The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-01-12
WHITNEY'S WEEKLY
BUDGET OF NEWS
FARMER jim VAN sCOTTEN's
RATTLEsNAKE INDUSTRY.
Revival Meetings Held About the
County-Fish in the Nozzle--Sue
Graham Looking for Reward.
News Told in q Line or So--Anxi-
ETY. Among Wild Cats.
Special to The Scranton Tribune.

Special to The Scranton Tribune.
Susquehanna, Jan. 11.-Farmer jim
Van Scotten's Cascade Valley rattle
snake farm isa decided novelty. 1t is car.
ried on for the purpose of propagatins
rattlesnakes, which are sold at good
round price. A certain firm in Phila-
delphia is at present using rattlesnake
oil in the manufacture of a. popular
remedy. for rheumatism, and Van
Scotten<has agreed to furnish two hum
dred and fifty rattlesnakes for the
laboratory during the season. no rep
tile being less than six years old. or
measuring less than four feet in
length
There are thirty-seven mounds" on
the farm-slightly raised hillocks--
where the snakes burrow in winter
and live with their young in summer.
On the south side of one mound, where
they could get the full benefit of the
sun. were To be seen. on the day of the
writer's visit, over fifty reptiles, which
took no notice of the visit of specta-
tors. "That mound" said Farmer
Van Scotch, probably contains doz-
en- nests. and each nest at least ten
eggs. have seen nests holding cigh-
teen young rattlers, the largest not
over two inches in length The eggs
are about the size of those of Il part
ridge. but have a soft shell"
In the farmhouse was a box of saw
dust under the stove, containing TWEEN
ty-seven rattlesnakc eggs, which were
almost at the point of Matching. After
they had done So. the tiny reptiles
would be fed upon flies caught 70:
them by the children. Several pet
snakes glide about the home. They
are absolutely harmless. the poison sac
having been removed from their
mouths, and their fangs clipped with
pincers while they were under the in
fluence of chloroform. The reptiles
have no equals as mice exterminators,
and in the summer not only keep the
place free from bugs and flies. but
from tramps, book agents, lightning
rod peddlers and other human in
truders.
FLOTSAM AND JETSAM.
Revival meetings are in progress
throughout Susquehanna county. The
county ought to be the better for it.
Rev. T.. *. Thomas, pastor of the
Montrose Baptist church. was in town
on "Wednesday. officiating at the fu-
neral of the late Cornelius Wells Shew.
whose spiritual adviser he was while
he was confined in the county Jail.
The Erie is putting into service four
teen and sixteen section sleeping cars.
Sheriff Pryor. of Lackawanna coun.
ty. says that he never saw IA more sue
messful execution than the one in
Montrose on Tuesday.
The Susquehanna Transcript pays
Ellsworth. Of Montrose, "A deserved
compliment. Mr.. Ellsworth is evil
IDENTIFY the right man in the right
place.
The county commissioners will soon
determine who is entitled to the re-
ward of $1,000 offered by the count
for the arrest and conviction of the
murderers of Farmer Pepper. 1t will
probably be divided between several
persons.
gan's former common-!aw wife, eX-
poets to receive a slice of the reward.
All the same, Eagan and Shew might
have sent her to the penitentiary hut
they refused to give evidence against
her. This in spite Of the fact that the
woman gave the information which
caused the arrest of the murderers.
It's a queer old world,
FISH IN THE NOZZLE
During fire in Carbonate on Sat
urday night, when all was excitement.
all at once, ii is reported. the nozzle
of the hose was blocked shut. and still
the pressure was on the hose Final
ly the water was shut off and the noz-
zle was unscrewed. when, behold, d
1-pound pickerel. fresh from No. 1
pond, came fioundering out of the hose.
During the delay the fire gained great
headway.
JUST BETWEEN US.
Don't Judge a man by his failure i'm
life, for many man fails because IL
Is too honest to succeed.
1t Is healthy up in the Ararat Sec
tion, where you can often see a rain
storm below you. 4 man doesn't feel
under the weather." up there, you
know!
Trust in God-but try and not STUN.
BILE yourself
n nearby newspaper has an elabor-
ate article for amateur vocalists. "Hov