The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-11-22
A SNAKE-CHARMING LESSON.
A YOUNG wOMAN,S PRACTICE WITH
PTTHONS AND AyACONDAS. SD
nrr. Aarns's Sake School In Roosevelt
Street.-The Dangerous Twist-A Rite In
the Haad-A Somewhat Trying Hour.

nrr. nsr~s's saske school In Koeseveit
Street.-The Dangerous Twist--A Rite IN
the Hsad-A Somewhat TryinE Hour.
II you chance to visit side show or museum
you will notice certain GLASS Of young women
who have morbid curiosity as to the women
snake charmers. who buy their pictures and
ask them innumerable questions The woman
snake charmer will tell you that she gets more
Of this sort OF attention than any other. And
It 10 not hard toimagine that these young girls.
watching the woman snake charm r. pene-
trato somewhat into her secrets. They may
easily discover that she 10 q plain white woman.
tinted with brown paint smeared with YER
million and CARRIED In fantastic skirts and
tinsel. They easily get at her being an Ameri-
can girl who once worked for q living. And
then they realize that what one American girl
can do another Is very likely to be able to do.
Now. there Is an excellent demand for women
snake chsrmers. Every circus must have one.
and any museum is willing to engage one with
sufficiently horrible box Of serpents. People
love to see q young woman stand with coil
upon coil Of what they suppose to be poisonous
snakes twisting and writhing about her. 1t 10
cheap way Of stirring up deep emotions. and.
/, while all hope she is perfectly safe. they feel
that there must be an exciting element Of un-
certainty. And the young woman makes ut
tho least $50 a week.
Burns. the animal dealer in Roosevet street,
sells snakes. and has in his second story 1ne
collection Of them. He also trains young
women to the business. He has several appli-
cants week during the summer. and almost
as many during tho winter. He will tell you
that the dullest OF those who graduate from
his school get their diplomas after two weeks
course OF an hour day. that many need only
half o dozen lessons. and that one or two have
become proficient after one lesson. The young
women who apply at this school are working
girls who have got tired OF standing behind
counters or otherwise getting living at the
expense OF long hours OF toll They have seen
snake charmers and they are dazzled by the
costume and the great applause. Most OF these
girls have morbid love Of notoriety and OF
queer sensations When they como to Burns
they have. as rule. never handled snakes In
their lives. Many come simply to inquire. and
at first sight Of the snakes they withdraw.
never to return. Others bravo the thing
through. and come out triumphant after along
struggle. Still Others and OF these Boston
girl who has Mr.. Burns's unbounded admira-
ton. are at home with the snakes at once.
This Boston girl came into Burns's place ono
afternoon about year ago. She sat down and
stated her business. She had never handled
snakes. but she felt that she could do 1t. espe-
cially as she had to make a living. Mr.. Burns
took her up to the little upper room and handed
her large anaconda. She took it as she
would have taken a banana. Sho practtsed
with snakes on that day and the next looked
about for place on the third day. and gave
public exhibition tho fourth day.
Many Of these women learn to love snakes.
In fact most Of them do. To q person WHO'S
susceptible to mesmeric influence. as. for
instance. woman who takes keen delight
in having her hair brushed or her forehead
rubbed. the sliding of the cool. uudulattng
snake over the bare neck and arms is pleas.
ure Some snake charmers sayth.t it makes
them sleepy. They have TO counteract this
fgSlinK In public -As 1t interiors; with enaC
uuickness Of mind necessary to mako the
ciIsnXes and combinations. Many O. snake
charMer gives performances simply for her
own pleasure.
step down -dingy Roosevelt street: breeze
futtered stray wisps Of fair hair that peeped
from beneath her hat and her pretty. delicate
face glowed with the warmth OF her exercise.
There was the brightness OF healthy an1ma-
ton in her large gray eyes. ana more than one
whom she passed turned for second look OF
her trim figure. She paused at Burns's animal
store and q moment after had entered TINT
domain OF shrieking parrots. kissing Gators;
and chattering apes square-shonluefeQ
young man. who leaned against 2 tank tossing
cabbage leaves to its occupant. manatee.
was Mr.. James Burns. the animal trainer