The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-04-26

to enjoy yourself, you tell your native SER
want to twang up his tuIn-tum or his hand
organ and give you some music That
brings out the snakes. They climb up
over you and see-saw around in time to the
melody. So the snake man SAYS. He
wasn't out In India. but he saw man who
was. With imported snakes so dear, and
home grown snakes so cheap, it would seem
that the snake business is one deserving the
immediate attention of the Congressional
committee on tariff. There are many diff
ncultleS in the way of properly protecting
the snake-raising industry. And it may
be argued that imported snakes do not en-
ter into competition with our home produc-
lions. But that would be an error. If our
great circus industries could not obtain
foreign snakes they would necessarily be
Obliged to use those Of home growth.
DO you have any trouble getting what
rattleSnakes you wantF'
Not the slightest. We export about 200
a season, but could get 1900 if we wanted
them.n
1t is this over-production that is the ruin
of the country,
There's Mr. Moves the keeper of the
City Park at Savannah, Ca" continued
the snake man. HE has caught hundreds
of rattlesnakes for us. He catches them in
the swamps near Savannah. He has been
often bitten he doesn't much mind rattle
snakes bite. He has preparation that he
rubs in the bite. | don't know what it Is,
but he rubs it in and fills himself full of
whisky, and then he is all right next day"
From careful INQUIRY it seemed that
ABOUT !, 900 snakes year are imported into
the United States, and about the same num-
Der exported. AS we swap rattlesnakes
and mocassins for pythons and anaoondas,
1t would appear we have rather the best of
the trade. The pythons and anecondaS are
not venomous; their method of attack is to
wrap themselves around the enemy and
crush him to death. The rattlesnakes
could give them points and double dis
count them in every contest. The RATHER
isn't nearly as big as the constructor, but he
gets there with corresponding impressive
ness.
The foreign Consuls handle good many
snakes, the snake man says. People abroad
who want specimens of American snakes
write to the Consuls here to procure them.
People here who want specimens of foreign
snakes write to our Consuls abroad to get
them. The circus people and the regular
dealers don't bother the Consuls; it is scien-
tific people, and rich people who own pri-
vate collections of live curioSities who make
requests of this kind. The Consuls don't
care much for handling snakes, which
proves that Consuls are not as foolish as
might be supposed Some of the requests
for snakes are turned over TO the animal
dealers; others are left UNDECIDED
Sometimes | have a glass snake for
sale, said the snake man, but not often.
One is occasionally sent as curiosity. They
get their name from a superstition of the
natives that if they are dashed on the
ground they break like glass. 1t is fact,
however, that glass snake may crack it
self in pieces; say, for instance in fierce
fight it stretches It's body until it is perfect
ly rigid and then it cracks"
'Glass snakes don't amount to much"
said the rival snake man. For q really
valuable curiosity, give me a diamond
snake or whip snake. | got four diamond
snakes not long ago from South America.
One of them was IL feet long. 1t was the
biggest diamond snake that ever came to
New York, and was worth $500. They are
OF the same general species as anacondas,
but the spots on them are diamond
shaped, and as distinct as the diamonds in
pack of cards. Their skin is very valua-
BILE. 1t makes beautiful slippers And as
for whip snakes. have one at home in al
cohol. Yes, it's dead. Couldn't stand the
hustle of big city, so it up and died. 1t
is feet long and not more than d inches
thick in the thickest part, and exactly like
an overgrown whip lash"
The snake man had some curious things to
tell about his anacondas. They have only
one lung apiece, but their stomachs are all
right. They are built inside much like hose
pipe, and when one of then is hungry he
could swallow street car, horses and all,
and wash it down with the conductor and
drivers. 1t would take an anaconda to
swallow most of the stories the snake man
told about him. The anacondas are rather
sluggish in captivity. When they eat a
meal they spend about six months in digest
ing it. They shed their overcoats periodi-
cally, regardless Of the weather. Tbesnake
man wasn't quite sure why it was that
anacondas have only one lung, but thought
that the original anaconda caught conSump-
tion through living in a swamp.
II knew man i'll Oil City" said the
snake man; "his name was Peter Groober.
and his business was snake catching He
caught live rattlers and copperheads with
his naked hands, He was never bitten. His
safety depended on his quickness of motion.
Peter often told me that all that was want
ed to catch snakes was nerve and quick
ness When he saw a snake he would make
a dart like lightning. and grip Mr.. Rather
by the back of the head. When he got his
fingers on its throat the snake was helpless
The snake on seeing man stops to think
minute whether it should run away or
fight. That's the mans chance to nail it,"
This story of Mr.. Groober is probably
true. There are several hunters in the
West who are not afraid to grip a RATHER
by the throat in an emergency. At close
quarters they will do that rather than try
to run away. There is one township on the
Spoon river in Illinois where, it is said
1000 snakes were killed the year before last,
and all killed by a family of young men
who are noted for their fearlessness of
snakes, fearlessness said to be hereditary
in this case.
The snake man talks of writing q book
on natural history, with new facts about
oil