R E S O L U T I O N

 1-1           WHEREAS, The World's Largest Rattlesnake Round-Up will be

 1-2     held in Sweetwater on the weekend of March 7-9, 1997; and

 1-3           WHEREAS, Sponsored by the Sweetwater Jaycees since 1958, this

 1-4     internationally acclaimed event has attracted thousands of people

 1-5     to this modest Texas town; many of the 35,000 annual visitors come

 1-6     to participate in the snake hunt, although most are there for the

 1-7     thrill of seeing live rattlesnakes and the chance to taste this

 1-8     Texas delicacy; and

 1-9           WHEREAS, Conceived by a group of area farmers and ranchers

1-10     plagued by an abundance of rattlers, the event has grown to become

1-11     the world's largest round-up, with more than 100 tons of western

1-12     diamondback rattlesnakes turned in to date; and

1-13           WHEREAS, Among the highlights of this three-day affair are

1-14     the Rattlesnake Run, the rattlesnake review parade, and the Miss

1-15     Snake Charmer beauty contest, in which contestants compete for

1-16     college scholarships donated by the Jaycees; proceeds from the

1-17     round-up go toward the support of local charities and youth

1-18     programs and help fund the Sunshine Inn, a learning center for the

1-19     mentally handicapped; and

1-20           WHEREAS, The round-up also offers visitors the opportunity to

1-21     see experienced snake handlers demonstrate the various milking

1-22     techniques used to extract the snakes' dangerous venom; this toxic

1-23     substance is beneficial to cancer research and can be used as an

1-24     antidote to snakebite; and

 2-1           WHEREAS, The Rattlesnake Round-Up has generated a great deal

 2-2     of publicity for the city of Sweetwater and its fine citizens, and

 2-3     the Sweetwater Jaycees are truly deserving of special legislative

 2-4     recognition for their sponsorship of this popular event; now,

 2-5     therefore, be it

 2-6           RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 75th Texas

 2-7     Legislature hereby commend the Sweetwater Jaycees on their

 2-8     sponsorship of the World's Largest Rattlesnake Round-Up and extend

 2-9     to the Jaycees best wishes for success with this year's event; and,

2-10     be it further

2-11           RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be

2-12     prepared for the Sweetwater Jaycees as an expression of high regard

2-13     by the Texas House of Representatives.

                                                                      Counts

         Laney                   Gutierrez                Oliveira

         Alexander               Haggerty                 Olivo

         Allen                   Hamric                   Palmer

         Alvarado                Hartnett                 Patterson

         Averitt                 Hawley                   Pickett

         Bailey                  Heflin                   Pitts

         Berlanga                Hernandez                Place

         Bonnen                  Hightower                Price

         Bosse                   Hilbert                  Puente

         Brimer                  Hilderbran               Rabuck

         Burnam                  Hill                     Ramsay

         Carter                  Hinojosa                 Rangel

         Chavez                  Hirschi                  Raymond

         Chisum                  Hochberg                 Reyna of Bexar

         Christian               Hodge                    Reyna of Dallas

         Clark                   Holzheauser              Rhodes

         Coleman                 Horn                     Rodriguez

         Cook                    Howard                   Roman

         Corte                   Hunter                   Sadler

         Counts                  Hupp                     Seaman

         Crabb                   Isett                    Serna

         Craddick                Jackson                  Shields

         Cuellar                 Janek                    Siebert

         Culberson               Jones of Lubbock         Smith

         Danburg                 Jones of Dallas          Smithee

         Davila                  Junell                   Solis

         Davis                   Kamel                    Solomons

         Delisi                  Keel                     Staples

         Denny                   Keffer                   Stiles

         Driver                  King                     Swinford

         Dukes                   Krusee                   Talton

         Dunnam                  Kubiak                   Telford

         Dutton                  Kuempel                  Thompson

         Edwards                 Lewis of Tarrant         Tillery

         Ehrhardt                Lewis of Orange          Torres

         Eiland                  Longoria                 Turner of Coleman

         Elkins                  Luna                     Turner of Harris

         Farrar                  McCall                   Uher

         Finnell                 McClendon                Van de Putte

         Flores                  McReynolds               Walker

         Gallego                 Madden                   West

         Galloway                Marchant                 Williams

         Garcia                  Maxey                    Williamson

         Giddings                Merritt                  Wilson

         Glaze                   Moffat                   Wise

         Goodman                 Moreno                   Wohlgemuth

         Goolsby                 Mowery                   Wolens

         Gray                    Naishtat                 Woolley

         Greenberg               Nixon                    Yarbrough

         Grusendorf              Oakley                   Zbranek

                                             _______________________________

                                                   Speaker of the House

               I certify that H.R. No. 212 was adopted by the House on

         February 26, 1997, by a non-record vote.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Chief Clerk of the House