Wichita eagle., 1886-08-25
aai19RE1 gao1e'
A SNAKE CHARMER.
A DISGUSTING EXHiBl TON GIVEN
BY A COlOREO PERFORMER.

Hearts of All the Spec.ators-A Box
of Hideous Reptiles Under Wonderful
Control.
@You'n breed the chills. Come along with
mel"
The remark needed no peremptory tone to
enforce obedience. To ono who has seen q
real live, genuine Arkansas chill in operation
the suggestion alone is sufficient. So down
came pair Of feet from their elevated place
above the head Of the owner. the pipe was
pocketed, and the morning sun bath on the
piazza was abandoned Pleasant a. they are
sun baths in this state breed chills, and once
bred heaven guard the possessor! Much
might be said Of them. They stand without
a rival; long ago they reached tho acme Of
chillincss. The bottom lands Of other Sec
tions may do their best, may toll and strive
and rack their victims as they will, but when
it comes right down to shaking marrow out
of bones, loosening teeth and nails, and then
calmly introducing fever beside which the
interior Of q coke oven seems Siberia-why,
then, Arkansas chills have q walk-over for
the Derby. No sun baths here
"Let us 60 and see the snake charmer," said
the native. ARKANSAS produces the snakes,
Mississippi the negro"
No need to question the first statement. If
there is any species of snake not common in
Arkansas he is vet to be heard from. They
are everywhere, of all kinds and sizes, of all
degrees Of venom In tho bayous they may
be seen anywhere by hundreds and thousands.
On tho prairie they Turk under every shrub
and bush. In the forests they are numberless.
Not mile from here in little pony bayou,
may be seen enough snakes any day to stock
all the museums in tho country, with a few
car loads over for export. It's not considered
much of q place for snakes, either, but a
fairly good fishing ground, where catfish
reach fivepound 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 l 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-ncver. To produce a dra-
matte effect in a crowd of blacks, young or
old, male or female, introduce ever so small a
snake Unexpectedly. There viii be one wild
whoop, eyes will bulge out in terror, jaws
will fall like q trap door, there will be
vision of vanishing legs and ankles-then the
experimenter is sadly alone.
All this as we stroll up to investigate tho
mississippi charmer" The wonder proved q
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 blooded, tall and angular His
jeans were worn and decidedly dirty. On bis
head was a torn and much faded felt hat,
relic of the storms and sunshine of many sea-
sons. His movements were awkward, and
altogetLcr be would 20 thought the last in
0ividual on earth to rival the fabulous snake
charmers of the east. Yet, standing there in
the sunshine. he gave such an exhibition as
sent cold chills to the hearts of all the specta-
tors. To white man not having an Unborn
horror Of snakes-if there be such one-his
final act was sufficient to make the flesh creep.
Evidently he was no Arkansas native Those
who were about him preserved 4 respectful
distance
STOPPING over a small box on the ground ut
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, notified green
serpent nearly as large, and snake known
here as the water rattlesnalle, 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 glkled gracefully away on
the ground.
"Heah yo'!' spoke the chariner. "War you
goin'! Yo' done git back yer to dis chile"
UNDER PERFECT CONTROL.
AT this word the snake stopped, wheeled
around, approached his captor and cooled up
his leg and about his body. The other snakes,
excepting the smallest, came out of the box
at the word and followed the first. All over
his body they went, their eyes flashing, their
tongues darling 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 ut home. One by one they
would be put on the ground and start away
only to stop at the word. Hung over the box
they would maintain one position until told
to move. They seemed under perfect control
and for nearly half ON hour entertained and
horrifiea the rapidly growing circle Of spec
tato-s Then tho 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-
lions or notices that at the conclusion of the
entertainment the hat would be passed He
talked to the snakes rs ne might to children,
petting and abusing.
The new snake was decidedly lively one,
. foot and a half long, as said, and of good
thickness 1t was rs wide awake as any Of
its predecessors 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 it even Billy
kersand's 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 choice cigar. Quick
as flash the snakes head shot out, its tongue
a darling flame, its eyes cleaning wickesily
1t gradually pushed its body into sight, slip
ping down on the blacks shoulder, and coiled
as if to strike; then, at the word, returned to
the box. The effect of such an unnatural ex-
hibition was startling in the extreme-revolt-
ing beyond description.
Il solemnly swear" said an Indiana gen
tleman, rs he turned away, IF had gun
I'd shoot that negro in q second
ut takes a Mississippi negro to do the like