the strange weed,
and finally it thought best to give up
the struggle. Then the snake delib.
erately twisted its head and jabbed the
poisone ed teeth into its neck and mo-
ment later was dead. 1t was clear
case of suicide"
After this wild story the weed was a
welcome guest in any garden. A man
from Pendleton said the other day that
the facts as related must have been
true, for on one occasion he took a
piece of the "master" through the
mountains and tantalized with it big
rattler until it died. Other stories
say that, years ago, the Indians living
in the country would capture big
rattlesnakes and stand bite for ten
cents, and then escape pain and dan
ger by eating particles of the celebra-
ted weed. 1t was said that this was
one of the side shows at Indian gath
erings, and none of the tribes seemed
to fear sting or a bite so long as the
precious antidote was about.
The worth of the weed has been
vouched for by so many good and rep
utable citizens that it has been given
place in the gardens at Clemson,
with view Of making its fine quail
ties better known in snake countries.
The only drawback is that the weed is
not of any value in killing snakes
seen in dreams, though it might be
used as a plank in the platform of
Prohibition people who do not like the
idea of men carrying whisky for
"snake bite," as they they so often do.
THEN He WAS NADIA Scotch
university professor, irritated to find
that his students had got into the habit
of placing their hats and canes on his
desk instead of in the cloakroom, an
nounced that the next article of the
kind placed there would be destroyed.
Some days later the professor was
called for moment from the class
room. A student slipped into his pri-
vate room and emerged with the pro-
fessor's hat, which he placed conspic'