The Hazel Green herald. [volume] (Hazel Green, Wolfe County, Ky.) 1885-19??, 1888-02-10
THE ANACONDA'S BATH.
A Strange Sight Witnessed in a
Bowery Museum.
The snake Hunter Discourse. on Snakes,
and Relates Thrilling Experi-
enCe with tho Creatures on
tho MississIppi.

Did YOU ever see Il snake take its
bath? mean one of the big twenty
foot anacOndas that are the chief OBJ
jrCts 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 wcll-boing, hideous
and disgusting monsters though they
are. in the estim alton of many norv-
Gus people, that if they miss their
bath by even u few hours they dire. /
saw three of the biggest snakes ever
known in captivity given a bath the
other day 1t was in BOwcry mu-
scum, 30 which leather-lungcd
and ragged young man on the side
walk invites the passing throng
to come and sup their full of
horrors In room upstairs there
was n long glass case containing, per-
haps, six or eight anacondas. These
were iolling sleepily about with their
wickcd-looking eyes half shut, and
their glossy. notified bodies tied up in
bow-knots together. The hoarsc-voiccd
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 II sort of dignitied ease,
instead of getting up and smashing
things to pieces. rs 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
tonda and its habits of crushing COWS
and horses into shapclcss masses.
When the crowd had wandered off to
see the Circassan Princess with the
blcached hair and the rich Ulster ac-
cent, the hoarse-voiced gentleman got
down from his perch. and carefully
shutting the doors of his domain.
wanted To know il wanted to see the
snakes take their baths. He said there
was not particle of danger and it
was very interesting sight, and when
| had secured safe line of retreat by
getting part way downstairs ] told
him to go ahead. Two assistants
brought in a big tub. bigger than a
Harlem wash-tub, and put about three
feet of water in. They tried the tenn
perature several times with Their
momctcrs, and when they had made it
at seventy degrees they told the chief
of the layatory that thoy were ready.
1--WE heat the water To seventy de-
grees, so that It will be exactly the
same rs the temperature OF their cage,
said he. you see that the bottom OF
the cage is carefully lined with thick
flannel. Under IL are lot of oil
lamps. which are kept always burning
Their heat is distributed by pipes all
over tho bottom of the cage. The
snakes are so very sensitive to cold
that lowering the temperature ten de-
grces would kill them. That is why
snakes arc the hardest Of all animals
TO be kept alive in captivity. IL re-
quires ineessant watchfllness 10 see
that tho temperature is just right for
them" With that he beckoned to ono
Of his assistants and approached the
cnpa Ian ono aide was a little sliding