Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-10-18
THE SNAKE CHARMER.
A LADY WHO CAN FASCINATE SER
PENIS AS WELL AS MEN.

PENIS AS WELL AS MEN. |
Effects of the oIesmeric Gaze of Her Lus-
trous Black Eyes-Methods of Subduing |
to Keep.
The snake charming woman was seated on |
chair and big anaconda was wound once
around her waist, the rest of its length lying |
loose IN her lap. In her right hand she held |
the snakes ugly head. She was brunette
and handsome enough to charm anything.
The reporter murmured something to that
effect
Eyes, you had better speak low when you
pay me compliments she replied, her eyes
twinkling nischievously, ''for the giant over
there Is my husband He's awfully jealous,
and when he gets mad he weighs ten times
as much as he does now.n
"Ah, there" said a little dude disposed to
be facetious; lis that a-aw-a worm, doncher
known
mo, it's a-aw-a masber, dC cher know,
would you like to try how it C, -aw-mashf'
responded Mrs. Smith, alias Madame jean
cite De La" etc, with excellent mimicry.
The dude dropped his eyeglass and became
deeply interested in the Egyptian mummy.
The snake began to stir its coils in the wo-
mans hap.
Don't speak, please" she said earnestly.
She moved the hand which held the snakes
head until the head was pointing straight at
her face. She then fastened her lustrous
black eyes on the two small, treacherous eyes
of the snake Her eyes seemed to expand
and the snakes to get smaller. Superb,
queenly, she looked; her features and whole
bearing seemingly expressing intense mental
effort The snake appeared, at first, to avoid
her gaze; then it ceased stirring and its head
dropped, limp and listless in her hand
'Now you may speak, she said.
THAT was very pretty"
NO HUMBUG ABOUT IT.
''Oh, indeed, there was no fake about
that If l hadn't mastered the snake he
would have whipped his tail into that third
loop be was forming and squeezed me until
my bones cracked unless somebody came to
my assistance and cut him in two. A bear
can't hug tighter than an anaconda can
| squeeze. This is only the third time that
have performed with this snake, and he is
| disposed to be ugly unless l look after him.
| While | was chatting my eyes went off him,
and | suppose he felt there was an oppor-
| tunity to exercise what he regarded as his
| legitimate business You observe that /
always hold the snake by the head, so that
| can compel it to look me in the face Then
| when get my eyes on it | can subdue it.n
| How
| "Ah, that's more than can tell YOU What
causes the bird or the mouse that | feed to
the snake to become powerless when the
| snake fastens its eyes on it'll What is it that
| enables one man TO mesmeriZe anotherl All
| l know is that look at the snakes eyes and
will it, with all my might, to yield to me-
| When | do that | Seem to feel something
going out from me-electrcity-mag
Il don't know what / feel afterward as
though had engaged in physical struggle
| with something and conquered. There's
! where the pleasure comes in. You may not
| believe it, but when | concentrate nv will
to subdue that snake the excitement is in
tense-the enjoyment exquisite. Isuppose it
| is something like what a soldier feels when
the music plays as he marches to battle
How do you acquire that powerln
lit isn't acquired; its born. Many people
possess that power, undoubtedly. who don't
know of it. Quite accidentally found that
| had it. l never had that fear of snakes that
most people have.
| THE MYSTERIOUS POWER
When quite girl noticed some children
running from garter snake What pos
sessed me to do it don't know, but picked
it up, fastened my eyes on its eyes and found
myself willing it to submit Then it fell into
a sort of stupor, and found that could do
with it what liked This discovery that
could subdue the snake so that it became en-
tirely passive in my hands pleased me l be
gan to experiment with other and larger
snakes, always selecting, of course, snakes
that are not venomous. Then when circum-
stances took a turn so that had to carr nv
own living took TO the business 1t paws a
good deal better than sewing or school teach
ing Or selling dry goods"
How do you first go to work with an ana
condaf
Il first give it a bath of warm milk. This
it seems to enjoy hugely, and is soothed BY
it and gets languid. Then try to get it in
position where l can fasten my eyes on its
eyes. This often requires great deal of pa
tlence, for the snake tries to avoid it, SEEM
ing to feel that it means contest in which
it will get worsted But the opportunity
comes at last, and when the snake droops its
, head listlessly know that have charmed il
and can safely put my hand on it. The next
operation is easier and the snake is more
quickly rendered passive. With each opera.
ton it becomes more dOcile until can per
, form with it in public. But always one has
to he careful, for the snake is liable at any
: time to try squeezing. You can tell by tbs
way it moves its coils when it is going to de-
} that, and can then charm it or mesmerize il
. until it is passive; but il you are frightened
and get bewildered you can't exercise any
control over the snake, and the snake viii
actually try to charm you. | have had ON
or two narrow escapes through carelessness
The worst place to have snake is arounC
Z your neck, because it takes very little squeez
I ing there to make you feel exceedingly un
comfortable.
"Are the anacondas troublesome to kept
/. II should say SO; they require a great dea
: more care than a baby They are so liabl
TO catch cold when confined You have t
: throw warm blankets over them and exercis
all sorts of care to keep them properly warm
Then they ere mighty particular what the
eat The only things that seem to thorough
agree with them are white mice and guine
pigs, chickens and squads, and these have t
: be given to them alive The snake doesn
: seem to enjoy eating unless it can first CHAIR
the animal or bird. | have never found
possible to keep one long, and they are e1
pensive to buy New York Tribune.