Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1881-03-18

THE SERPENT BUSINESS IN NEW YORK
DEATH OF VETERAN DEALER.
From the New York SUM-

FROM thc New Nork Sun.
The snake season opens later than usual
this year. The weather in all parts Of
the world has been so cold that no at
tempts have been made to gather the SER
pent coop. Late advices, however, say
there is some activity in the South Amer
ican maket. One of the leading city deal
ers expects his first order of 40 anacondas,
assorted sizes, in about three weeks.
Prices rule about the same as last year
from $50 to S300-according to length.
Sizes vary from eight to thirty feet.
The trade will actively set in about the
LIST OF April, and continue brisk until
about June, when all the travelling shows
will be on the road. In the early fall,
when the side shows are getting ready for
the county fairs, the snake merchants
again enjoy prosperous trade.
The recent death Of Patrick Mooney,
the pioneer snake merchant of the city,
was a great loss to the trade. Mr..
Mooney was an Irishman by birth, and
started in the animal and snake business
in Newry, Ireland, when young man.
Ho lived more than quarter of century
in this country, most of the time III this
city He travelled extensively in his ear
iiCA iiiS, anu NollcNtOo oCi Rchlo
every part of the globe As rule, he
did not handle venomous reptiles, but the
boas and anacondas sometimes prove near
ly as dangerous. He bore many scars on his
hands and body from their teeth, and he
used to tell thrilling stories Of his escapes
from the coils of the monsters that wrap
ped around his body. He used frequent
ly to take good-sized anaconda from its
box in his store and frighten spectators
by letting it coil around him. He always
took good care not TO let the snake get n
purchase with its tail on any adjacent
object against which to squeeze him.
Mooney knew all about snake pathol-
ogy, and rarely lost many Of his serpents
from disease. 1t was rather startling to
the nerves to step into his his shop and
see him holding open the capacious
mouth Of boa, and touching up canker
spots, from which the reptiles frequently
suffer He lost the slippery reptiles in
other ways than by disease, however. In
spite oil all precautions they would occa-
sionally escape from captivity.
Mooney found one fine anaconda Gead
one morning several blocks from his
store. An excited crowd had followed it
and stoned it to death, not knowing
whence 1t came.
! On another occasion Mooney arrived ut
his store and found that five snakes were
gone After long search they were dis
covered coiled up inside of long stove
pipe that lay III rear storeroom. The
reptiles braced themselves and resisted
all efforts at getting them out As snakes
go without food month ut n time, the
prospect Of coaxing them out was not
promising. Finally, tho rvits in the side
OF the pipe were cut, and the reluctant
snakes were gotten out.
Another snake once escaped, and was
missing for SIX months Ii was gwen up
az hopelessly lost. One day. in removing
some old rope and other rubbish in the
loft, the snake was found alive and we'll
| How he had gotten sufficient food to keep
him alive was a mystery.
Two boas climbed from the first story to
the roof of the building one night In
the morning one WINS found dead IN the
street, it evidently having fallen off. The
other was found cooled around chimney
stack
Mooney had to keep his store heated to
q tropical temperature TO keep his stock
comfortable. In the late cold spell lie was
III the habit of working IN the superheated
room and then going out doors without
an overcoat. He caught n severe cold,
which resulted ia pneumonia aud caused
his death.