The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1888-10-18
manitomof pilot.
THE SERPENT CHARMER.
A Woman with Black Eyes That Can Fas
cinate Snakes AS Well as Men.

the attention OF reporter, says lne
New York Tribune. had a most roman
tic French name according to the fam
ing posters that adorned the outside
of the show. but the reporter was con-
fidentially informed by the animated
skeleton" and the missing link" that
her name was Mrs. Smith"
She was seated on a chair and a big
anaconda was wound once around her
waist, the rest of its length lying loose
in her lap. In her right hand she had
the snakes ugly head. She was a
brunette and handsome enough to
charm anything.
The snake began to stir its coils on
the woman's lap.
Don't speak, please" she said earn
estly.
She moved the hand which held the
snakes head until the head was point
ing straight at her face. She then
fastened her lustrious 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 APP
peared 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"
''Oh, indeed, there was no fake
about that. If / hadn't mastered the
snake he would have whipped his tail
into that third loop he 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 look after him. While | was
chatting my eyes went off him, and |
suppose he felt there was an oppor-
tunity to exerciZe 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
ewes on it l can subdue it,
"How?"
"Ah, that's more than | can tell
you. What causes the bird or the
mouse that | feed to the snake to be-
come powerless when the snake fast
ems its ewes on it? What is it that en-
ables one man to mesmerize another?
All know is that | looked at the
snakes eyes and will it, with all my
might, to yield to me. When l do
that | seem to feel something going out
from me-electricity = magnetism - l
don't know what. | feel afterward as
though | had engaged in a physical
struggle with something and conquer
ed. There's where the pleasure comes
in. You may not believe it, but when
| concentrate my will to subdue that
snake the excitement is intense-the
enjoyment exquisite. l suppose it is
something like what soldier feels
when the music plays as he marches to
battle"
How do you acquired that power?"
sit isn't acquired; it's born. Many
people possess that power, undoubted-
", who don't know of it. Quite acct
dentally found thatI had it. | never
had that fear of snakes that most peo-
pl0 have. When quite girl l noticed
some children running from garter
snake. What possessed me to do it l
don't know, but picked it up, fasten-
ed my eyes on its eyes, and found my
self willing it to submit. Then it fell
into sort of stupor, and | found that
could do with it what | liked. This
discovery that l could subdue the
snake so that it became entirely pas
sive in my hands pleased me. Ibegan
to experiment with other and larger
snakes, always selecting, of course,
snakes that are not yenomouS. Then
when circumstances took turn SO
that l had to earn my own living l
took to the business. 1t pays good
deal better than sewing or school
teaching or selling dry goods"
How do you first 90 to work with
an anaconda?n
Il first give it bath of warm milk.
This it seems to enjoy hugely and is
soothed by it and gets lanquid. Then
| try to get it into a position where |
can fasten my eyes on its eyes. This
often requires a great deal of patience,
for the snake tries to avoid it, SEEM
ING to feel that it means a contest in
which it will get worsted. But the
opportunity comes at last, and when
L
know that | have charmed it and can
safely put my hand on it. The next
operation is easier and the snake is
more quickly rendered passive. With
each operation it becomes more docile
until | can perform with it in public.
But always one has to be careful, for
the snake is liable at any time to try
squeezing. You can tell by the way
1t moves its coils when it is going to
ito that, and can then charm it or mes
merize it until it is passive: but if you
are frightened and get bewildered you
can't exercise any control over the
snake, and the snake will actually try
To charm you. l have had one or two
narrow escapes through carelessness.
The worst place to have a snake is
around your neck, because it takes
very little squeezing there to make you
feel exceedingly uncomfortable. Wom-
en- can stand Il great deal more around
the waist. you know"
Are the anacoudas troublesome to
keep"
Il should say so: they require
great more care than a baby. They
are so liable to catch cold when con-
fined. You have to throw warm
blankets over them and exercise all
sorts of care to keep them properly
warm. Then they are mighty particu-
lar what they eat. The only things
that seem to thoroughly agree with
them are white mice and guinea pigs,
chickens and squads, and these have to
be given to them alive. The snake
doesn't seem to enjoy eating unless it
can first charm the animal or bird |
have never found it possible to keep
one long. and they are expensive to
buy