frpjn;*id^^to!slde^i;rTe';approached .thenearest *;irattler,i^aUer^ately^'sweningand ;flatuning'"^Hls;,neck, t'crawledi* halfwai%fajou"nd t the^rattler.Tand:then* backaffalnv-iasCif,-;lt>oktn|f s for san -opening..Tft^ratUe^remalnediOn^the^efenslyjand":both^hr^Jandfhislmate!seenied[para^l^yzed|-.wlth.ifw.%*Finally.Athe Sklrigsnake tlm"a\le*t

Im"a\le*a >rdairt.'l*V'Fbri'a^whU'e fI.c^uM^Beeynqthlnfirfbutifa.ii, tangle};ofsnakes Vand^aVcloiid »Tof dusf^As i'thecbmbaYarit9-quletedtdbwn, ;tl*sawrf,that'tlre'r klngjsnake '•had jthet rattler, by^the."jaw

a;with?;its^mouth,7andXhad -

1ts {body,twfsted ?se^veraf** times 5 the Vrat-:tlefc>>neck.^ThV^rattlerJ :was*<strikingthe"?grdund^violcolly.f;wnh\ita:tailjand

;

i,ng.!|JtsS^ip^b;vt*conVuT9KP^?^^o«^l y^Uh>irattler7fceased

*;all'Imotion,, and ::theIknig ;\u25a0 gradually-•loosened /its Jfbld3l' keeping S J?» mouthj*lipld*6nJJ vtheV jaw. '.- Feeling no motio:».iih jth«^ tattler.,' tt :'let Jgo

"'and ;pushed

-rattler's ;head ivrim its noie.;••Thentit over^the ;rattler's ;body;sev-\u25a0;erar; times.*; goin'g^frbm"? head _to tail,"ahdrback again.-- nosing the head agair*.%'^'Convinced ithat* the «.ffrst;rattler iwas.\u25a0dead.Uhe kin? snaKo assumed it»;ofTen-:,"slyc"*attitude. ,.arid

*starte*]?foft the sco-

L condA rattler^" which / tad continued *in? the ..same s position- "during"-;the":battlor'yvlth"*4 the \flrst.i

.A.,.

'A.,becor.cl battle ,-now:. followed.'-? theicount*cpart£of'"When" the jklngr-t shake\was /satisfiedJilts J second i" 1was jTdead .itiglided ynto^thfj,%bpshe»^lThe secondtsnake •seemed, too Riuch paralysedIfeari tpTcrawl atva yJVhHe.T the flretvbat-' -.

W. D. Homaday

SNAKE farmlne^ls^nots^ourfx^* !

Ht«t4Jibusiness {M'Tiuin^^^'^^i»*l£|cate.' F. B.;Armstrong:%t;tbla]plius«|has been, at Itffo^JS^sw*^:***!

ma.de a cpmfortable^fortune.out 'ot|tk«|strange industry. HjerwUies and handlMthe most venomorcis' reptiles known tothe southwest and Mexico. Rattle-snakes are his specialty- He has never

been bitten "by a snake. H« hu vmuch dread of the fangs and polroa ««the reptiles as the average novice, ta ,

fact, he probably fears the bite of a

cnake to a greater degree than a per-json -who Is unacquainted with thei*!characteristics. He handles thousand*!*of rattlesnakes In the course of a T*>*r|By handling Is meant that he comeilla|actual contact with the reptile*, &&*£'makes a specialty of removing the poi- ,Bon from the ja.ttle6nakes. He also de-£spoil* them of their fangs. Inorder togextract the poison it is necessary . for*Mr. Armstrong and hin helper to takehold of the head of the 6nake. The•work would seem to be fraught withthe greatest danger, but so cautiously

is it performed that the snakes are

never given an opportunity to bite.Snake farming is Ina class by itself.

Mr. Armstrong has no competition inthe business. Practically all the rattle-snakes 'and other replies peculiar* t©

this region that are found "In the mu-seums, circuses, side' shows and public

parks of the United States and Europe

are furnished by Mr. Armstrong. Healso does a good business with snakecharmers. He sells the snakes by thepound, receiving all the way from,50

cents to Jl per pound, according to thequality -and variety of the reptile.

Although Mr. Armstrong has beenclosely associated with snakes of va-rious kinds for a quarter of a century

the peculiar business has left no dis-agreeably

'Impress upon his disposi-

tion. He Is about 4S years old and isdecidedly pleasant and Jovial. He is a

fair type of the American businessmanfound in any section of this country.

