Arms Carried by the R.N.W.M.P. 
Raise a Question 
DEAR FOREST AND STREAM: 
HAVE read with amusement the let- 
ter of Mr. Thompson in the Novem- 
ber issue and the reply of Mr. Spencer 
in the February number relating to 
the R. C. M. P. I have known several 
who have joined the force years ago, 
who were none too good as morals go, 
and if they ever learned to shoot, would 
reflect great credit to their instructors. 
No bunch of men, however, can be 
so hand-picked as to reject all culls and 
an organization as a whole cannot be 
judged by such individuals. 
I notice Mr. Spencer says the M. P. 
Force has been armed with the .45 Colt 
since “its inception.” Now many of 
us here, without being certain, were 
under the impression that the M. P. 
until recently were armed with the reg- 
ulation British side arm. 
We have had the .45 Colt (S. A.) 
since 1872, but I notice Mr. R. G. Mac- 
beth in “Policing the Plains” speaks of 
the original M. P. force, Col. French, 
that had detrained at Fargo, N. D., and 
were at Dufferin ready to march to 
their new stations, as having delayed 
their departure because a very neces- 
sary part of police equipment, namely 
their revolvers, did not arrive from 
England until early in July (1874). 
We have an Enfield Mark 11 revolver 
dated 1884 chambered for the .45 Web- 
ley cartridge, that is branded M. P. 
627 Canada on the grip and we were 
under the impression that similar arms 
~ were issued the rest of the century at 
least. Will some old-timer please give 
us facts and figures? 
FRANK SHUVER, 
Spokane, Washington. 
“The Jungles,” a Snake Farm in 
Perry County, Penn. 
DEAR FOREST AND STREAM: 
HERE are farms where foxes and — 
skunks are raised and now comes 
a farm where snakes are raised. This 
farm known as “The Jungles” in Perry 
County, Pa., has been operated for sev- 
eral years by a man named A. S. 
George, and this man has found it a 
profitable business. On this farm 15 
varieties of snakes, native to the state, 
are raised and Mr. George handles 
these reptiles in about the same way 
as one would fondle the ordinary house 
cat. i 
Speaking of his odd line of farming, 
Mr. George says: “We feed our snakes 
mice, rats, moles, English sparrows 
and anything in the feathered tribe 
not prohibited by law.” All food must 
be given to them alive as they will not 
eat anything unless it is alive, outside 
of eggs. They are very fond of eggs. 
The mice and rats, etc., are placed 
in the cages where the snakes are kept 
alive. When hungry the snakes creep 
up cautiously, seize the prey and 
squeezes it to death. Then they pro- 
ceed to swallow it, sometimes it takes 
hours to swallow their prey, especially 
if it is a large rat. Large cages with 
end, top and bottom of wood and the 
sides made of heavy wire screening are 
used. Each cage has an end door where 
snakes can be gotten at. 

A. S. George with his pets 


Mr. George says that safe handling 
of snakes can only be done by those 
who have attained the art commonly 
called “snake charming.” He says in 
this it is necessary to know their na- 
ture and habits. A sudden attack on 
them means defense on their part. 
Mr. George has been picking up 
rattlers in the wilds of Perry County 
for years and has never been bitten. 
From June to October he has a large 
collection of snakes in his cages. He 
sells snakes to carnivals and to col- 
leges for experimental purposes, keep- 
ing none over winter, turning loose in 
the fall the poor and unsalable speci- 
mens. In April and May he goes to 
the big woods and catches snakes for 
the season breeding. Many people visit 
this unique farm in the summer to see 
this farmer handle his snakes. He has 
them show their fangs and eject the 
poisonous fluid to show that they are 
just as nature intended they should be. 
E. ELLSwortTH CLASPBY, 
Lewiston, Pa. 

Thinks the Deer a Hard Mark 
DEAR FOREST AND STREAM: 
pyaes ago, while living with my 
father in the wild woods of north- 
ern Minnesota, I had the pleasure of 
going deer hunting one bright morn- 
ing just after a fall of about four 
inches of snow. 
We were up very early and had 
walked a distance of some two or three 
miles when we came to a place where 
the deer tracks were so thick my father 
remarked that he guessed deer were like 
rabbits, that one could make tracks 
enough for fifty. 
We had just traded a shotgun for 
a rifle a few days previously, and I 
am quite sure there must have been 
something wrong with that rifle. 
My father told me to take the pup 
and go through a tamarack swamp to 
make a drive while he would watch for 
any deer that might come out. 
The pup and I had not gone far when 
there was a loud cracking of brush just 
a little ahead and to our left. The dog 
“and I were both young and I think both 
equally scared. I was looking around 
warily to see if there was a convenient 
tree to climb, when out stepped a large 
buck deer. He was very curious to 
know what we were and it took him 
some little time to satisfy his curiosity, 
during which time I searcely breathed. 
Finally he walked away and then 
trotted a little, then began running 
like mad. I was sure my father was 
right in his path, but not hearing any 
shooting, decided to follow and perhaps 
scare him to where he could be seen. 
In a short while I saw father and 
asked him if he didn’t see that big 
buck, but he hadn’t, so we started to- 
gether on the trail. 
We had just gone a little way and 
had just rounded a wall of rock when 
right in front of us was a herd of six- 
teen deer. Of course, they immediately 
began to take flight. First they started 
off to the right and then turned and 
came back by where we stood. There 
were scattered small trees and patches 
of brush here and there, but in all 
pretty open country, and father had an 
opportunity of emptying his magazine 
twice while they passed a wide opening. 
We then ran down where we could 
see them running straight away, and 
could see that one had a broken leg, 
which flopped around considerably, but 
didn’t seem to retard his speed to any 
great degree. 
One peculiarity I noted-was the man- 
ner in which these deer ran. They 
jumped to the right, then to the left, 
then to the right and to the left, zig- 
zagging all the time and making a very 
poor mark at which to shoot. 
We felt sure that the deer with the 
broken leg would soon lie down and 
225 
