The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-09-22

Special to the Scranton Tribune.
Susquehanna, Sept. 81. - Thaddeus
Hall, of Deep Hollow, this season added
upward of 900 rattlesnales to his score,
making more than LOO he has killed in
five years. Nearly $50 of last fall s
catch were killed in seven days in a
den near Hallstead.
Hall says he lost considerable money
the first year of his snake hunting by
not knowing that there was market
for the skins and rattles, as well as for
the oil. The skins he sells for twenty
five cents to 81. These are dressed into
ladies' belts, purses, slippers. etc. and
the rattles are mounted as jewels for
pins, earrings, and the like. and bring
from twenty-five cents to 81 a string.
The oil sells at fifty cents an ounce,
and a big, fat snake will sometimes
yield an ounce.
The best hunting season is usually in
the spring, when the snakes are leav-
ing their den, or in the autumn as they
gather for winter. When they come out
they assemble in intertwned groups Of
from three or four to fifteen, lying in
the sun until they collect energy for
their summers jaunt. In the fall they
return, apparently in families, the old
ones with from ten to twenty young
ones, foot or more in length.
Hall admits the hazard of his occu-
patton, and coolly says he "presumes
likely he will be bitten some day. and
like enough die from the Effects
MORE SNAKE.
Mrs. Israel Hopkins, of Pine Plains,
the wife of a farmer, few days since
took a candlestick, in which was a
lighted candle, in one hand. and bas-
ket in the other, to go into the cellar
after some kindling wood. AS she
opened the cellar door the family cat
ran past her down stairs. An instant
later the cat began to growl and spit.
The sounds of Il struggle came up the
stairway. Mrs. Hopkins thought the
cat was fighting with a rat and con-
tinued descending the stairs. AS she
reached the bottom and the light from
the candle fell on the floor, she saw the
coils of a large snake.
She screamed, dropped the basket and
candlestick, and turned to run up stairs
5 but tainted and fell backward upon the
cellar stairs. The scream startled Mr..
Hopkins, who ran downstairs. The light
had been eXtinguished, and he stepped
into the basket which was on one Of
the steps, and fell headlong over Mrs.
Hopkins. His left hand struck the
snake, which was squeezing the life out
of the cat.
Before Mr.. Hopkins could withdraw
his hand the reptile coiled about his
arm and bit him in the forearm. He
caught the snake by the throat with
his right hand and killed it. 1t was a
blacksnake, six feet long.
FLOTSAM AND JETSAM.
There is a rumor that Master Me-
chanic c. e. Fuller, of the Erie shops
in Susquehanna, will succeed Assistant
Mechanical Superintendent w. Lavery,
resigned, and that Mr.. Fuller will be
succeeded by Master Mechanic Wilson,
of the Dunmore shops.
The grangers of Susquehanna county
contemplate establishing "Grangers'
Home" at Glenwood.
The Susquehanna County Historical
society held an interesting session at
Hopbottom on Friday.
The Susquehanna County Teachers
association held a well-attended and
very beneficial meeting at Hopbottom
on Saturday.
Gilbert Il. McKune, of Harmony
township, Republican candidate for
county commissioner. narrowly escaped
death by asphyXiation at the Lewis
house, in Binghamton, on Wednesday
evening. He had attended the annual
reunion OF the Eighty-ninth New York
regiment during the day, and when he
retired he failed to turn the gas en-
tirely off. He was discovered fourteen
hours later, in an unconscious condi-
tlon, and taken to the City hospital. He
will probably recover.
JUST BETWEEN US.
Most prize fights are paper mills.
Talk Is cheap. If it We're dear we
should hear less of it,
Now autumn summer puts to rout
And chilly winds to blow begin;
The Ice cream joke is going out
The stove-pipe joke is coming In.
In an oyster campaign of course the
Enemy is shelled
keep it alone. Your friends of TODAY
may be your enemy of tomorrow.
The fellow who dragged his best girl
past the ice cream saloons during the
summer now takes her two blocks out
of the way to dodge an oyster fry.
IN PARAGRAPHS.
The funeral of Miss Anna Lannon, an
estimable young lady of Broad street,
will take place this afternoon from st.
Johns Catholic church, The remains
will be inferred in Laurel Hill cemetery.
Miss Gertrude Kinsley, former resi-
dent of Oakland, died in Jersey City,
where she was employed as steno-
grapher in the Erie railroad offices, on
Friday night The funeral will take
place from ST. Johns Catholic church,
susquehanna, on Monday morning,
when requiem high mass will be cele-
brated. The nterment will take place
In Laurel Hill cemetery.
A SPLENDID NOMINATION.
The Republican senatorial conference
having nominated Colonel Charles c.
Pratt, of New Milford, for state SENATOR
nave done we'll If the Republicans of
The district pull off their coats. go to
work unitedly and send him to Harris
burg by big majority, they will do
heir duty. The colonel Is entitled to
very Republican vote In the district,
md he ought to get it. He is an able,
sdueated gentleman, without flaw in
ais character or his history, and he
viii honor the district. Such men are
90 seldom sent to legislative halls, and
MS opportunity ought not to be ne