Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1858-12-21
GQottcstrr Daily Spp.
THE SNAKE tanner.

Virginia Waterngpa a man, carrying
large box under his arm, made his appearance
in the front yard of the visitors hotel. He
was tall and sinewy in person, with the air and
department of a foreigner. The steady, gray
eye, and the rigid mould Of his features, indi-
Gated vigor Of will and energy Of character
In other respects there was nothing noteworthy
in his appearance or movements.
Having approached to within a short dis
lance Of the hotel he deposited his box upon
the ground, uncovered it, and took out a large
rattesnake, which he held in his hand, grasp
ing it tightly around the body six inches from
the head, and fixing a steady gaze upon its
glittering eyes. The reptile coiled its body
around the arm of the man. or wrthed in
slow, wavy motions through the halfopen
jaws. In a few moments the erect head
dropped, the mouth closed, and the subdued
serpent lay motionless in the hand of the one
rator, who during the whole performance,
stood, erect and silent, in the position he had
first taken.
spectacle, so novel and exciting, attracted
at once the attention of the visitors at the
Springs. The ladies crowded on the front
gallery of the hotel, and the men and bows
gathered in a dense circle around the mysteri-
Gus stranger, to witness his perous feat
To convince the spectators that the eXhibi-
ton was not deception, the performer drew
forth another large rattlesnake from his box.
placed short blunt stick upright in its mouth
so as to hold the fauces apart and then insert
ing another stick beneath the fangs, he pressed
them outwardly until their full length was ex-
posed to view. In this condition he carried
the reptile round the circle of men and bows
and through the crowd of ladies, that all might
see 1t was veritable snake, armed with FANG
and poison, with which his experiments were
performed. This done, he returned to his first
position, placed the snake upon the ground, and
commenced kicking at it with great violence
taking care, however, not to strike it with his
foot Quickly irritated by the simulated as
sault, the snake threw itself into a coil, shook
It's rattles, and seemed eager to strike its assail
ant, who, leaning forward, seized and held it
up, writing and kissing, in his grasp. He
looked steadily for a short time into his ewes
when, as in the first experiment, the head
dropped, the passion subsidized and the serpent
remained subdued ana still in the hand of the
tanner.
lie next emptied upon the ground the CON
tents Of his box, consisting of dozen or more
large, venomous-loOllng rattlesnakes. The
reptile mass coiled, or glided kissing and
fierce, at his feet. He picked them I'D, one by
one, gazed intently for a short time into their
eyes, and then placed some Of them in his no.
som with their heads and necks protrudng as
from den; Others he twined around his neck
and arms, and the rest he seized and held aloft
In his hands, The reptiles writhed and twisted
and coiled as if tightening their hold upon the
person OF the performer. Their eyes glittered
and their tongues shot forth and back like tiny
arrows, from their mouths. But the ominous
rattles all were still, betokening that curiosity
and not anger elected these reptile demonstra-
TONS. The snake tanner, begirt with this ser
pentme glrdle, remained not only unframed,
but apparently quite unconcerned. He had ra-
dated q m lof3 10
upon them, and man asserted his lordship over
the most cunning of all the beasts of the field
The report Of these wonderful feats having
spread through the neighborhood, with the Of
fer OF liberal price, by the performer, for live
EenOmous snakes, of every description. a lad
came in one morning to the Springs, bringing
a large rattlesIiake which he had Just caught
IN the neighbOring mountains The snake
tanner paid the promised reward for it. and
proceeded at once to subdue it in the presence
of nearly all the visitors
Having cautiously removed the lid of the
box i'll which the snake was confined, and
turned it over upon one side, he withdrew a
few steps, and awaited the result In a few
moments, rusty and most venomous looking
rattlesnake, of very large size, crawled leisure
Iy out upon the grass with which the yard was
covered. 1t is the nature of this species of the
serpent race to betray neither fear nor excite
selves secure i'll the possession of enormous
fangs and a supply of virus sufficiently copious
and deadly to produce almost instant death in
man or beast, they neither hasten to escape
from sight when discovered, nor betray the
least alarm when assaulted. 1t is even the pop-
ular faith that they magnanmously rive
warning before they strike by shaking their
rattles, which produce a peculiar, whining
sound, startling to the nerves and alarming to
the mind.
The presence of the performer and of the
large crowd which surrounded him, seemed
not to disturb or even to arrest the attention of
the scaly monster, which, having crawled
forth out Of the box, lay motionless and ex-
tended to its full length upon the grass The
snake-tamer approached and simulated an at
tack by repeated and rapid motions towards its
head with his foot. The reptile became furi-
ously irate in moment Assuming the coil.
which is its natural position both for attack and
defence, it darted forth its tongue and shook its
rattles with the rapidity and violence which
produce their most alarming sound. As the
performer continued, at a safe distance, the
motions with his foot, the snake soon became
almost blind with rage Its head fattencd its
eyes glittered like diamond points, and fear
full, prolonged hiss issued from its mouth The
man made one step towards it, when unable
longer to control its passion to strike it leaped
forward and fell, full length, upon the grass
close at his feet. Before it could throw itself
again into a coil, he seized it with firm grasp,
about six inches below the head and holding
it off atarm's length from his person, lifted it
up from the ground.
The rage and contortions of the now impris-
Oned reptile were terrible to behold. Through
the air, and round and round the arm of the
performer, it twisted and writhed the caudal
extremity Of its body, making all the time,
monotonous and fearful whiz with its rattles,
and essaying, every moment to strike his arm
or his person. The spectators shuddered with
horror and alarm at the sight; but the intrepid
oXperimenter, confident in his art BETRAYED
neither fear not doubt as to the certainty of his
triumph.
From the moment he first seized the snake
he had looked with fixed, almost unwinking
gaze, into its eyes, which the serpent apparent
ly returned with look equally steady and
fierce By degrees, the contortions Of his
body became less violent, and its efforts to
strike less frequent. The arm of the man was
gradually bent, so as to bring the snake, by
slow approaches, nearer to his face. At length
overcome by the magnetic fascination of his
look, 1t lay harmless and unresistng in his
grasp. He placed it in his bosom, twined it
around his neck and fondled it with his hands.
The subdued creature, shorn of its native fe-
rocity yielded itself to the power Of its victor,
and permitted him to caress and handle il with
impunity.
The spectators broke forth in audible express
sions Of admiration at the accomplishment of
this remarkable feat The performer passed
his hat around for a collection, and had the sat
isiaction of receiving it back well replenished
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