He has no freakish habits or notions,

«uch as one might expect to find In aperson who has devoted the best part

[of his life to handling snakes. Hestands high' in the business 'circles ofthe Brownsville community. , '

"Snake farming is not such, a dis-agreeable business as one might sup-pose," he sold the* other day. "'Ican'tsay that Ilike handling snaKes any

better than the average man, but there2s good money to be made in the in-dustry, and Iam willingto run what-*ever risk Is attached to the business.' I

exercise the greatest care In handling

the snakes and, up to,this time Ihavenever been bitten.;The rattlesnake Isnot so ready to bite as, many people

suppose. Itwill not strike unless , itthinks it Is going to be attacked."

Mr. Armstrong's snake farm is sit-

uated just outside of the town limits of

Brownsville. It embraces •about 20acres of ground, surrounded by '

astrong, \u25a0 tight fence. Tho \ venomoussnakes are not permitted to run atlarge upon the farm. Upon a slight

elevation within the main inclosureare located the pens or. corrals, inwhich the rattlesnakes and other dan-gerous'species are kept.

'Although

this is the dull season at the farm therjare more than 500 rattlesnakes in thepen set- apart for their accommodation.The pen is formed by building a tight

board fence about 15 feet high. Thisfence has no opening and the onlymeans of ingress and egress Is..by, aladder. In the .pen is a quantityCofbrush and grass which affords a goodshade for the snakes and gives the. se-clusion to which they are usedin-theirnative haunts. V

There are 12 species of poisonoussnakes known to make their habitat inTexas and Mexico. •

These are thelhar-l«quln, the cottbnmouth, the. Gulfcoastmassasauga, Edward's inassasauga, theground rattlesnake, jthe diamond rat-tlesnake, the .Texas rattlesnake, theVanded rattlesnake, the dogfaced rat-tlesnake, the prairie rattlesnake ; andthe green rattlesnake. These, snake?,with the exception of tho harlequin,are all knows as pit vipers, r They aredistinguished from the harmless snakes .by a/ peculiar mark in:the .form of .' apit in the Bkin of the upper

'jaw,T be-

tween the eye and nostril, 'which formsa triangle, with' the ;nostril, . the eyaand the pit for the three "corners itIs stated, that there is-no truth in thecommon theory that; only those snakesare poisonous which have a triangularhead and projecting; jaws.

Mr. Armstrong has at different timeshad specimens of nearly all kinds -ofpoisonous snakes in \u25a0_ the pens upon 'hisfarm. T4is Is particularly true of therattlesnake pen.

'He:does notattemot

to keep separate the different varietiesof rattlesnakes. . They are kept -in,thecame pen together. Hl3 particular pur-pose In Keeping them in the ;pens :Isto fatten 'them. . They bring betterprices when fat, as ho cells .them

~by.

;ne pound. The feeding ;propess. isian,s ntere.«=tinsn tere.«=tin s sight. Rats and'

mice arethe j»rincJs>ai .rood.;-." The .rodents ..are"brought to Mr. Armstrong; byiMexican',boys, who make a good Hiving;,at Hhebusiness. They are placed in the pensand the snakes go; after them, withJ anagility that indicates the voraciousnessof their, appetite.";^Having; gorged them-selves with

*the I;squealing, •'equirmlng

rats and.mice,; the isnakes retire to theholes ''which'^ theyIhave ]made 'toTi them- rselves tinder; the brush;! where ltheyy lay;

until the pineal ,is 'digested. -.. The? smallinclosure "iteeps^.the t:snakes '-'inactive'and \u25a0_they ;fatten yvery^ rapidly. .When'In prime ;they ;are iremoved.^from the pen by^means of;a\wlre;litsso.l

'Which, Mtchti* in a tight noos* around

.---v'<*•\u25a0»-;. .\u25a0•\u25a0\u25a0:\u25a0;\u25a0 "\u25a0-, « .-\u25a0,""-•;„ . '-' '\u25a0

RUNNING ARATTLESNAKERANCH

;tlißtrla*^T^tibeTow«tneJf^;he^4*l.They ,'are ;placed in a 'boxandVrem'<ri-e*l^JtoKhßTbperatlhg shed.' ;:'fi^M^^^M.Removing the ;Poison • :• -"^'1Itis in this operatlng'shed that: the

most- wonderful and interesting \u25a0• fea--.

