The farmer and mechanic., 1909-09-14

How an Enterprising Oklahoma Lad
Turned a Tattier's Hide and Oil Into
Good Cash
By ISAAC NOTES.

Good Cash.
By ISAAC NOTES.
Clifford CAN'T lived with his father
and mother on a farm in a valley in
Okla homa among some mountains.
Like all farm boys, he loved to hunt
and fish and to trap wild animals for
their pelts, and he made a good deal
of money by selling these to a travelling
fur buyer who came through the
neigh borhood twice each winter.
In talking to this buyer Clifford was
surprised to learn that he also bought
snakeskins, especially rattlesnake skins
for which he paid from SO cents up to
81, and that rattlesnake oil sod at
from $3.50 to IS an ounce.
The buyer also told him how to
catch the snakes in the safest manner,
especially the rattlesnakes; how to
skin them properly and care for the
hides and how to prepare the oil for
commercial use.
Now, there were great many
snakes around Mr.. GRANTS farm
chicken snakes, milk snakes, black
snakes, coach whips, moccasins, adders
and rattlesnakes in the mountains.
One morning in the latter part OF
February Clifford was cut hunting in
the mountains a half mile from home
The sun shone, but the air was sharp
and chilly.
While passing along the side Of a
rocky Hill he walked across a large
flat rock and felt it tremble. as though
but slightly embedded in the ground
At the same time he head dull
buzzing sound under it.
He secured a stout, straight. sea
soned limb from a dead tree and be-
gan to pry at the rock with it. The
buzzing got louder as he pried at the
rock letting the cold air and light un
der it
Pretty soon he had moved It fa1
enough to look under it, when
strange and fearful sight met his eyes
He saw a roll Of snakes as big as
| coil of rope-snakes of all kinds, mix
ed and twisted together, but the ma
jority of them were rattlesnakes.
Almost all other snakes are afrai(
| Of the rattlers during warm weather
when they are al out Of their holes
but when the time comes to den VI
| for winter you will find snakes o
every description twisted and inter
tWined together with the rattlers. a.
| this enables them to keep warmer thar
| If there were only one two.
| AS the weather was cold the snake
were numb and sluggish and did no
! try to run away, but lay there,
| Writhing, Kissing, hideous mass.
| The round mass then began to flat
| ten out and get thinner as they Slowl.
unwourd. Clifford now got his long
forked stick and began to drag them
| one at a time. out several feet ava.
| from the bunch.
Then he got the prong across tho
necks, close up to their heads, and
pressing them into the ground, he Gu
their heads off. one by one, with hi
long -bIaded iacHknife and left then
to die.
In this way he killed about fort
snakes, including eighteen large rat
tiers, and as far as he knew not on
got away.
I am almost afraid to tell you hoy
much money he received from tn
sale of the snakeskins and rattlesna k
oil. but it was enough to pay for
fine young Jersey COW with her frs
| calf which was a wise investment
for a Jersey Will pay for herself ever
wear of her life.
You might think killing rattlesnake
a dangerous business but in the sprin
it is not. if you are careful. A rattle
snake bite is not so dangerous in earl
spring, as the poison bags are almos
empty. and what little poison remain
is weak and lacking in virulence.
/ 1t evaporates during the hibernatin
neriOd A rattleSnake bite is mos
dangerous from August to November
after the snakes have been out a
summer. and their poison bags haV
become full again.
Snakeskins are used in the manufac
ture of hatbands, belts, scarfs, car
and cigar cases. purses anu poche
hooks. and even waistcoats Or vests.
vest made of rattlesnake hide
sells for about $25. but those mad
from hides of n-poisonous snake
lare much cheaper. The price pal
for snakeskins depends upon the1