The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1881-12-08
Epfl, the snake.Tamer. i

tsAA ~ uoOo w OC, Stuu uOH YOU
forget it," said old Eph Sewell to d Sta,
reporter. a few days ago. ssN owatia5.
a snake-charmer viii have two or three
tanned reptiles and pretend. to dea great
] deal. In the good old times no man
who cared to risk his reputation before
the public as a snak -charmer dared tc
think of having cage of less than q
dozen rattlers, snappeis and tspsead-
erS. 'si4ss - as fs9f} e 3S5st ali5 5s4 /.
In the early days OF Barnum's Muse
um, Eph SeWell was one of the great
est attractions, < He had charge of a
cage OF reptiles from many lands, and
at every performance always made it q
point to 90 into the cage and lie down
with the collection. .sr In sthai oourse OF
time his health became greatly impaired
from inhalingt the poisonous atmosphere
OF the cage. and his skin became mot.
/ tied and broken like that of snake.
Physicians ordered him to seek "a
change OF climate and avocation, and lie
forsook the profession OF snake-charrff.
Hing and wentitoithe West Indies After
few years, sojourn ia that mild eli.
mate his health was restored, and be
adopted another calling by,way Of earn
ing livelihood. Old Eph' s hands and
face are covered with scars which have
been inflicted by 'serpents' farigs, and
he never tires OF relating snakys Incl
| dents of the days when he enioyed the
sobriauet of s.The Snake KIng.',gt 8,
ITO handle snakes suceessfully,,' the
old man continued. as he leaned up
against the box-office of Bunnellss Mu-
scum, lone must not, be afraid Of The
sleek-s skinned fascals: Snakes are lust
like human beings I'M MANY respects;
when they gethold-ef anssaTfaBt- cow
ard OF timid person, some faais,bound
to ensue. l was bitten four times in
one day once by lot of little Jersey
Pine snakes, and if i had not choked
and beaten the offenders half to death,
their companions would have made it q
point to have sampled ME daily. - As it
was made it so hot for them that they
would all lie in my bosom and hiss
vengeance at the spectators. -
4 Did you ever consider your life in
danger from an attack by reptiles p,
asked Manager George q. Starr. fsaa :
& 'fWeh there have been times when
would have felt more comfortable at q
table enjnEinga a. gaod rdiaaar-...Gnnons.
occasion that now. recall. i introduced.
myself to the largest boa conStrictofr'
ever brought! to this country 3 He was
eighteen feet in length and. weighed,
over 500 pounds. He had been in the
country two weeks and Barnum was
Obliged to pay good price to get hold
of linn. When l went into the cape I
saw that he had became monarch of the
concern. The remaining snakes were
as submissive as mice, and when thew
crawled over to greet me his lordship
looked wicked. S caught him il nv
arms. and he reared his head until II
rested upon my left shoulder. Lifting
him as much as possible, / passed him
around my body, and he apparently ini-s
agined that he was embracing tree in
bus native Jungle. He tightened his
coil, and feeling like l. was, being
slowly suffocated came over me.
Quicker than a fash caus The him back
of his head, and by q desperate effort
wfenched myself free. Then we both
got,angry. The boa came toward me
and I,caught him by the throat. was
strong enough to hold him at arms
length despite his struggles, and in q
few moments he gave up The fight and
relaxed his coils. Then I shook him
until he was thoroughly alarmed; and
eve ! afterward he was submissive. Had.
l permitted his coils to close about me,
no eartly agency could have saved me.
4 once interfered between two large
blsck snakes that were having free
fight, and they bit me two or three
times each before could gain the mas
terry Snakes are quick to learn, and
they never forget face. [ handled
one for two years, and then he was sold
to- a travelling exhibition. Eighteen
months later paused in front OF D
snake-cage in Baltimore. and my pet
was among, the collection. He raised
his head and tapped on the glass before
recognized him, and appeared just as
happy to see me as though / was long
absent brother. fIWhen keepers are
changed the snakes are quick TO resent
IL. Some years ago was travelling
with Barnum, and at Indianapolis went
off on hurrah. At that time the snakes
had to be performed, they were a vital at
traction, and Feeiee Jim was substituted
for me. He was unable to handle but
two out of the ten; and Coup was SO |
happy that he almost kissed me when i ]
rejoined the show, Snakes are splen-
did eating One day. T determined to
kin small boa that was always max
ing trouble with the collection, and did
50. What are You going to do with the
carcass? asked a fellow who had gone
through Brazil. replied that / would
DO nothing; and then he persuaded me
to cook it. We cooked it together,
and found it far superior to young
squirrel. Afterward, in the West In
dies and in Mexico, 7 always regarded
snakes for the table with high favor
sDo you ever intend to go into the
business again?'' ssi !
mo. | am growing. Old and will
cave the younger members Of the pro-
ession something to- do;g but ] do be.
ieve that If / could get big cage full
if snakes once more, and eat, drink and
'leep with them as / used to do, it
would make me feel ten years younger"
IN. Y. Star. e
"A Chicago woman sent Saratoga
wave, two secondhand frizzes and an
I'D jute switch to- the Michigan suffer-
RS. 1t is such self-sacrificinC kindness