ture' of the' business is performed;, ltf

is that of removing the., poison J.andYfangs from the snakes. Mr.Armstrong^takes from each rattlesnake a tsble^spoonful to two tablespoonfuls of gr;e^p^liquidpoison. It almost surpasses"Jse\«>?!jthat this could be done wlthout^in:curi%

ring great risk of bemg bitten. -But.the process of extraction -is sV; simple'

that there ;docs'

not seem to bo any •

great; danger :in thework. The snakeis incited to a high;pitch of rage, andgives. up all of its poison; freely with-out 'any -force. being* used to obtain^, itl* Mr.:Armstrong uses -a box which isconstructed -especially for the purposeof« extracting the poison^ The snake \u25a0ishauled out of the box in whlch.it;hadbeen placed. when taken from, the . fa tr \u25a0

tening pen'and Is placed In the" smalleroperating box.Mtshead'.is kept outsideof'the :box,Ya;'sliding: lid being forced-;

tight'against^ its protruding neck. Tlie*Mexican "helper thenldraws -llie -'head.backward »"over;the board, which, formathe lid. ;Thiscauses the.mouth of thesnake ,to. open and at the .opportunemoment Mr.A'rmstronK places an empty,glass inithe^ mouth* of the reptile; theMexican releases^ the head 'of. the snakefor .an -'instant-, and '; it immediatelyclamps its,'mouth upon the. rimrof th«glass. -;Th c; fangs 'dartiforth' and thepoison Is quickly emptied'ln to;tlic glass.

'

la its ferocious state" the .snake'; drains;its \glands :of all the poison .'when

'itS

clamps') the- glass' withUts". nether and viupper; jawa. \u25a0\u25a0 This extraction of thepoi-son'jnakeslthe snake practically harhi-''less; for-the- time .belngivbut;Mr.vArm- ;strong and this helper.iare careful toincur no.risk even then. -. \u25a0 \u25a0• . ;-,:.,The 1Mexican *

grips the, head"of'the

snake iWith' a'.tralned hana,', :forcing".open \u25a0 its

-mouth t

;again. \ fiMr.>Armstrong '-'then '; removes;, all of thefangs.'' r There are Vfrom-, six to riglu-of/;these-1 fangs) in''each snake. '.They

'ares from^aYquarter to /a.halfIinch-: iivlength': and vare.'* curved ; and 'sharply,-'pointed as a needle. In:.the end of pacli,fang .is fa. tsmall;hole> through- whichvthe .poison '.is 'ejected. ? \Thcro ,arcIfonr;of:,thesev fangs ;ready \u25a0£ for; use -at .'all";times. \u25a0• .The * remainder arc Jn- an .-'cm- -bryonicL stated and; serve' to "take? theplace ;of^the;maturedi fangs should tho;,latter-*be .lost* from :ariy';ca'use. O;Th*e ]fangs ,are removed Iby"means- of *a -pair"of,forceps. ;|Mr.,Armstroiig*"rß- *:moves 5 the ( poison 5 sac

*and • 'glands"-; b>v,

means 'of• a;knife. uThe'sae, wherelth«;poison* is '.stored.- is: situated^ irrimedl- f'ately:back Jof^the veyes ';ofithe;- snake* •'

whole jprocess; ofr4 depolsonlng;.thoi

snake, 1if;such ltimlght'beTcalled.-'does.;not 1occupy.! morerep tileris as harmless ;as aIrabbit.^,Its teeth 'are

*not •removed,' but jthey/aro -j

cut ioff.? andf made^blunt £by-" jneansiof:..sclEsprs.-^Thc ? teeth"' andlT,fan{j:s.rof,t'd.-sT,fan{j:s.rof,t'd.-ssnake'ThelfanßSfare^notjtoJl/ofs'ecnJurilessJaiminute ,/Js" made Vof-^tiid**reptile's* mouth. }-Tlioyqje'close;a?ai 11c t:the.' roof rfof*.the;, iriotit'h..~ uxr-cntl\vhen?-

\u25a0brbught-. into - us« >forXthe Vpurpose^of ._.pe rforating 'a '\u25a0\u25a0 lible in an: object through Iwlii'ch-the poison- is 'injected. vrWhile;the 1,operation -upon r.the; snakel-ied pn"''itSvl}qdypisiwritningicpntlnu-/oualy7 inside '}'the

1,box.\and v

"ItsJ rattles

keep ;"up .'ariyunremitting. and ominousbuzzing. l-.yV. .-..^-' '•'\u25a0.-;. •'\u25a0i""-,' C •"',';\u25a0^\u25a0%-^'V..Fangs Alwa3rs :Extractcd /.;;:^

> lWhen';,the. poison and'; fang, extraction jprocess ls^finishedCthe^ .shake!: lj^pliced )ii^ranotlicr.;bdx >and

