The age-herald., 1899-01-01

place is known as Bents Canyon rocky gulf forty miles long, that leads into a creek known in Southern Colorado as the "Picketwire." Its original name, given it by the old French voyagers, was "Purgatore," and its high banks, rushing water and rocky approaches filled the bill. The Amer ican plainsman, not being an expert French scholar, corrupted the name into the Pick etwire," which it Is now and probably ever will be.
 Every summer parties of Indians made up of braves, squaws and pappooses visited the Picketwire and opened up business. The squaws and children went out and hunted the rattler, while the buck either sat cross legged or lay down in the shade of some friendly powder and calmly inspected the results of the hunt when brought into camp
 GETTING THE BITE.
 In the hottest part of the summer the rattlesnake is believed by the Indians to be the most venomous and ugly, especially during the period when he is shedding his skin. It is also tradition that the snake goes blind for short time, and, conse- Quently strikes at every sound he hears. In the heat of the day the snakes crawl out of the ground and bask in the sun. the warmth of the earth and rocks being ex- tremely grateful to them. The squaws took . piece of raw meat, generally liver, weighing less than half pound. This was dangled tsmptingly by means of piece of string and an ordinary stick. six or eight feet long, over the nose of a huge rattler.
 The snake sprang his rattle and gathered his sinueus length into coil, with his rat ties in the center and the head towering above the body, rearing and slowly moving backward and forward, as always to keep the liver in front of him. He kept his rattles going constantly. and one who ever heard the peculiar whirring noise will never forget the time and place. The little unwinkng, beady eyes glow like miniature coals emitting a strange fascinating light that 1t IS not well to regard too closely. The frequently opening mouth display the slen- der blackforked tongue darting in and out with inconceivable rapidity and the white gistening fangs in the upper jaw ready for instant action.
 So the piece of meat was swung about the snake to the left to the right and over him, but just beyond his reach. This irri- tated him. so that when finally the bait was permitted to pass within his reach. his head darted from the center of his coil and the bait was fairly struck. The snake hung there moment and either disengaged him. self or was gently shaken off by the squaw. The strike of a poisonous reptile always seems to enervate them for moment or two, consequently the rattler In this in- stance resumed his coil again but slowly.
 Again the meat swung within his reach, and now he was thoroughly angry, as the object of his bite did not seem to show the faintest sign of his blow. This he could not understand and gathered himself for another attempt. Three or four times this act was repeated until all the venom had been exhausted. Another snake was imme- diately sought and again the tantalizing proximity of what to them was an enemy caused them 10 bury their fangs as often as possible in the bait. Many pieces of meat were treated in this manner until the say-