Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1889-07-10
SKINS OF REPTILES.
A New York shop Keeper Talks About 4
Uses of Sernent Hides.

Now fork ohop-heeper Talks About the
Uses OF Serpent Hides.
In the window Of an uptown Broad
way store, where fancy articles in
leather are sold, hangs a skin which
very much resembles an alligator's
hide, except for its greater length and
lighter markings. That" said the
proprietor OF the store when ques-
toned. sis the largest anaconda skin
ever exhibited in this city. II is fifteen
feet long, two feet in width, and, as
you see, is beautifully marked
'Do you mean to say that there is
staple trade in anaconda slSinsp" was
asked.
mot at all. We use great many
snake skins for the manufacture of
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.
All 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 for?"
"Well, the leather is remarkably
tough, and could be used to cover
furniture, but secured it more as o
curiosity than any thing else. / have
made slippers from anaconda leather,
but the scales are great objection to
its use for such purpose. You see,
each one has to be carefully cemented
down, but little water is apt to work
them loose"
'Do people ever bring snake skins
to you to have articles made from
themp"
"1es. 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 native of
Florida, and is to the snake kingdom
what lion is TO the animal. He can
lick any thing that crawls-evcn a
RATHER. The skin that 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 as chamois. Its owner had a
story to 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 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 alive, but
hadn't much energy left. The king
snake. on the contrary, was as lively
as u kitten and Immediately showed
fight. The two snakes were placed 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 he became pet in
the family. The cold was too much
for him, though, and he finally died. y
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-liISe form. "
IN. Y. Evening Post.