;ls*fthen »readyj,'foir;\u25a0comme;rciah,use:,% ItJsjsaid fthatv there j

i.s-not aS Fnake'. inr captivity|ibut ; \u25a0has J

.bcen«>riiade ; perfectly v."harmless^^ by;'h'avinfjTits 'fangs "and; poison glands <re-1moved, "i Mr.1 has "iUreateid :most ;of

'them ': that ?\u25a0 are,' now*scattered .j

throughout^ this /country ;;and :,Eurppe.^:cThere' Is absol utcly,no risk encountered jIn fondling'snakes after they.have '§rorie|through \u25a0Mr.;>Armstrong's tfriandsi; <-He;says 'f,th_atl"af t'eV*'the 7poison ? has <l been?extracted,; should': the fglands "andtfangs

•be hot remoyed'i it;would take.the' snakethree '6i\;fourjmon ths |to*man vfactureand.store another .suppl j%pf;thejpoison. H'J '.'-'WhatIdo*^yon /'do ;,with'XrthTe/*poison

'

.wliJch vyouiextract".!Rom D' the ;.snak.es ?'<\u25a0Miv'Armstrong.was asked. .;' ;.'•.::,-\u25a0:" /-v^'-';\u25a0\u25a0.'.'„', "I.sell 'll-1to-chemists 'and, physicians \u25a0

throughovtf thescouritry/.'X.he;ireplied.1;.•\u0084.)"WhadpriceXdo;;yoUigetjfor Jilt?>.n «v

'-."I» am \u25a0- paid,almost' any^'prlce^tKat *J^'

ask.':'; Itiis;such?a;r4feTproductcthatiit ;

has- no. fixedivalHcl>V,lt£ls>usedf entirely;for.;yexperlmehtalv.'pufposes^Vsuch"^ a»imaking {ant itoxins.1-i;Itiis*oneV of£the?most powerful of^Hnow^poisbnp-and'ln'tJme^i_t?ma}^b>4Ldijicovereii^th f

tLtSi-it^issof great ryalueTas^aj medicinal iprbduct.",'•,r There . eer-ms; to-jhe/obbllack;bfisn"akes',witli-.which toV.keep^Jvir?; Arnistrorig's \u25a0

far"m'igolng.'Jemployed

'.iin-kn -kisoiiihweB tj£:/Texas rj^'andsriorthcastern^Me^JcpXcliPturing:* stjakes ;

'for,'him.*;»Some fOf;these, Mexicanjsnakedcatchers ihave sbeen\lritthe^bjiisine»s>foV|many; Vears.iTh eyXk'nbm^the' habita faqtd'i;haunts Jof^the; reptilesi and '?«eem.C able'>t o\ trail<them \irisfiric't'lyely/-WhenTa '.;\u25a0 rat-/ttlesnake *•is located. it-ivis^£aptured V?by'im*>ans of ,a torked^'stfckV* which Ethe^Mexican rSbyA/a^utQk'fand^'dexterous!jnovement .pinions across- its body. 'Some iof ;these> snakesVareXoff Aen.br.njpusVslze.'s;The?Mexicans^reV^id/frpms2s^cents;to;?50(cen ta Jper,; po^ond Sl6rlthem;"i and",they receive. ifrpml$3^to; i?many hofJ- the "S,reptileai^V;Bjr|:adding^tb * their

*

welghtf through .?"the^feedlng?j>Vo.cesB 5and^extracting;:;the^pplsbn»:>Mr.*. iAr.m-*strong!is}"able^tb?njake''a'i gbod*!prbat*.on'.each'siiake? "

;i?'.,;. \ '- '• \.',-,>/4TJiereiis£a|b^;less Mf.^'Arm*strpny;•#iye#i;i3uchJatVeh tioh"*tbjthis jtfrancji:ofijtWe|Kndr.at^certalßl|saasbnsFof f'*k«|y«ar;hat

handles ;aJljldndsibf>wM&'animals /which'afeHoibefXbund'in^thlß^eiatidiir^Hexaaysthat! the.harmlessvOTVakeSl are Ifof^nluclibenefltatbj thes-country^andti'thatj-theyfshould Vf"notv*bei;.tuthle«isly .*>destroyed:,Tfrejv'ajrejybraciqus' eaters ;ofjrats^ntlce^gophers.ifmoleihandS^rodents^lSpmetof^thefljacttlfesSfsnakcsliv«%bhrcrickets^ cpritlpedeß.ttarantulasandt<Hh*er;|npxlqus^ceVtaJn|«specf*s^of^/barml9s« :v";snakes:wJii'cKj^aire|ibtttfert;loes.^of *« ttteraMtW-j«nak«,;devouring:

