The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1858-12-18


fascination Of his look, IL lay harmless an
unreaisting in bic gTasp, lie placed il in hi
bosom, tWlned II around his neck ind fuudlet
IL with his hands. The subdued creature
shorD pfits native fsrociiy, yielded Itself {,
/ the power Of lts victor, aud permitted bim {,
oarrsa and handle Il with inipunily.
The spectators broke forth into audible ca
pTesslons u admiration az the accomplish
meni Of this remarkable feat, The perform
n passed his hni around for collection, and
soou had the kalisfaotinn Of receiving il back
we'll replenished with coins the enthusiasm
Of the visitors prompting them u make lib
eral donation as reward iur the peril l,e had
DIaNsd and the entertainment hG had afford
ed
Satisfied with his success, the snake tanner
vanished from the Old Sweet Spring as sud
denly ~ he had come. IN q lev dsys, how
even he made hls appearance at another aud
not very distant watrhngsplaee la the Old
Dominion where he repeated, before Won,
denng crowd Of spectators, the same frais
\ With his snakes A new aud most perilous
addition Wa destined 10 be made at this
I plnoo 20 bhe almost fabulous list of his
hachieisments.
| countryman brought him, one DAY. rat
tlefnake. reotully caught, which was said 10
/ be peculiarly vicious aud dangerous. lie
bouRhl H. and announced his intention To-
tame " upon The Errensvard IN ffont of tho
'iailors hotel largo crowd assembled lo
witness the feat A vacant space being lefl
In their midst for the experiment, the snake
IA very large aud most ugly-looking one
was placed upon the ground and provoked TO
anger by feigned attsck with the foot of the
performer A. the proper moment he seized
H. but almost Immediately threw Il violently
upon TIC gtoundf fexelAiming that hu WAs Bit
iaf la gIa haY1 a ..f. A 4.
where Il fcll.
The m,n At once applied his lips 10 the
wound, aud sucked il with great ragerne.s
ior several moments. Finding no relief
ircm the pain which he endured, he neat
made several incisions, with the point Of his
KNIFE ~ the hrsh Of his wounded hand aud
arm Then, taking from his pocket a large
" 'iv bean, he acraped and pounded ~ pOf-
ton OF Il into a thin, imphlpablc powder,
which he rubbed into the puneiures upon his
hand aud arm. lie BIT off and swallowed an
other portion of the same bean. This speci.
DC he called the Cedron bean. "lt growa,"|
ne said ''in the East, aud IA an iufallible cure
'Ir The bite Of NonomouA replilea"
In the mean time the vruA, having become
diiluscd throughout his system, began 10 pro.
duce painful and alarming effects The arm
aud hand, swollen 10 enormous sizr, assumed
NNid hue Vertigo, spausra aud slupot-
the three most fatal symptoms iu eases Of VA.
aauII upon the powers Of life by reptile poi
Non-bcgan To superycnc. Death Beemed la.
r'tnblc, and almost at hand.
The courageous man refused either 10 sit
or lac down, but walked backward aud for
ward ultering, occasionally, suppressed
Rt'6Ed1fed forced tie Precipitation In streams
from his forehead aud fee. TO IT,. enquiry
Of some one who asked II he suffered much.
he replied, "fes, more than tongue can ex-
press, or YOU can conceive"
The landlord Of the Springs, alarmed at
ihc Intal result OF the experiment. and apprc-
hensiNe that the snakes might escape 60 in.
fest his premises, rushed out eudgel In hand
aud with loud imprecaupnS, 10 kill them.
The sick man, whose first care after being
''ttt'' hssl ereF' en- rrtar~ sttd s~e,srs- li tive
snakes, including the untamcd one, IN their
boxes, seemed 20 forget his own sufIrrngs la
The imminerice OF the peril which threatened
his uncouth favortus. Confronting the land
lord with bold look and menacing gesture,
aud protesting loudly against the medtatrd
assault upon his snakes, he threatened To in
tlct immediate aud summary punishment for
any harm that might he done them. Awed
10y the storm visage aud fierce words OF the
man, the landlord dcsisted from his undrrtak.
NNk "hA ith4AA NlAilln the uotcl. bucn un
outburst oi passion and cumbatiyeness from
one who seemed to be already dying from the
bite OF one OF the monsters which he was so
prompt to defend, struck the bcholdcrs with
mingled astonishmonl and awe. Was IL the
dehrium OF approaching death, or the mad
ness OF Wild attachment to the reptile com
panions ofhis wanderings, that fred his pas
sions aud lGd to the spectacle which they had
just wiIne>sede No one could tell, hat all
looked on, amazed aud perpexed at what
they saw and heard.
1t was with the snake tanner, now nppnr.
enuN in the last extremity, us with other
nortals in the final hour--the ruling passion
proved strong in death. Being interrogaicd
es to his feelings and hopes in prospect OF
impending dissolution, ho said that he expe-
rieneed neither hope nor frnr in the contem-
plntiun OF the great hereafter. lie was not
afraid to die, aud desired to live only that he /
might be abls to prove the supremacy of his |.
art in the subjugation of the snake which had |
bitton him. 1hnt accomplished, he cared /
neither huw nor when the inevitable summons ,
came.
When 6rSt bitten, he had been induced. |
10y the persuasion Of others, to swallow
small drauRht Of whisky, which is deemed a |
valuable antidote in cases of poisoning by the /
bite OF snake. But no entreuty could prevail /
on him either to repeat the remedy or TO APP
ply other specifies known to medical science !
lie had unshaken confidence iu the efficacy
Of the Cedron bean and should that G,l to /
cure him, he felt persuaded that il was fited |
for him then and there to die in despite of
all human aid TO save him.
By this time the virus had produced It's
most fearful effects upon his system The
pain which he endured became ngonizinR in |
the extreme. His sight grew dim, his pulse
sank TO fly foeble beats per minute, altenl-
ate tlushes Of heat and cold passed over his
body, his articulation became thick and indis-
-inct, and both the pallor and the slupor of
death seemed to be rapidly spreading over
both mind and body. Unable longer TO walk
Or even TO sit erect, he had fallen PROSTATE
upon the floor, and was lifted BY the bystand-
,rs and placed upon low couch, IN one cor
ier OF the bar-room OF the hotel To die. For
.unately his reason remained undisturbed,
l.. 4