The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1874-05-29

: On Saturday morning as Sun reporter
was walking through Roosevelt street. his
attention was drawn 10 a cage OF monkeys
in a shop window. On entering the room.
a small, ill-ventilated apartment, suffoca-
ungly warm. and disagreeably odorous.
the reporter observed six large boxes piled
IN one corner. They were not very strong
looking boxes. They were fastened merely
with leather thong, and had holes i'm the
sides.
What have you there:'' he asked Of the
proprietor, a tall. good-looking young
man, with large mOustache and broad
brimmed hat
Snakes" was the reply.
:" Are they dead -
oh, no. said the tall young man a. he
opened one OF the boxes and disclosed
what at first sight appeared to be heap
OF velvet carpet, Of salmon color and oak.
with dark ground. bur what closer ex-
animation showed TO be three large SER
penis, so interlaeed and intertwined that il
was impossible 10 tell which was which.
Three Hat, triangular heads lay on the top
OF the heap. and an occasional sparkle from
the never closing eyes. and the appearance
OF "A red-forked tongue were the only signs
of life.
"Will they bite ~ inquired the reporter.
peering under the left arm OF the tall
young man.
BLESS you. no." and he grasped one
by the neck and lifted two or three feet of
his scaliness from the box. There was a
quivering motion of the snake. and the
head glided from the tall young mans
grasp back into the box.
Pretty strong. amt he said the re-
porter. . What Kind of snakes are they -
"Aracondas." was the reply. We
don't Keep any but anacondas and boas.''
How long are they:"
"Only about ten feet: but we have got
some larger ones. John. help me get this
box down.
The two. with some difficulty. took a
larger box from the top of the pile and
placed IL on the floor. The tall young
man opened u; the reporter quickly
stepped back again: the monkeys shrieked.
coughed. barked and huddled ia the firth-
est corners OF their cages. COled within
the box were two enormous serpents. one
OF them marked with large spots of black
and yellow. while the glistening scales of
his companion were colOrcd with black and
dirty light-blue blotches. Ugly-looking
customers both.
What kind are they" inquired the
reporter.
= Boa constructors" answered the tall
young man. "Splendid specimens. too
They're about twenty feet long"
As he spoke he kicked the box. The
serpent in blue raised his head and exhib-
tied several inches of remarkably lively
tongue. The monkeys shrieked louder
than ever, and one solemn. wrinkle-faced
patriarch coughed convnlsively.
. 1 should think you'd be- afraid the
snakes would get out 81 those boxes-they
can't be- very strong"
There's No HunUer+ they ar. r.etlana
only when hungry. and we ar careful not
to let them yet hungry
" How often do you feed them:"
" About once i'm three months. I'm go
ing TO feed that biz blue fellow next sun
day. In won't be- so noisy around here
then. They don't feed well If there are
many people around and much noise. But
they are good eaters. Why. that big one
will take eight or ten large rabbits at a
meal. You see he has to eat enough TO
last him three months We feed them with
rabbits. pigeons. cats and guinea pigs.
oh. yes. we always throw them in the
boxes alive. A snake won't touch dead
animal. They always want to Kill their
own food
We throw in rabbit. If everything
j. quiet the snake catches IL M once. winds
around il and brushes the life out OF il.
Probably the rabbit j. dead in less than a
minute. but the snake holds il till every
pulse stops. Then it unwinds. backs away
from the body. commences at the head and
swallows the rabbit whole. covering il
with saliva during the operation. When
that l. swallowed we put In another. and
so OF until the snake j. full. When il has
had enough II won't touch another. A
rabbit might stand on its head and it
wouldn't hurt it,
Where do the snakes come froms"
We'll. that big blue and few others
came from Africa. but we got most of
them from South America. We make ar
engagements with the captains of sailing
vessels, who buy them of the natives.
You Sc is very warm in here continued
the tall young man. as he wiped his face.
I'VE have TO keep the temperature nearly
as high as II is in their native countries.
Snakes are very sensitive 10 cold
And who are yoIIr customers:"
Oh. the shOwmcn who have the side
shows connected with ciyuses.''
" Then you don't have private buycrs?''
"Well. no. You see. as general things
people seem 10 have a prejudice against
snakes. and they amt very pretty pets af-
ter all. One OF the boas took hold of
John the other day. He was changing
him from one cage To another when the
snake grabbed him by the arm and wound
around him. II I had not happened TO
come in Just then ! believe he'd have hurt
John badly. You see the bite j. harmless
about like the scratch of pin. but it's
the squeezing that does the work. Why.
they are just one mass Of MUSCLE
How much are these snakes worth -
They vary. We have twenty-five
boas and anacondas here from eight tn
twenty feet in length; the largest are
worth $3.50. and they run from that all
the way down To sou. y san.