-aJL? 6f-tbes latter^tft»ttKe3^,r.uaTatrqss;\f< The StottotfroouthCor,vWater'i4 moccas)h;r."[as'.'i t..*la*",coxtimditly

isHone? of*the*most fdangerous

bf»JpdlßOJipusr snakes? Inl£fextiß:'Sjlt7.i*fbund;aloiiar roosf of'theTstreams of

-this

s^t«vMTb«.iwatey:i^cca«nfdo*»*nptlayJeggs,* but!It;gestatea fits•yoaiifgJvTh'e:number,; ofjyoung.produc«sd iat*a\btrtliflrfrbm^twoitb"itw'elve.';s<;Tbe^ copperheadsnake,UT^hich v is? sometimes Sktsbwnf as;tfi*;d.l(T>laVdVmpc^aßin*alßd^ffestetesjit>j;young.? Most «rattlesnakes''depqslt3 theirefgS^^e^tqr^fdtfr.teei^UhiftumbeV:!!^rare3Instances rprbbabtyri-theTs.nake t re-•tainsithe eggsJuntilUh^Kiar^hatiph'ed.^?

|babitsiotkthe*rattlesnakes '(< form

anfintere«ttng;stdiJsr:^W6st?6fithem?dq.itheirJ^ traveling vat'JniKht.-jJJThe^Texas<rattieanakejls.';tlieimbst(conimohTbf;aJl\u25a0the] Roispriptis jlnlthe fsouth westatfdajMp^lobA£*^*feUß4antsj^£tHer*alf* coast? regidnr^lt!|^»^^fet^l4^y^4px^th^oacA:;bre«*«s. firomlthft V«»«n[a« much -as ithts.: .\u25a0:::::.. :.\:-y.--\. :.'\u25a0/-\u25a0*< ,- .-/\u25a0\u25a0 .\u25a0-

f.'ayerag-e^, summer ''resorter. "\u25a0]. Theyjv are'

r'jkjiown;tVcrawl'towiird'thef?dge \of(the *.

;^ water', toward'* sundown^ inMftiasuirimerij't6^en"Joy^-th'e.>breezV^and:>"spfay"?3v^iey;,^>'usually.i' fbllow-*the*<:practice' of vlaying-,

\u25a04iri[wait;f6r:,theif/pr"e}'.^;Theyfai'c^qaick*Jlto'istrike^at albird^r'any/other,;anfmali"i£ that\~cpnp [e~s • wIthlri';? thcir> fr^Sch:*•?Iii-

",;stances Vlr«-.known £ where) rattlesnakes!I'Bwam i^apross >ibays/t four>-mile s^widie\

Vc6a»t^tp' ,\r^ach^ajirvislandibr-'-mafhlahd.'>-f'friie'y^havc''Tio?feari

»jitlk.tor-iifoqd.i?**J-tl^-f WUchVl1.'*;a"? nbted £&scientist ;of Has fmade-^aAclpse.|1study of ?Yhesliablts'of snakes, yHe~buci *

;^«n^e^and^twoVvVatUers3^^Hic^^t6ok^'»'-•place? in/Calhoun^couhtyH-" He:givesHlTe^iffollowlng^aceount'. ofk'thcjrcniarlcabl.9^

i^-^VI.•\u25a0\u25a0"\u25a0 h'eafd'.'the'fattlcrsVl' challenge; for/;

J*warnlng rTattle^*and'goJ[ngritq}t^e^pJla^e';&I&found tInt^a fclear> space Jfsurrounded V\\b'yjtfruah?a nd*'cac11J tw6\ycfy.*largeIrat-

*ktlers,'* each;jTnearljr£six'? feet' longvicpiled,^4Vlt^'SKeads^upT;and'rfattle3)*soundihg.".

;y4.were:.;iook}hst.ln;th.eyopp"bßitejdl-^;y4.were:.;iook}hst.ln;th.eyopp"bBitejdl-^Erectio"n irsfroni|fme,"*l-and-^see'iried>Vtnor^jl:»rarmedHhan:angry^i^Presentl>':a*snia.ll||I^ln|ffI'snakeMn~ot'£mp^^1'snakeMn~ot'£mp^^»tlje jleintTtlvofjtlie).raitlefsjjgttdiiliqutfbf*fltlys^!brusfi^into|? the^cle'ar .-5spaceltS^llet

Jw rttrShis| liead ifanfljrparftjfpfri'hIs jjpb'ody^^tse^^ndfecarvcd^aßd^wavinsfi