Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1899-08-31
A SNAKE WEED STORY.
AWondertql PlantWith Which Clemson Pr9tes,
sors are said to bs Experimenting. s$

The horticultural j department at
Clemson College is making an ex-
pertinent with the growing of "a
rather remarkable weed, which has
been known, though in Q 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 a snake might
bite man to it's hearts content, and
get only a jolly in return, provided
tho weed is used in the proper kind
Of way. The "master" grows in
Anderson county, as we'll as in other
sections, and recently it was given
care and attention by Prof. DuPree,
the hortioulturist at Clemson.
To the best recollection of people
who know the weed it was brought
to this State from Texas, though it
is more than probable that it was
thriving hero when Texas was not on
the maps. A few years ago man
from the Lono Star State came this
way with weed, potted and bloom
ing, in his caravan. cit is q great
thing" he told the people, "and as
long as you have it about you will
never need whiskey for snake bites.
discovered it accidentally one
day." he went on to say, "and have
never lost it since. Driving along
the road once 1 saw snake fight
which was being bitterly conducted
by black snake and n rattler. 1t
was fierce while it lasted, and it was
peculiar affair. Tho rattler was
getting in some rather swift punish
mont on his opponent, and every
now and again the black viper would
dart off, stop moment by green
bush, and then come back to renew
hostilities. This was kept up. Five
times [ saw the snake go to the
weed, and then l decided to invcsti-
gate. | went over to the side of
the weed, and the next instant the
snake ran up and began biting vi
ciously at the weed, and as soon as
he returned to the rattler | jerkcd
the weed up by the roots. Three or
four minutes 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 dartcd and made terri
bic struggles and lunges to find the
weed, but it was missing. In less
than three minutes the snake, find
ing that its ally was gone, tumbled
over and died.
Gin the mean time the rattlcr was
lying quietly, overcome by the fierce
struggle. l thought I would try the
experiment futher, so I cut Il small
piece Of the root, put it between tho
prongs of long staff, and jabbed it
toward the rattler. From his half
sleeping position it jumped up like a
man shot. lie was drunk, or crazy,
and made desperate effort to get
away. But headed it off. Every
direction it turned it was met with
the strange weed, and finally it
thought best to give up the struggle.
Then the snake deliberately twisted
its head and jabbcd the poisoned
teeth into it's neck and a moment
later was dead. 1t was q clear case
Of suicide"
After this wild story the weed
was welcome guest in any garden.
A man from pendlcton said tho
other day that the facts as related
must have been true, for on one oc-
casion he took a piece of the "mas-
ter" through the mountains and tan
talizcd with it n big rattler until it
died. Other stories say that, years
ago, the Indians living in the up
country would capture big rattle
snakes and stand bite for ten cents,
I'd then escape pain and danger by
eating particles of the celebrated
weed. 1t was said that this was one
of the side shows at Indian gather
ings, and none of tho tribe seemed to
fear sting or bite so long as the
precious antidotc was about.
The worth OF the weed has been
vouchcd for by so many good and
reputable citizens that it has been
given a place in the gardens at Glenn
son, with view Of making its fine
quality better known in snake coun-
tries. The only drawback is that
the weed is not Of any value in kill
ing snakes seen in dreams, though it
might be used as plank in the plat
form of prohibition people who do
not like the idea of men carrying
whiskey for "snakc bite" as they SO
often do.-Ncws and Courier.
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