Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-04-15
RATTLESNAKE HEART
CONSUMPT|ON CURE
TCnntinued from First PageJ

|
many rattler from the rocky glens
of the Adirondacks to the lowlands of
California.
| Crawford spent yesterday in Rob-
bert's Valley, above Rockville, and
emerged from thence with two very
nice specimens of the rattler. This
morning he wended his way down
Market street with an innocent look
ing lard can containing the Venomous
reptiles. The Snake King went into
the Central Hotel. Market street, and
laying the can on the floor, told Bar
tender II. III. Garman that he had
couple of snakes there and wanted to
leave EN-" Garman thought the old
boy didn't look much as if he had
the snakes, but took the strangers
word for it. 1t later developed that
the snakes were a variety of differ
ent kind than the bartender thought.
So the can stayed there until Craw-
| ford returned.
Within the Central all was curiosity,
and everyone who strayed In would
have liked to lift the cover of the can
and have a look at the rattlers but
no one essayed to do so.
You Could Touch En-
But it would have been perfectly
safe, as Mr. Crawford explained, be-
cause the snakes don't get lively until
warmer weather comes on Crawford
says he lures the snakes to him "by
lwhistlin' or singin some nice low
tune"
1t must be remembered that Mr..
Crawford is an authority on snakes,
particularly on rattlesnakes, having
lsupplied circuses and sideshows and
museums with these reptiles for many
years. besides enjoying a brisk trade
in rattlesnake oil. Crawford has
travelled the length and breadth OF
the country in search of reptiles. Al
one time he wore a pair of trousers
made of rattlesnake skins, which last
ed, he says, a considerable period.
In explaining the method of catch
ing and handling these snakes Craw-
ford says that all you do is to walk VI
and pick the snake up behind the
head. mo snake will bite unless it's
coiled; as for the rattler. | tell you the
rattler is a gentleman, because 1t viii
not strike without giving warning
, three times. And it will not strike a.
, all if it's let alone. No; 1 never wa:
bit but once and that didn't seem tt
| harm me. A snakes Just like any
other animal. Treat EN- kindly ano
they won't hurt YOU"
HOW TO COOK RattleSnakc
and I tell YOU" the snake kins
: went on, that there isn't any bette
eatin' in the world than rattlesnake
You may not believe it, but it's true
| Of course you must know how to pre-
pare 'em. AS for that, take tripod
or three sticks to make one and afte
a lsplitting open the snake, hang ii OF
the tripod over a slow fire. Then TAX
! off the skin. But If you make tn
, mistake of skinning it first you los
9 the flavor. Go into good many sum
I mer resorts and ask for mountain ee
! and sometimes what you get is broil
, ed rattlesnake, which is a good bi
better'n eel.
THE way to make rattlesnake OIL
1, Crawford explained, "is to make V
;, shaped trough, which ought, by right
}, to be silvered, and then lay open tn
@ Isnake and cover it with glass an
let the sun do the rest. The oil vii
all come out on the trough. ! get
dollar an ounce for rattlesnake oi
n and sell 1t all over the country.
One Consumption Cure
The heart of rattlesnake is goo
A for consumption, assured the kinG
IF you eat it while the snake is nea
3 alive. About six years ago | cure
4 Mrs. Shuck of Selinsgrove, where
4 was then livin, after all the doctor
I! had given her up. | brought the snak
and cut 1t open and she swallowed tn
\ heart before the snake died-and she
cured.
'I heard of good den of rattle
snakes up near Marysville and I'm 60
ing there soon. Anybody that says h
seen or has killed a rattler in the eas
over four or four and a half feet Ion
is either lynn or was too skeered
see straight when he looked at til
4 lsnake. In California and the Rookie
there are rattlers six. seven and eigf
4 feet long, but in the east the rattler
are short and stubby. l have a dia
q mand-backed rattlesnake skin at HON
Y which ] wish you could see. It's
> beauty. In this part of the, countr
there arc only two kinds of rattler
Il yellow and black.
mo, don't know what I'll do wit
these two / got. Maybe I'll sell 'eI
alive, maybe III make oil out of 'en
4 Can't tell till they liven up later in TIL
y Spring
Mr.. Crawford has caught many 9th
q er kinds of snakes. He has presente
! several black snakes and copperhead
to the State geological Department o