The Washington herald., 1908-05-25
BAG MESS OR SNAKES
Rather Hunters 60 to Con-
necticut OH Annual Trip.
MUST BE BITTEN FOR DRINK
-Four Make n Mess, but This Time
Nine Are Notwithstanding of
the Rules of the Game-First You
Climb Out n Car window and Then
Beat II for the berkshire Hills.

New York May 24.-Au the snake hunt
ers from Bridgeport, Stratford and Kent
Conn. many war correspondents from the
New York papers. plus the camera squad;
Rattlesnake Pete (nee Peter Grauber). OF
Rochester; Oliver Herford and Lindsay
Depison. the prominent word painters,
and Capt. Paul Boynton the man that
can walk on his hands on the water, went
up 20 Kent IN Northwestern Connecticut.
to-day 10 get their annual mess OF rattle
snakes
-Four good-sized rattlesnakes make a
mess. as everybody knows. although three
may be called a mess. especially II pieced
out with pickerel or eels.
Wherefore the schaghucoke Rattlesnake
Club-that's the name OF the organiza-
tion-was more than pleased to-day when
the hunters bagged nine snakes.
Mr.. Denison, the magazine writer, cauEht
the first snake. which up and bit shang
Wheeler the clubs curator, on the right
hand before Il was completely bagged.
Shang Wheeler had been entirely cured
OF the bite, however, an hour before he
received it, and he wasn't much more
than scratched anyway SO he didn't
pass out as the sun went down on the
Berkshires this evening, but gave his time
10 playing penny-ante in the smoker
headed for Bridgeport instead.
This Is "A Real Club.
II you're a snakeist you know all about
the Schaghticoke Snake Club. that goes
up to the Indian reservation every year.
on the banks Of the Housatonic River.
for rattlers. They always go up on a
Sunday. because the only way TO get
drink in Connecticut on Sunday is 10 get
bitten for It. It's a rule Of the game
that nc snake must be smashed on the
PROV with a cObblestOne. You must fast
en- him to Litchfeld County with forked
stick, and then pick him up alive and
drop him into a bag that Shang Wheeler
carries. There IS no rule about where
you choose TO pick the snake up.
You start toward the Berkshires. then.
I from Birds feport, early Sunday morning
in a special car. and then the run to
Kent.
! At South Kent, you climb out of g car
I window and get astride Of any OF the
farm horses hitched 10 the several buck
/ boards and carryaHs in waiting. Then
you say geet-ah, and everybody goes some
place else. All is brightness now as you
drive for miles along the Housatonlc 10
] the reservation.
Plenty OF Beer, Too.
At the reservation the hunters found
I feast spread for them. which included
clam chowder, boiled potatoes. and corn.
with plenty Of beer on the side.
/ Rattlesnale Pete. who runs a saloon
with a rattlesnake museum attached. in
NIL street, Rochester, and who wears a
500 suit OF rattlesnake clothes, cravat.
shoes. stickpin. designed from snake
fangs. and a belt OF snakesxin that hides
lfis waisteoat, was the center OF attrac-
/ ton. Pete was sad because he couldn't
/ bring along a hunter almost as mighty
as he, one Jed Cooper Of Milford. Pike
/ County, Pa, who gets bitten by a rattler
| every year.
So often has Jed been bitten. Pete SAYS.
I that now he sheds his skin every year.
and during the months OF July and Au-
/ gust poor old Jed practically Is blind.
/ When the hunters began the climb rignt
gather the rattlesnakes. Chief George
/ Coggswen in the lead. a snake was
/ gathered up. but IL proved 10 be a garter
I snake and didn't count The hunters.
I however, were not long in coming upon
a rattler. He was speedily bagged, and
eight more were gathered in before the
| hunt was over.