The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-10-07
Snakery.
BY THE REV. N r. JC

BY THE REV. N. B. JOHNSON.
please, sir, will you sign this petit
tion?"
"What is your petition for"
"Oh, simply to raise snakes. Snakes
will grow, you know, anyhow; and it is
not best to have them properly kept?
Besides keeping them in the house,
will pay the county one hundred dol
lars for the privilege Of keeping them ?'
"Why, sir, do you wish to keep snakes !?
They are dangerous and hard to control,
and they might get loose and bite some
one"
ooh, yes, they are dangerous, know,
but people need not come into see them
unless they want to; besides, sir, do you
not see / will buy food for my snakes,
and that will make food for the farmers
Help business, don't you see?'
"But, sir, you pay one hundred dol
lars to the county, and buy feed for
your snakes. Why do you wish to thus
spend your moneyg'
"Of course L expect TO make money.
Will make my rooms attractive to the
young men. Will have nice furniture.
beautiful pictures, music, games-in-
deed, anything | can, to make my rooms
attractive-and little by little will
teach the young man to handle the
snakes"
"But, dear sir, if some of the Young
men should get bitten? What theng'
II would not keep any such young
men around me; they would have to
leave, especially if they were badly
bitten. Indeed, think the county
ought to take care of any man who
cannot handle snakes without getting
bitten"
"But, sir, if the man should be a
married man and father, what will be-
come of the family7"
"The county ought to build large
house and keep them. You see, sir, /
pay the county one hundred dollars a
year, so they can afford to build nice
Jail for the bitten man and home for
his family, and let me have all the man
had, just for keeping such a profitable
house for the county"
Suppose. sir, the bitten man should
be my sonf'
"Oh, no danger of that, sir; your son
is too smart; besides, none of your
| family have ever been bitten, have they !
keep respectable house, and / want
a license so as my snakes will not be
classed with the low, mean, sneaking
snakes that no one knows anything
about. Don't you see, sir, your boy is
likely to be bitten by snakes ANYWAY
and is it not better to have only licensed
ones, for the county to get revenue
than for all snakes to run loose7''
"1our reasoning is good. I see it
would be so much nicer for my boy to
4 l. L ek< \ l. L Il
unlicensed snake. Would it hurt him
as bad, you think p
30 no, sir. It would be respectable
to be thus bitten; besides, if there are
no licensed places, snakes would be SO
common every man would be in danger
/ O, men have become so used to having
snakes they viii have them, so let's make
them respectable, and keep them under
lcontrol."
just then came along neighbor F. and
he wss crlled up and the same argument
used by B. Il win keep nice house;
viii not keep old bitten men around me;
will pay the county one hundred dollars;
will buy your grain; indeed, win be one
OF the most prosperous citizens"
1es, says will pay the county
ono hundred dollars. Cause the county
70 build jail costing $40, 600, poor
house costing 80, ,000s keep ) doseu
men empIoYed 70 care for the inmates;
viii take wheat, corn and harley needed
] for the poor " feed your snakes upon|
i viii every yenr have some of our youn1
uen bitten and - ethem die. No, sir,
c4nuof 1ign, md indeed Z HiIl d. Al
- y Ee7p I61 lFon 1tss<lnG lck