Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1888-02-16
THE ANACONDA'S BATH.
A Strange Sight Witnessed In a
Bowery Museum.
The Snake Hunter Discourses on Snakes
and Relates n Thrilling Exporl-
ence with the Creatures ON
the Mississippi

bathP l mean one of the big twenty
foot anacondas that are the chief OBJ
jects of horrible fascination in the
museums. Probably it hasn't occurred
to most persons that snakes take
baths, but they do. Cleanliness is so
essential to their well-being. hideous
and disgusting monsters though they
are, In the estimation of many nerv-
Gus people, that If they miss their
bath by even few hours they die. !
saw three Of the biggest snakes ever
known In captivity given a bath the
other day. 1t was in Bowery mu-
scum, to which a leathsr-lunged
and ragged young man on the side
walk invites the passing throng
to come and sup their full of
horrors. In a room upstairs there
was long glass case containing, per-
haps, six or eight anacondas. These
were lolling sleepily about with their
wicked-looking eyes half Shut and
their glossy, notified bodies tied up in
bow-knots together. The hoarse-voiced
gentleman In charge Of them descanted
volubly upon their life and habits. 1t
was very common mistake to suppose
that snakes in captivity were kept
under the influence Of drugs, he said.
They were always sleepy after they had
been fed. and persons who had to
handle them took care that they were
fed often and regularly. That was why
snakes In museums were always seen to
be enjoying sort Of dignified ease.
instead Of getting up and smashing
things to pieces as they might do If
they could get their muscular bodies
around any thing. That was the
reason why snake-charmers could ham
die their snakes with impunity, he said.
and then he wound up with encyclope-
die facts about the home of the ana
conda and its habits of crushing cows
and horses into shapeless masses.
When the crowd had wandered off to
see the Circassian Princess with the
sleached hair and the rich Ulster &C.
cent, the hoarse-voiced gentleman got
down from his perch, and carefully
shutting the doors Of his domain,
wanted to know If wanted to see the
snakes take their baths. He said there
was not particle of danger and i,
was very interesting sight. and wher
I had secured safe line of retreat BY
getting part way downstairs 1 tolt
him to 60 ahead. Two assistants
brought in big tub, bigger than ,
Harlem wash-tub, and put about thre,
feet of water In. They tried the tenn
perature several times with Their
mometers, and when they had made il
at seventy degrees they told the chic
Of the lavatory that they were ready.
1--WE heat the water to seventy de-
grees, so that it will be exactly tn,
same as the temperature of their cage, y
said he. you see that the bottom O
the cage is carefully lined with thicl
dannel. Under 1t are a lot of OF
lamps, which are kept always burning.
Their heat is distributed by pipes al
over the bottom of the cage. Tn,
snakes are so very sensitive to colo
that lowering the temperature ten de
grees would kill them. That is VIII,
snakes arc the hardest of all animal
to be kept alive in captivity. 1t re
ouires incessant watchfulness to Sc,
that the temperature is just right TO
them" With that he beckoned to on
Of his assistants and approached tn
cage. IN one side was little slidin,
door. He knocked that back noise
lessly and slowly advanced both hand
In the cage.
One Of the biggest Of the snakes wa
living alone in the center. with its Ion,
tail twisted about in curious fashion
The chiefs right hand moved slowl
until it was right over the head of tn
creature. Then 1t made a sudden, de
scent and clutched the snake firml
about the slender neck. jus. benin
where its ears would be if it had ears
The anaconda gave 8 squirm of indis
nant surprise and reared up its tail a
though it was going to fight about il
Before it had time to make any troubl
the chiefs left hand grabbed it abou
three feet from the tail. Giving
dexterous twist be threw the loop be
txeen his hands over one arm. an
then he had his snakeship at HI
mercy. The chisf drew back slowly