The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-01-29
UNPLEASANT PETS.
Lad OF seven who shines as an Amateur
Suake-Charmer Rattiesnakes and Turtle
Heads Toyed With with Apparent Enjoy
rucnt.
Irrnm ,ho PhiladeInhIa Prcss. J


CITY who can Guido any OF the a.
Icycd tricks Of Indian rpent-charmers,
"a Great Il the influence he appears 10
nossess over ra:tlcSnakcS, blacksDakeS,
noccasIne, yipers, boas, turtle-heads. cop
cc--heads, and others OF the crawling fami-
il. alwsys regarded a. mortal enemies to
man. 4 Press reporter, in search OF
cigar, entered X. Il. Ciils's store, on Second
street. above Noble, yesterday, and having
procured supply OF the fragrant weed,
was about leaving, when little glri came
in carving n trap containing mouse. She
mt IL down on the counter, and was hand
ed penny in exchange by Mr.. ellis.
al buy a good many mice and rats during
the day." said he, in reply 10 the inquiring
aaze Of the reporer; sometimes a. many
a. fifty 10 a hundred; but then i have
good many snakes TO feed
"snskcs :" was the ejaculation.
Eyes: come and look at them"
The reporter accepted the invitation, ana
walked into a small room at the back OF
the store, round the walls OF which were
number OF cases ironted with glass, con-
tanning any number Of snakes.
"Them's rattles. Here you have turtle
heads: pretty, amt they?' said their en-
fbusiasfic proprietor. "That's kingshead
or cannibsl snake, the only one left OF
family of seyen-father, mother, and five
brothers and sisters"
"What became Of the rest"
"All represented there. They fed on
each other. The father fell victim to the
appetite OF his wife, and she was eaten by
one OF her sons. The latter was swallowed
hv his sister, and she by her brother, and
30 on till that fellow only was left. lie
breakfasted OFF Il water-snake this morning
almost rs long rs himself, so he Is bit
sleepy, but my boy will wake him up.
Here, Willie!"
BOY WHO LIKES IATTLEsNAEEs.
4 misunderstanding youth about seven
wears OF age came running into the room
such pretty hoy, with large, dreamy eyes,
and a mass of sunny brown hair combed
over his forehead. Obedient TO sign
from his father he pushed aside the glass
covering Of the case, and, inserting his
tiny hand, pulled ont the wriggling mon
ster, and began to caress 1t by stroking It's
head.
81 can't do much with him." said the
hoy. al like the rattlCs and turtle-heads
best"
Putting the cannibal back in its lair, he
went over TO a large case. in which some
twenty turtlC-hcad snakes. varying IN
length from three 10 eight feet, were busily
engaged in twisting themselves and each
other into knots. The boy opened one
side Of the case. and, Selling snake with
each hand, put them round his neck.
"This ones Barnun and that's Baby:
>ec how they kiss me-" said the little fell
low rs the reptiles rubbed their mouths
AGAINST his lips and checks. Barnum was
beautifully markcd creature, pure white
tely, and back with black and white spots.
He measured about eight feet and the GEN.
ire OF his body WAS as thick rs mans
wrist Baby was iVc feet long. Without
removing the two others, the boy again put
hiS hands in The case aud brought ont three
more full-siZed fellows, which he placed
about his waist. "1hiS is Jack, and that's
Nellie and here's Biz. They Ill know me,
and they would never hurt me-" II made
the newsman smIdder rs he watched the
snekes crawling and twisting over the boy,
while dozen more heads prOtruded from
the case. rointing their fOrkcd tongues at
The lad as If trying to join in the fun.
"Those snakes could crush my son TO
death IL they liked" said Mr.. ellis, rs he
also took three or four Of the reptiles and
allowed them to wnggle about his body,
"gbut they would never think Of doing him
harm. With the exception Of Baby, all
those turtle-heads were brought TO me by
>ra-captain from the West Indies. Baby
was Matched from on egg that lay iii the
barrel which formed thfr travelling car
rage. He was four inches long when he
was born, and now he's over four feet and
q half, all grown in five months. Hes my
sons fayorite. They were pretty fierce
when first GOT 'em, but / burnt all their
mouths, and that tanned them"
BURNING A sNAKE's MOUTH.
CHOW do YOU mcan?"
..Whv, | took them in turns. Turtle
heads have teeth. not fangs, and are sup
posed for that reason not TO be poisonous
Inv naturalists. | consider all snakes more
or less yenOmous, 20 usually cure them OF
that habit before play with 'er. h'ata
poker red hot, then put the snake on the
ground and irritate it, and when 1t makes
for one Of my fingers / watch my oprortC-
nitv and shove the hot iron down
lis throat. Snakes treated in that wa!
very seldom try TO bite "a human being
again. Every one of those fellows in there
has been treated thus. i kept them sepa-
rate until their mouths were well, and then
I or my boy stroled them a little each day
until al last we could do what we pleased
with them. They appear TO take kindly TO
This climate. l had several more, but
showmen purchased them from me. got
from $40 TO $50 pair for them. They eat
rats, sparrows, mice, young squirrels, and
rabbits, which they crush and swallow on
the boa-constrictor principle"
"Why do you call that one Barnum?"
asked the reporter.
"Becausc he's such hog" was the re-
ply. "lIc wants everything he sees, and
always eats more than his share Of the
grub. When feed that lot In there | usr-
ally put - couple Of dozen 1--we eats and
mice in at time. You ought TO see Bar
nun Jump around; he can swallow two
mice 10 any other snakes one. His yoraci-
~ got him into troublc the other day. That
biz snake cOiled In the corner there is a
lady, and we call her 'Nelic.' She has a
particularly large Jaw, but is a slow eater.
Last week she was eating Il plump rat.
Barnum had gorged himself with mice,
and still was looking around for more,
when he caught sight OF Nelle's rat,
and, with total disregard for fair
play or manners, he began TO slide his gull
lei along the rats hind quarters, and con.
sequently the mouths OF the two snakes
met in the middle Of the rats back. Nellie
was equal 10 the occasion, and with sud-
den jerk swallowed an inch more rat and
two-thirds OF Barnum's head. My son was
watching this little tragedy with consterna-
ton, and pcrceiying that Barnum was rap
Idly disappearing, he shouted for me. /
seized the snakes, and with much trouble
succeeded in separating them; but Bar
NUNS head was severely lacerated, and he
has not shown so much gluttony since, you