Wichita eagle., 1889-05-30
The aaaiehta Daily Eagle ghursdg gaoruuo mau 80,

pocket books, small sachels, and arti-
cles OF that description, but there is no
dealer in leather who keeps tanned
snake-skins in stock that know of.
ALI the skins we get are brought to us
by private individuals who have had
them tanned and are willing to sell
them. The anaconda that originally
possessed the skin in my window was
formerly one Of the attractions Of a
dime museum. When he died heard
of it and secured his hide. A skin like
that is worth about fifteen dollars"
what is itgood forsS
"Well, the leather is remarkably
tough, and could be used 10 cover
furniture, but secured it more as a
curiosity than any thing else. I have
made slippers from anaconda leather,
but the scales are a great objection to
its use for such a purpose Yoa see,
each one has to be carefully cemented
down, but a little water Is apt to work
them loose"
do people ever bring snake skins
to you to have articles made from
them?@
Yes, indeed; and, strange to say
my best customers are women. A very
pretty girl came TO me the other day
with the skin Of king snake. The
king snake, you know, is a native OF
Florida, and is to the snake kingdom
what lion is to the animal. He can
lick any thing that cruwis-eTen q
RATHER. The skin thet the young Lady
brought in was one of the handsomest
/ have ever seen. The yellow circles
around the dark body shone in contrast
like gold, and so nicely had the Leather
been tanned that it was as soft and
pliable us chamo;s It's owner had a
story 10 tell about the snake, which, it
seems, her brother had captured in a
somewhat novel way. He was sitting,
she said, one afternoon on the shore
of Lake Weir, in Central Florida,
when suddenly he heard a thrash
ing in the brush at his side. He
investigated and discovered two
snakes fighting for all they were
worth. One was king snake and
the other big black snake. They
weren't exactly fighting. either, she
said. for the king snake had succeeded
in getting the black snake just where
he wanted him. In other words, the
head of the black snake was In the
king snake mouth, and the swallowing
process had already begun. The
thrashing was the result Of the black
snakes Indignation at the proceedings
To make a long story Short the king
snake finally succeeded in swallowing
his black rival until only about two
inches of the latter's tail projected
from the conqueror's mouth. The
young lady's brother then took them
up to the stable, and, laying them on
the floor. put his foot on the protruding
tail and gently pulled them apart.
The black snake was still ali We, but
hadn't much energy left. The king
snake. on the contrary, was as lively
as kitten and Immediately showed
fight. The two snakes were pla ced in
a barrel together. and the next morn
ing the black one was dead The
young man brought the king snake
home with him, and be became e pet in
the family. The cold was too much
for him, though, and he finally died"
But what did the young lady wish to
have made from his skin?''
"She wanted it stuffed. You see,
she had become attached to the reptile,
and, woman-like, wanted to preserve
the remains in the most life-like form"
N. Y. Evening Post.