The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-01-03
TIPPING ARROWS WITH POISON
Rattlcsnake Venom Used 10y Western
Indians

BEFORE the white traders .houghtfully
furnished the North American Indian
with long-ranee rifles and ammunition
the primitive bow and arrow was the req
mans greatest protection against his
enemies 10 make the arrow more elle'-
tive the Indian poisoned it's point. Nheh
a white man was struck by one Of these
even If # made but mere scratch ms
life usually paid the forfeit. The ln-
dams did not always use these deadly
weapons but when on the warpath car
ried a few OF them 10 Poe utilized in the
case OF emergency. The intimate knoWl-
edge that Indians possess III foot3 1913"
herbs served them well in some sections
of the country, as they were able 10 ol--
40 "a fatal vegetable poison ON ilt
plains. however. where there is mo Iol-
age and, I'm fact no roots or hefDs' the
aborgine turned naturally 10 me snake
TO obtain his deadly ammunition. rs
rattlesnakes could be- found in thousands
upon the plains it was only necessary 10
collect the venom from the "ilsa'"3 ""-
vance agents of death.
The usual method Of the dusky brave
was 10 repair along toward the latter
part Of June or the early part or july
10 some locality where rattesnakes were
known TO abound i'm large numbers. o"e
favorte place is known as Bent can
Won. q rocky gulf forty miles long, ihat
| leads into d creek known on soulneih
Colorado as the "Picketwire, ITS orig
inal name given 81 by the Ola fIen'n
voyagers. was "Purgatoire ana lts hlsh
hanks rushing water and rocky ape
nroacbes filled the bill The American
plainsman. not being an expert French
scholar. corrupted the name into me
"Picketwire" which IL IS now and PROD
| ably ever will be.
Every summer parties Of Indians made
/ 40 Of braves. squaws and pappoo7es VS.
! tied the Picketwiro and opened up ousl-
ness The sauaws and children went OUT
| and hunted the RATHER while the buc-
! either sat cross-legged or lay down I'D the
| shade OF some friendly bowlder and nm
~ inspected the results of the hunt when
brought into camp.
| In the hottest part OF the summer ihe
rattesnake is believed by the Indians
| TO be the most venOmous and ugly espec-
iauv during the period when be is she'd
ding his skin. Ii is also tradition
that the snake goes blind for q snort
! time and. consequently. strikes an every
| ealind he hears In the heat OF me daY
| tho snakes crawl out of the ground ana
! bask in the sun. the warmth OF the earlh
! and rocks being extremely srateiui TO
! Them. the squaws took "a piece al IN"
| meat generally liver, weighing less IMAM
half "a pound This was dangled tempt
! inclv bv means of a piece OF string ana
| an ordinary stick. six or eisht teel lohs'
! over the nose Of hue rather
The snake sprang his rattle ana ea.i,-
cred his sinuous length into d COIL WIN
his rattles i'm the center and his heao
/ towering above the body. rearing and
| slowly moving backward and forward,
! So AS always 10 keep the liver m lrom
| of him. lie kept his rattles going con-
etantlv. and one who ever heard the pc
! clliar whlrring noise will never iois
the time and place The httle ul"iilA-
ing beadv eyes glow ike miniature Goals
emitting A strange fascinating light thal
~ is not well to regard too closely. Ihe
! frequently opening mouth ulspA@y 'He
, slender blaokforked tosue dartihs lli anu
out with inconceivable rapidity ana me
white glistening fangs In the upper Ja"
ready for instant action
81 the piece Of meat was swung about
the snake TO the left. 20 the risht ana
I over him. but just beyond his reach. TINS
irritated him, so that when finally the
! halt was pcrmitted 10 pass Nltnh MS
reach his head dartcd from the center
of his coil and the bait was falrly struck.
The snake hung there a moment and
either disengaged himself or was gently
shaken off by the squaw. The strike OF a
poisonous reptile always seems 10 eneT-
yate them for q moment or two, con-
seouently the rattle in this instance re-
sumed his coil again hut slowly.
Again the meat swung within MS
reach and now he was thoroughly angry
as the object Of his bite did not seem
TO show the faintest sign OF his dow
This he could not understand and gath
cred himself for another attempt. Three
or four Tunes this act was repeated unit
| an the venom had been EXHAUSTED. An
other snake was Immediately sought and
again the tantalizing proximity OF what
10 them was an enemy caused them %
bury their fangs as often as possible IN
the bait. Many pieces OF meat were
treated in this manner until the say
ages believed that they had obtained a
suficiency OF poison
A fire was built quickly and an iron
kettle produced. The impfcgnated meat
was thrown into the kettle and boiled
a trine OF water having been added e
I IT. until but a small residuum was OBJ
tained his, II kept warm, remained Il
a LIQUID condition. but coagulated readily
when ,akcn from the FIRE. During thu
boilin use meat, 'r.- ~ the squaws
II was frequently ta~.e rs the ao9