Daily Republican., 1881-09-02
snake srme RS Fe.ts.

snake ChaFmef's Fests.
Mr.. Howe of Camden, New Jersey Is
snake charmer. Behind the counter
of his liquor and billiard room, corner
of Arch and Fifth streets, Camden,
stands a pine box with glass front,
and in this recently visitor found q
six-feet pine-snake, which at dis
t;,nce of three or four feet, closely re-
sembled a rattlesnake. Mr.. Howe
thrust an arm into the box and lift
ing the squirming reptile by the neck
tossed him on billiard table to the
CONSERVATION of man WHO was
reaching across for ball.
That's the only one l have at pres
ent," said Mr.. Howe, as he stroked
the creatures back. "But J expect to
get more soon. This fellow caught
about three months ago near Che.
mung Station New Jersey and he has
turned out one of the incest pets |
have had. He was pretty ugly at first
tut by gentle handling have made a
decent snake out,of him. Why he
wouldn't eat tor three weeks after he
was caught, but | got him reconciled
to his fate ut last. He now eats regu-
larly and is quite lively. fed him
on sparrows, mice, eggs and milk, |
put the birds In alive and sometimes
felt sorry for the poor things, they 80
take on 10. He kills them and then
swallows them whole, feathers and all.
He swallows an egg without breaking
the shell. That sounds like a pretty
stiff snake story but the throat of a
snake is capable of wonderful disten.
sion. fsed him three and four times
a week. Alter meal he will lie for
four or five hours without stirring a
muscle.
"The rartlssnake the snake fan
cier continued, "rarely It eds more than
three times q week. He IL much more
vicious than the pine snake, and it re-
quires much more skill and patience to
subdue him. 1t il the same way with
the blacksEake. The 'rattlrr' has the
nature of bulldog to agreat extent;
the only way in which anything can De
done with him ut first is by brute force.
| have to whip y RATHER into subjection.
How's thar Oh, the whipping? Well,
sir, find that il snake has about a.
much intelligence "a almost any ami.
maj, and when it strikes at you it knows
it has done wrong and understands why
the whipping is administered. take
q small switch and whip the suake ov-
or the head. Rattlers arc stubborn at
hrst, but they can he conquered iinall!
by the whip, and then they give lit
tie trouble. When q RATHER gives III
aud squeals then know | have con-
qusrcd him IfI should take n switch
ami whip that snake there on the head
it would cry like u burt child. That =
strange, isn't IT" But it is true. There
is no need of whipping a snake more
than two or three times, for after that
it fears you, and If you go at it in the
right way it will soon learn 10 love you
the same IA dog or cat. Before | tanned
this one it Jumped clear out OF the box
one day in an endeavor to strike the
clerk. 1t never made a single pass at
me, and it probably never will, because
| treat it kindly. Would you like 10
SEE it climb u tree? Well, then, come
out here"
I'll. snake.owner carried the reptile
TO u tree in front of tho store and hung
it on tho first limb. In a few momeLTs
i. climbed 10 The very top OF the tree
and swung to AID tro in the summer
breeze. There was a commOtion among
the birds and loud and angry protests
were made against the intrusion. Nj.
Howe and the reporter sat down under
the tree and talked Of snakes and M.
ards and eli mariner OF creeping thins',
the former ,,iscoursing vciubly ON his
preference for snakes for pets and play
things. He claims to have owned and
handled all sorts OF small ANIMALS, IA
cluding birds, rats, mice, squirrels,
Opossums, raccoors, gr"nnd-hcGs foxes
and other ~ aturcs common 10 this
country. Hc prefers snakes 20 any,
thing he has yet owned, arguing thai
AS mu'h confidence car he blacec III
them az in adog. While he was giv@.G
an interesting experience man step
ped under the tree eeand.bccancan atteht,
i've listGuer He wasaniddle aged maj
nron whose features rum had placed ltt
mark lie vas evidently ~ stranger
to del'rium, hi mind WAS c,o,ldy and
his speech incoherent. As he sat lis
teuing tie snake, tired Of the tret,
dropped from the lower limbs ac-oss
his shoulders and instar tly Coilcd Itself
about his neck.
"Merciful God" he shouted, soring-
ing to his feat aud clutchins wildly at
his throat, his face the picture Of terror.
Take il If; take IL of. on. bor7ors!
Take It off, for Heavens sa,IeN
SCOT 'em againl" sal Howe, as he
relieved The man from tbs cod c.ammy
coils. "J,m jams sure, this time. &c
home and 20 to led
BuJ--but-wasn't that a SNAKE
that dropped Oh me- " fairly Vaspai
the Lian.
"You'vc got 'em again, say. H."
wodld snake be in that tree, Ia Tx"
to know"
"Boo ugh Yes I've GOT 'em again
and he started off at an unst 'ady though
fast pace down the street, convince''
that delirum treUon5 was upon hin
with all its terrorB.
"If that fellow hadn't got rii OF the
snake it would have chohed him u
DEATH" said Howe a. he tucked IN,
reptile under his coat. "lt lla" i
powerful back bone and lis sQueez.
ing ability is some thing very r"nArk-