The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-07-27
CHILD SNAKE-CHARMER.
OLD BOY HANDLING
SNAKES WITH IMMUNITY.


Facts Abort OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES that
Connie Suicidc--Snakes Us Food.
A man who has devoted much of
B life to the capture and study of
ttlesnakes and other ophidians, is
bw cigar dealer in Philadelphia,
here he entertains his friends and
irons with some Of his experiences
snake hunting, and at the same
ne exhibits, free, many trophies of
skill. Mr.. ellis belongs to family
at has long been famous for snake
itching, and that peculiar liking for
e reptile tribe has descended to his
|ungest child, a boy of less than three
ars Of age. who has not yet arrived
the age of knickerbockers. In a
elk room there is a large cage con-
lining six turtle-head snakes from
hba, the largest of which is nearly eight
ct long. In the corner of the cage,
aching to its top, is a leahess tree,
hereon the serpents stretch them
Ives when they are tired of sleeping
the sand that covers the floor.
Little George ellis goes among them
fearlessly as though they were tame
YES, and has pet name for each
AXE. When his father told him the
her day to hand out "Barnum," he
IDLY seized the largest of the snakes
ok of the head and pulled him over
shoulder, dragging him bodily to
b door of the cage. The serpent
figg,el and threw a coil of his tail
ound the trunk of the tree, kissing
title, meanwhile as though angry !;
t the boy was too strong for him,
d soon handed him to his father.
len he seized in turn the other five
. axes, varying from three to five feet
length, and forced them to climb the
be, up which they made their sinuous
by very unwillingly and with the air
being forced to perform much
ainst their wishes. They were mixed
ID intermingled finally in the top
hnches so that they seemed rolled
TO ball but when George called
EN- they disentangled themselves
d giidei TO the ground again, where
ey once more coiled themselves up
another nap.
There is not a snake in that lot"
Mr.. ellis, "that cannot swallow a
arrow, and the big one, Barnum,'
b get away with a big dock-rat very
silly. You have no idea of the eX-
nsion the mouth of snake is capable
undergoing. They are small, as you
E, and their necks are very slim, but,
their constructions and commissions,
ey can force down a morsel that is
ice their own bulk. Like all other
axes they must kill their own food.
hey will not touch an animal that is
It given them alive and would starve
death sooner than eat butchers
EAT. That is a great mistake the
tural histories make when they say
at the serpent salivates his prey be-
re eating it. Not even the constructor
vho can eat Sheep does that. He
lis himself around his victim after
wing struck him and brushes him
to such shape that he can gradually
allow him. l will let you see Bar
i'm swallow a sparrow"
The little bird was introduced into
e cage and instantly seized by the
axe. His struggles were very brief,
in an instant coil was thrown
ouEd him and he was crushed to
ath. Then Barnum unanswered
ound the cage for minute or so,
IL keeping the coil tightly pressed
ound the bird, forcing the wings
bse'y to its side, and was ready for
s feast, Selling the sparrow by the
bad Git was dead now and released
ON the COLL the snake began a series
convulsive motions, and in about halt
minute the bird that visibly disteaded
e snakes neck was out Of sight.
Rlking of rattlesnakes after the ex-
bition MIR. ellis said that showmen
ere often bitten by them, owing to
nOrance of their nature. When a
ttlesnake first comes into show, he
id. his fangs are pulled out and most
owmen think that after that there
n be no danger in handling him
hat is mistake The fangs will
ow again unless they are cut out at
e roots, and have known of cases
here rattlesnake bit and poisoned
handler less than three weeks after
fangs had been pulled. The rattle
axes fangs bend inward and are
arper than fine needle at the end
hen the showmen want to destroy
EN- they raise the rage of the snake
Haunting silk handkerchief in
ont of him. In his unreasoning rage
seizes the handkerchief and a clever
rk pulls out his fangs. Jack Draper
no was with Gardeners circus ten OF
Felve years ago, got badly bitten by {
axe who fangS lad been recently
lied out. He took nine full glasse.
whisky at once and went to sleep
I'd as soon as he woke up he drank
mere. He says the whisky did not
toXicate him, and that he had a dull
lmbness of the arm and a'general
cling of paralysis and drowsines;
at frightened him. He recovered in
70 or three days.
"The rattles on a snake are not a
re indication of his age, as the natu-
list tell us. They say he gets a rattle
cry year. Now, l have had snakes
at grew three rattles in a year anC
mo Z Ia of did NOT baua ON q ir, loco tb N ,