Morning journal and courier., 1880-04-06
The Snake Keeper.
How He Provides His Pets With NOur-
 isfAments

isiAments
 From the Philadelphia Timesl
 There recently appeared in the newspapers 8 paragraph to the effect that the snake-keep- CT of the Philadelphia Geological Garden was down in New Jersey hunting up food for the serpents. A hundred imaginations at once saw the picture of 8 short, thick-set, middle aged man, with few streaks of gray in his hair perhaps down among the farmers of Southern Jersey, with an immense leathern pocketbook in hand, going about pricing steers. It WAS thought somewhat strange and unaccountable that he should go out of his na- tive State for supplies when 1t is well known that every bit as good produce can be raised in Pennsylvania as in New Jersey, and there has been no little dissatisfaction in conse- quence. Some have even suggested that if the snake man is 50 good at spending his money among the people of Jersey he had better get them to pay his salary, too, as there would then be something consistent about it. These and many other opinions have been expressed on the subject since the above information came out, and although among the business portion of the community the feeling is stronger than might be imagined, the snake keeper all this time has been silent. AS there are two sides to every question, however, it was believed by some that he was not with out his reasons for his singular action, espec- ially since 1t was discovered that he had no relatives in Jersey, and, therefore, could not be accused of nepotism. For the purpose of finding out the truth of the matter an inquiry was set on foot last week, which resulted in gathering some interesting information con corning the business and pecuIarities of the snake-keeper, which the writer feels great pleasure in herewith submitting to his readers.
 The snake keeper is very busy man, and there are few, even among his own associates at the Geological Garden, who understand him. He is generally regarded as a man who Ia to ha at hav nbo orl lion-keepers stand in awe of him. and when they speak of him it is generally in a whisper Onsually, when he passes through the grounds they will be seen looking at him from behind tree or from around the corner of one of the houses. He is rarely seen without two in- variable accompaniments-a satchel and 8 tin can-and there is grim and absorbed ex- pression on his face which bids all intruders stand of. He has his work to do and he does it, he has his places to go to and he goes to them. He is rarely to be seen by the gen. eral public; like the sea-lions, he has his times for 'tcoming out" and his times for go- ing in, and in the intermediate time his life is a mystery. When at home he is generally understood to be in a small shanty at the rear of the snake house, a close, ominous, box like structure, suggestive of the giants lair, as he himself is in every way suggestive of the giant. If anybody were to go to the Zoologi- cal Garden and inquire for him they would O0 SSAS@ about, was uncertain. If he is not in his lair which few people ever have the courage to go and look into-they will be informed that he is probably somewhere in the outer world searching after prey. Then it is that all the indications and suppositions will point to the fact that he has gone down to Jersey to gather worms and garter snakes. Horriied, the wis., itor will perhaps think he has misunderstood the question, and testify to his incredulity by an amazed "W-h-a,t?" ?" "Guess he's gone down to Jersey to look for worms aud garter snakes" will answer some attache to the gar den in position to know.
 If there has been rain recently and the sun is now shining, the attache will supple ment the information with the further re- mark: ''It's good day for garter snakes it rained yesterday and the suns out to- day." He generally goes out to look for them after rain.
 Then 1t is that the snake keepers resem- blance to the giant of fairy tale lore becomes more apparent than ever, while the very look of the little close shanty is ominous and threatening.
 Again he has disappeared with the tin can, alone. It is then understood that he has made an excursion to some obscure swamp to spend the day gathering frogs. At nightfalI he returns with the tin can distended at it's sides, and disappears into the ominous-looking hut. There is usually stiffness on the grounds at this hour, for 1t is known the giant has come home and that he is not in 8 mood to be interfered with.
 There have been occasions when the giant has been known to go away without locking the door of his hut It was the blindness Of ignorance that led to an investigation of the contents of this hut in the course of the in vestigNtion above alluded to last week. It was a sunny day, there had been rain on the day before, and the giant, as usual, had been seen to leave the grounds with his satchel and tin and xUo snDDnaad In ha in Tarcou capturing water snakes, garter snakes, frogs and worms. Having been directed to his lair and being as yet ignorant of the dark and bloodthirsty character of it's occupant the door was found unlocked and the visitor pushed in. The contents were enough to awe and frighten the stoutest and make them re- coil hastily, and had it not been that the dark side of the giants character had not yet been as clearly revealed as it was subsequently, the visitor would perhaps have fled with every manifestation of horror and fright.
 First there was seen at one end of the room Q sort of watering trough and spigot, where the giant no doubt washed the blood from his hands after his horrible work had been done. Next on the floor of the room, near the door, stood several stacks of oats-in themselves suspicious and terrible as suggesting the probable strength of the gory occupant-and near them lay several coils of rope and chain or two, all of which bore out the theory of
 
 there were several pans with oats in them, by which it was at once evident that this was the food which the giant fed to his captives.
 What these captives were were seen all too soon. Two cages stood on the side of the room, one on top of the other, immediately facing the door. One cage held white and spotted rabbits and the other cage contained guinea pigs. There were twenty or thirty al- together This was the food the snake-keep- CT was fattening for his serpents-the boa constrictors and other large snakes of the ex- banding jaws, which can swallow down the largest -sizsd rabbits without the slightest diff fculty.. The rabbits were seen sporting about the cage, all unconscious of the fate in store for them, fate ell the harder from the fact that the luxurious serpents must have them to swallow alive or not at all, as they will not eat dead food. The guinea pigs are sacrificed the same way.
 This form of serpent diet the snake-keeper does not go down into New Jersey for. The rabbits and guinea pigs are kept in the gar dens. where they breed very fast and more than keep up the supply for the large serpents. The garter-snakes and water-snakes, and worms and frogs, which he brings In hls satchel and tin can, are fed to the rattIesnakes and the king snakes and serpents Of that sort. The way the snake-keeper gathers up his food for these reptiles is amply in keeping with his giant characteristics, and well calculated to inspire terror to the weak and tlmorous. He gets out in field or woods down about Wood bury, N. J., where garter snakes abound, and as fast as he sees them he gathers them up with his hands and throws them into his tin can or satohel. The water-snakes he gets along the brooks and swamps. "Every man to his call inp :" says the adage. The snake-keeper on the authority of those who know something of his habits and peculiarities, has his heart in his work, and by all accounts would not ex- change with anybody. To the fact that he is always thinking of his work and attending to his own business, is perhaps due his strange silence under the unjust misapprehension that has arisen touching his action in the obtaining of his supplies from Jersey instead of Penn sylvania, and 1t is to be hoped that now, since it has been discovered that no money is paid out for these supplies, and that the supplies themselves are of such kind as Pennsylvania does not pretend to deal much in, that the unfair comments made upon the snake keeper may be recalled and that his critics will do what they can to set him right in the com munity.