Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-11-21
NOVELTY OF
BAY STATE
SNAKE FARM IS A REMARKABLE
Enterprise IN NEW ENG
LAND.

Worcester. Mass, Nov. 20-Of ali
| the crops raised on New England soil
the one being nursed by Cyrus J..
| Brownell of No. As King istreet is the
strangest and the least pleasing to
his neighbors. Mr.. Brownell is
snake farmer, and he is rearing crops
OF rattlesnakes. king snakes, pine
snakes and other varieties of the rep.
tile family for commercial purposes.
Mr.. Brownell is a young intelligent
and affable man. He already has
business of considerable size in the
snake line, and is developing it rap
idly, but he has been having a hard
time to get a location where he would
be lift in peace with his crop.
Mr.. Brownell looked at a piece of
land in Westboro to enlarge his field
of operations, but as soon as his bus
mess became known in the neighbor-
hood he had selected. Westboro arose
in its might and protested. Then he
found little farm in North Grafton
which was just the thing, and the res
idents of that town called a special
meeting of the selectmen to see if he
could not be headed off,
The Notrh Cation selectmen went
into cOnclave and talked over the
proposed snake farm, but they found
that the statutes of Massachusetts
and the ordinances of North Grafton
were silent on the snake question, and
decided that legally they could do moth
ing about it.
The selectmen lost some popular
ity when they made their decision
known, and the farmers who had elect
ed them declared that it was funny
that the board couldn't find some law
to fit the case.
AS the snake raising industry is be-
ing backed by some solid men of War
cester the prospect of damage suits
from neighbors wasn't relished and
North Grafton was abandoned.
Edward H. Williams, poultry raiser
OF Foxboro, heard of Brownell's quest
for location, and he offered him the
leaes of 10 acres of land for 16 years
at 81 year for his snake farm, and
the offer was accepted. Mr.. Brownell
will soon transfer his stock in hand to
the farm.
Mr. Brownell cannot see why any
enc should have reason to protest
against his enterprise. for the snakes
are not going to be turned loose like
sheep. He and Mr. Williams think the
snake farm will draw visitors to Fox.
boro.
Mr.. Brownell has more than 1,7OO
snakes to start his farm. He has
about 40 of them in box at his
house on King street, and the other
100 or SO are secreted in barn
on the outskirts of Worcester.
Most of the snakes owned by Mr.
: Blownell are rattlers, and he bought
them, as he is steadily buying 9th
ers, from the southern states. Flor
{ ida rattlers are favorites because they
are, as rule, larger and fatter thar
: rattlesnakes from other parts of the
: country. and fat snakes are deligh
: to this new style of farmer. Thu
: principal value of a snake in his eye!
V is his oil.
t Rattlesnake oil is esteemed as al
: alleged remedy for rheumatism, be
. ing in great demand at 81 an ounce
! A fat rattlesnake five feet in length
1 ought to produce about seven ounce!
, of oil, and as the snakes are bough
2 for Is to % cents a pound, and ough
2 to weigh about pound to the foot
f it is easy to see where profit comes in
especially as it costs little to boare
2 a snake.
l They are fed on live things, princi
. pally frogs, and the expense of frogs
toads and grasshopers is confined
r principally to their capture.
: Mr.. Brownell says the average fe
4 male rattlesnake will produce from
4 - to % young year, and starting
|, III with the LOO he already has, hi
e expects within a few months to b,
/ raising $4,000 year. AS the snakes
: get old and fat they will be killet
a and transformed into oil, and will
: what snakes he raises and is able t,
! get shipped to him from thes outh h,
n expects there will always be suppl.
I Of rheumatism cure on hand.
a In Foxboro he has begun to bull,
g a pit, IS feet deep, 100 feet long an,
r 40 feet wide, and calculates that will
It lie large enough to hold several thous
|. and of snakes. The pit will be con
j. creted, and around the sides will b.
= heavy wire screens eight feet high
= and over that screen roof, SO tina
s the snakes can not get away. In tn
J. bottom of the pit he will build fou
r dens of rocks and earth, CONFORMING
n as nearly as possible to the nativ
n lair of the rattler.
It Mr.. Brownell has a deep scar on hi
e left thumb, where rattlesnake bi
d him several months ago. Brownel
g made part of the scar by the heroi
n remedies he adopted and which he
g always prepared to administer whe
a. he has occasion to handle the snakes
n Federal Control of Insurance.
q Washington, Nov. Ex-senator Dry
L. Gen, of New Jersey who is presiden
4 OF one of the largest life insuranc