Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-04-27
A Decidedly Trying Moment for an
Expert Snake-IinndIer ia
ketv York

"It's the easiest thing in the world
when You do it properly" Herman
Reiche, the dealer in wild animals, re-
marked, says the New York IjDleS, to
an employee who was having some little
difficulty in transferring eight anacondas
from the rough wooden box in which
they had Just arrived at the Park-ROw
establishment, to a glass case placed for
their reception in the front store just
next to the one occupied by jess, the
dancing babOOn.
Three months ago child could have
handled the spotted beauties with IN
punity, because then they would have
been fully under the influence Of the
torpor which overcomes them In the
winter months, but which departs
as soon as the warmth Of summer
begins to be felt. AS the seven snakes,
which had not yet been transferred, run
ming from twelve to sixteen feet IN
length, lay coiled together in a corner Of
tie box they looked very pretty and
quite harmless. Occasionally one OF
them would send a muscular thrill
through his ccnvoluted organism which
would stir the whole mass a little, and
now and then forked tongue would dart
out and disappear in an instant Other
wise they looked absolutely letharglc
and perfectly free from guile. SO, when
young Reiche proceeded to show how
easy it was to handle the South Ameri-
can Demonstration. when tho proper
method was pursued. it looked as though
the man engaged in the work hardly
needed the prohered instruction. "You
simply seize the snake first by the neck,
close by the head, thus" said Mr..
Reiche, suiting the action to the word
and causing the serpent mass to shudder
throughout its entire extent. "Then,
he added, as he drew the snake he had
grasped out from the constructor tangle
of which it formed part, when its middle
shows up, thus, you grasp it gently but
firmly. thus, and lift it into the glass
case, thus.
The snake dropped softly into the case,
lay as it fell, and so did five others, each
of them bearing patient testimony to the
facility with which the biggest kind OF
snakes are handled. when properly ham
died.
The seventh took upon himself to
prove the converse of MIR. Reiches es-
tablished proposition. He was not
handled properly. Mr.. Reiche made a
careless grab for his neck and caught it
about three inches below the head instead
of close 10 it. In an instant the reptile,
the largest one of the lot, tossed torpor
to the winds and began very generetcal-
ly 10 dart its open jaws in the direction
OF his captor's wrist with every unamla-
BILE intent Mr.. Reiche lifted the
writing snakes head high in the air and
seized it by the middle. The snake re-
sented the action and freed itself by
muscular effort that was ire
sistibly strong and sudden. In
a moment the snake was free OF the box,
and began twining its 1.-the form around
young Reiche's leg and body. Reiche,
who is well aware OF the crushing power
of constructors hug. called for help,
and every employee of the establish
ment was at his side in an instant They
knew how TO act in the emergency, and
in a very few moments they had un-
wound the anaconda, despite its power
full struggles, and placed it in the glass
case, where it at once lapsed into con-
dition OF content very strangely In con-
trast with its previous excitement.