The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-17

iireqnently ests several miles from Ia don
"n tne rTst appearance Of cold weather
unless II hos been disturbed there, wher
~ SEEKS on her quarters. Rattlesnakes swim
Win great ease. floating lightly upon the
,h Mer, With their rattles held Up 10 keer
'hem from getting wet.
II Is generally thought that thev canro,
oumb' but the writer knows Of one killed
upon Inc beam OF tannery at !cnst ten
n leet from he ground. Another similar
Daniel Warren Of Lordville. Delaware
county. being kept awake by the const q, 4
parking OF his dog one night, went to the
ooor TO zee what|wae the matter. At his
appearance the dog barked more nurio,,sly
and began grawing and tearing the bark
OF an apple tree near by
belevlng raccoon was in the tree. War
rem called his son and, taking lantern and
gun, went out to investigate. Climbing int O
tie tree ne took the lantern and looking
carefully for the coon, approached tho
uppperrnost, limbs, where he was startled
by the head OF a large yellow rattlesnake
GT3hm n against tho globe Of his lantern:
on the light, which it appeared anxious to
investigate.
Warren descended as rapidly as he could
holding the j ght before him as he backed
down to the lowest limb and then jumped
inducing cause OF the snakes visit, un-
doubleday. was a birds nest with Young
IN u IN the top Of the tree.
hatlers are frequently found around
deserted buildings, barns, o,thousss. and
sometimes in the cellars Of inhabited dwell
they will as thoroughly rid the premises of
rats and nica as would the best cat They
are not pleasant ioint occupants of a house.
however, as Mrs. Hawks % Ten Mile River
found 10 her sorrow when she put her
hand into the pork barrel for a piece of meat
ana got bite from rattlesnake instead.
They feed on rats. mice, squirrels, birds,
frogs, loads and rabbits. In lying In wait
for their prey they exhibit a patience that
would have excited the admiration Of Job.
"hlls their gastronomic capacity is very
great-a good-sized snake will make away
with ful-grown rabbit at single meal
their ability to fast is equally a. wonderful.
There are many wel-attested instances of
their living for two years without eating.
Among people living in parts o. the coun-
try infested by them their oil is. held in
great repntee for the cure of earache, deaf
1t cells readily nj 81 an ounce. while their
gall, preserved in chalk, is much priced as
u remedy for fever
No remedy for their bite is known to the
medical fraternity i is, generally, re;
cure is effected by the liberal Use Of whiskey.
Yet within $50 miles Of New York city there
is known, aud has leen long in use, certain
cure for their bite.
One hundred years ago Joseph Geer the
first settler at Long Eddy, learned he cure
from John johnson, a half-breed Della
ware Indian, who had his wigwam on the
Pennsylvania side Of the Delaware at the
foot OF Long Eddy, and eked out miser
able existence hunting. fishing and supply
ing the settlers with lead from mine some
i.
and get a backload and return the same
day
johnson, like most Indians, was an in
veterate lover of whiskey, and for quart
Of it would let rattlesnake bite him and
then cure himself with his remedy. which,
ways kept Liquor in his house, and on an
occasion when johnson Was recovering
from one Of his frequen, spells of drinking
10 excess ard was suffering terribly for the
want of liquor, he, by promising never TO
reveal the secret willie johnson was alive.
quart OF whiskey
A few yerrs later johnson went OF with
I strolling band Of Indians and never re-
burned. Geer kept the remedy a secret
all from old age he was unable longer to
answer the c!lls Of the settlers when any
and then told it free 10 ali. 1t is rs follows:
Apply to the wound the pounded root
y the lions he,rt. plant OF the milkweed |
'a,niiy-, applying fresh every two or three |
I was soon discovered that indigo and |
alt, mixed with water aud applied as a
oultice ard changed every two hours.
'ere just as efIicacious as the root Of the
ems heart. This Is now used instead
at freely of the ian YES, and drink often Of
81 made from them. of a variety of the blue
toilet U'ioln Sonht1to), commonly known as
he arrow-le1 we'd violet, This seems TO be
prophylactic 10 the poison and il given
efore the virus pe-meates the circulation
ne patient will not Ole
Many ca ses of rat'lesnake bite it is de-
Jared have been cured by this remedy
, tbs vicinity of Long Eddy.