Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-08-02
A SNAKE CHARMER.
A DISGUSTING EXHIBITION GIVEN
BY A CoLORED PERFORMER.

A DISGUSTING EXHIBITION GIVEN
BY A CoLoRED PERFORMER.
! A Sight which Sent Cold ChiIIs to the
Hearts of All the spectators-A Box
of Hideous Reptiles Under Wonderful
Control.
You'll breed the chiIlsi Come along with
me!'
The remark needed no peremptory tone to
enforce obedience. To one who has seen u
real live, genuine Arkansas chill in operation
the suggestion alone is sufficient 80 down
came pair Of feet from their elevated place
above the bead of the owner, the pipe
pocketed, and the morning sun bath ON the
piazza was abandoned Pleasant as they
sun baths in this state breed chills, and once
bred heaven guard the possessorl Much
might I've said of them. They stand without
rival; long ago they reached the acme of
chillineSs. The bottom lands Of other Sec
tionS may do their best, may toll and strive
and rack their victims as they WILL but when
il comes right down to shaking marrow out
of bones, loosening teeth and nails, and then
calmly introducing fever beside which the
interior Of a coke oven seems Siberia-why,
then, Arkansas chills have a walk-over for
the Derby. No sun baths here
Let us go and see the snake charmer," said
the native. Arkansas produces the snakes,
Mississippi the negro"
No need to question the first statement. II
there is any species of snake not common in
Arkansas he is yet to be heard from. They
are everywhere, of all kinds and sizes, of all
degrees of venom. In the bayous they may
be seen anywhere by hundreds and thousands. |
On the prairie they lurk under every shrub
and bush. In the forests they are numberless.
Not mile from here in u little pony bayou,
may be seen enough snakes any day 10 stock
all the museums in the country, with a few
car loads over for export. It's not considered
much of place for snakes, either, but u
fairly good fishing ground, where catfish |
reach tive-pOund notch, and game fish are
occasionally taken When the long-legged
native, however, spoke of a colored snake |
charmer, this was something worth looking
into.
A DRAMATIC EFFECT.
Not having any acquaintance with the
blacks of Mississippi could not question his !
word, but that any negro would handle a
snake seemed incredible. Arkansas blacks |
will kill them-if their poles are long enough. |
But to touch one-never. To produce dra- /
matte effect in a crowd Of blacks, young or |
Old male or female introduce ever small |
snake unexpectedly. There will be one wild |
whoop, eyes will bulge out in terror, jaws /
will fall like trap door, there will lie a
vision of vanishing legs and ankles-then the |
experimenter is sadly alone.
All this as We stroll up to investigate the |
Mississippi charmer" The wonder proved a 1
reality. He was leaning against the lee of a |
drug store, surrounded by a circle of the |
curious, both black and white. He was !
nearly full bIooded, tall and angular. His |
jeans were worn and decidedly dirty. On his 4
head was a torn and much-faded felt hat,
relic of the storms and sunshine of many sea-
SONS. His movements were awkward, and /
altogether he would be thought the last in
dividual on earth Ia rival the fabulous snake
charmcrs of the eaS. Yet, standing there in
the sunshine. he gave such an exhibition as
sent cold chills to the hearts of all the specta-
tors. To a white man not having an inborn
horror of snakes-if there be such one--his
.inal act was sufficient 10 make the flesh creep
Evidently he was no Arkansas native. Those
who were about him preserved a respectful
distance.
X
his side the disrepntable-Iooking char1ner
raised the lid and exposed his collection.
There were three black snakes of the species
found in Pennsylvania, each some three feet |
in length; one king snake, a notified green
serpent nearly as large, and snake known
here as the water rattlesnal1e, of dark brown
color and perhaps eighteen inches in length.
This snake is said by the blacks to be very
poisonous However that may be, it was
enough for all purposes. When the lid was
raised there were exposed no stupid, half
awake, inert serpents. Five heads shot into
view, five forked tongues darted out, and
and there was falling back of the crowd.
Slowly one of the black snakes raised himself
out of the box and glided gracefully away on
the ground.
"Heab yn'N' spoke the charmer @War you
goin'i Yo' done git back yer to dis chile"
UNDER PERFECT CONTROL
At this word the snake stopped, wheeled
around, approached his captor and coiled up
his leg and about his body. The other snakes,
excepting the smallest, came out of the box
tit the word and followed the first. All over
his body they went their eyes flashing their
tongues darting back and forth continuously
They twined about his neck, rested on his
shoulders, hung about his arms, and but for
erect heads and constantly playing tongues
seemed perfectly at home. One by one they
would be put on the ground and start away
only to stop at the worGl Hung over the box
they would maintain one position until told
to move. They seemed under perfect control
and for nearly half an hour entertained and
horrified the rapidly growing circle Of spec
tators. Then the MiSsiSsippian pat away the
big fellows and took out the water rattle
snake. 1t was his final act. There were no
words Of introduction, no mumbling invoca-
tions or notices that at the conclusion of the
entertainment the hat would be passed. He
talked TO the snakes as he might to children,
petting and abusing.
The new snake was a decidedly lively one,
a foot and a half long, as said, and of good
thickness lt was as wide awake as any of
its predecessors-more vicious in appearance,
if anything. 1t did all that they did, then
coiled on the fellows shoulder. He took it in
his hands, and-Great Scott!-deliberately
crowded it into his mouth. 1t was a capa-
cious mouth By the side of 1t even Billy
Kersands pride would be thrown into
shadow. The lips closed, and the ungainly
black apparently masticated the serpent,
while the crowd stood awed by disgust and
horror. Slowly his bps opened, as when one
exhales the smoke of a choice cigar Quick
as fash the snakes head shot out, its tongue
& darting flame, its eyes cleaning wickedly
1t gradually pushed its body into sight, slip
ping down on the blacks shoulder, and coiled
as il to strike; then, at the word, returned to
the box. The effect Of such an unnatural ex-
hibition was startling in the extreme
ing beyond description.
Il solemniy swear" said an Indiana gen.
tleman. as be turned away, "if | bad a gun