The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-10-25
FRIENDLY SNAKES OF KLAMATH.

/ Residents Reluctant to Part with a
Few Tons of Them at $500 a Ton
| Klamath Falls, Ore, Sept. 25-The
snake industry at klamath Falls, bids
/ fair to become important. A few weeks
ago Postmaster Caste received letter
from concern in Minnesota making
/ inquiry as to the price of the reptiles,
and il a shipment could be made to
i a Minnesota snake farm. Although
the letter was written on printed letter
pads, the postmaster thought some one
was trying to perpetrate joke upon
him. He replied, however, and stated
that it would supply all the snakes
wanted at twenty-five cents a pound.
BY return mall much to his surprise,
came an order for 400 pounds of snakes,
delivered at the nearest railroad sta
ton. The Minnesotan went on to state
that next season he would make fur
Their orders an object to Mr.. Castle, but
he would take 800 pounds more this
fall. Snake catching is now the order
of the day here. 1t is a paying bust
ness, as one man can easily capture
100 in day, and this represents at least
fifty pounds.
The klamath Falls snakes have a
world wide reputation. The town is
situated at the foot of Klamath Falls,
which begin at Upper Klamath Lake
and continue through a narrow rocky
gulch for mile, to the lower lake.
The descent is gradual, and the falls
nothing more than a rapid mountain
stream, hundred yards or more wide,
between the two lakes. This place
forms a sort of curve or elbow, and
was called "Ewawa," by the Indians.
meaning elbow. Along this river, or
falls, on a warm day, miles of snakes
curling, wrigling and crawling over
each other is no unusual sight, and if
the weather is little cool, one has to
wait for them to get out of the way, or
take a stick and lift them aside, as
many do. The stranger, on his first
trip to this section, is continually dodg-
ing and jumping sidewise, although he
is Informed that the reptiles are per-
fectly harmless The inhabitant doesn't
mind them at all. Little girls gather
aprunsfull, and small boys carry small
ones around in their pockets They are
regarded as pets here generally, and are
dom harmed. They come down into
the very town, and while walking along
the streets a couple of dozen may be
seen in going a block They simply
wriggle out of the way--crawl between
the cracks of the plank sidewalks, or
move off to one side. The snakes are
regarded as benefactors by the commu-
nifty, and there Is some complaint at |
parting with the few to fill the Mime |
sofa mans order.
The reptiles live and breed among the |
rocks and cliffs along the falls, and it |
is asserted that they have completely |
routed the rattlesnakes from the entire |
section, besides destroying all the mice |
and other pests that infested the place.
They attack a rattlesnake, and while |
one alone has been known to kill the |
largest rattler, number will wind |
about the venemous reptile |
and strange it in a short time. vt is
claimed that before the these snakes |
made their appearance the rattlers in
'ested the region, but they are now sell
lom seen.
The species is said to be a water
,ndha, and this is evidenced by The fact ,
hat they will take to the water If there |
S no other means of escape when
and move about in that ele-
nent with the ease and skill of fish.
they are of a dark color, about three
eet long, when full-grown, and have
tripe a little lighter than the general
olor down their back All sizes may
re seen among them, brom the three or
baby snake to the full-grown
mes. On warm day they are Visible |
y the thousands, and in many cases
hey coil up by the dozens in hugh rolls
lectures of these rolls have been sent. |
pom inquiry all over the world A
armer living in the gulch by the banks |
the river has great difficulty in u.s.