The Savannah morning news., 1903-07-12
RATTLESNAKE LORE.
How the Deadly Snakes Kill Them
selves When They Are COrnered.
Bridgeport, Conn.,, letter in New York

selves when They Are COrnered.
Bridgeport, Conn, letter in New York
Tribune.
RAttlesnake hunting in Connecticut
is the most dangerous sport the state
affords, but the members of the
Schaghticoke Rattlesnake Club have
| come to consider a days hunt after
the poison fanged reptiles as amuse-
ment. 1t is a case of familiarity
breeding contempt, probably, but the
| average person will require several
| hunts to breed in him any great con-
tempt, for the venomous habitants of
the rocky lodges Of the Schaghticokes.
The Schaghticoke Rattlesnake Club
is the only one Of its kind in Connec-
ticut. The headquarters of the club
are in the town of Kent, where the
hunting ground is also located. The
members of the club holding Office are
George Coggswell, president; DR."
John Monroe, president; Charles
Lee, secretary, and William Coggswell,
"sagwaw" keeper, The following ac-
count of a recent hunt is given by a
guest of the club;
Starting out from South Kent, the
home of DR. Monroe, a drive of four
miles to Bulls Bridge, and thence Up
the east shore of the Housatonic river
for another two miles, brought us to the
home of the secretary of the club. All
along the road there were greetings
from the neighbors, of Going rattle
snake hunting, | see.'
" Yes answered Dr. Monroe.
There were two forked sticks, about
eight feet long, sticking out from under
Of "a hIIalxhOa rd and these
told the mission of the party, for fork
ed sticks are the implements of war
in a hunt of this kind. Every MEM
Der of the Rattlesnake Club has his
rattlesnake forks, which he keeps as
carefully as he does his shotgun. The
sticks are made of strong but light
weight wood, such as ash.
Half a mile below Lees Monroe
stopped his black mare, shaded his
eyes with his hand and looked across
the river toward a little house almost
completely hidden from view by trees
and shrubbery. Suddenly he gave a
Yell and from a bench under a tree
a tall figure appeared. 1t was George
Coggswell, the veteran rattlesnake
hunter of the Schaghticoke Mountains.
He is one of the few remaining Inc
dams of the Schaghticoke tribe now
living on the Schaghticoke Indian Res
eIKdliOny AO65Ss liAI AAACAhDCAO VI tA4C
club call him.
Bring your canoe over called Mon
roe
+" 'Whoop-ee! will, came the answer
from across the river.
Lee changed his slippers for a pair
of high topped rattlesnake shoes and
took his rattlesnake fork from it's hook
in the woodshed. The quartet stepped
in the canoe, and in ten minutes more
were divesting themselves of all super
fiuous clothing. for the day was a
scorcher. There were half dozen on
the hunt, two hunters having come up
from the southern end of the reserva-
ton, with their rattlesnake forks over
their shoulders. Along the dusty road
'Cogg' led the way Walk Injun style
he said; the trail amt wide enough to
wall side by side
For half a mile the walk continued
along under the brow of the Schagti-
colxes. The sun brOiled down in the
little valley as hot as on an August
day. 1t was a great day for rattlers,
so the hunters, wise in the knowledge
of this brand of reptiles, declared.
but they'll begin to spread pretty
SOON observed 'Cogg.' for it's growing
hot, and they go away by themselves
after a spell of hot weather.
From the main trail the party of
snake hunters turned into a bush
grow npath which was used a quarter
of century ago by teams to draw
charcoal down to the iron furnaces Of
Kent
This leads up to the snake den,' said
Monroe.
"'It's a mighty hard climb, and Wen
have to go slow added 'Cogg.'
up the trail, that was slippery with
A.. - la - fall taalf
a mile the hunters trudged. the perspi-
ration pouring down faces in little riv-
ulets. Five halts were made going
that half mile, and some members Of
the party breathed as If thty had the
asthma.
'ListenV commanded 'Cogg,' as he
hald up his hand, Every one stopped,