The Forrest City times., 1891-03-06
LIKE A HUMAN SNAKE.
TALK WITH A CIRCUS BONE
 LESS MAN."
Not So Mach tho Ability to Bend the Back ss to Stretch the Muscles-The reculiarlties
 of Twelve Years Experience--It is Hard Work.

"Does it hurt to do a contortion acte We'll, sometimes it hurts more than at others, but it's not the pleas antest profession in the world to fol- low up at best"
 | The speaker had kindly volunteered to give New York Sun reporter the benefit of his twelve years'experience as "human snake" As he settled himself into his chair he looked quite like an ordinary mortal, and one could hardly realize that the neat tweed suit covered a body that could De twisted into ell sorts of shapes.
 "Yes. l suppose l was built just like other people at first, and until l was II years old 1 didn't try any ex- pcriments with my joints. It was about that time that a circus came to town, and of course l took it in with the rest of the boys. It struck me that the snake mans act was what should like to do. So 1 took to walk | ing down the sides of houses with my hands, while one of the boys held my feet down 10 the ground to prevent them sliding away from under me. l guess every boy has tried that act. l We'll, 1 found after a while that 1 could pretty nearly touch my head 10 the ground, and was happy l wasn't satisfied though. and kept at it for three or four years, until 1 could tic myself up in good shape. Then it occurred to me to get into the. pro- tession. l finally gave it up for years. when l got to be of age l went at it again, and there have remained.
 "Oh, yes, my general health is first class, Almost every doctor l ever talked with, however, said they didn't see how it conld be, and that l would rupture something or other ono of these days and be out of it. What have to guard against most is catching cold. When l have cold it always settles in my back and the muscles across my abdomen and across tho front of the thighs. l suppose it's be- cause have to keep my muscles so soft. You sec, if l should take any ex- ercise that would harden me up I'd be no good for the business. It isn't so much the ability to bend your back as it Is to stretch the muscles from the neck to the toes. Bend your finger back as far IS you can, and you'll find that the stretching of the skin hurts more than the bending Of the joints. That's the way it feels when I've caught little cold.
 You've noticed that smile, l sup pose. which we give you people after doing the act of straightening up after a close bend9 Well, if the people only knew what that smile costs us some times, they would give Us even u better hand than they do. it's like being pulled apart by horses.
 Now, look at the first photograph. That's what we call Il close bend 1 The muscles across my abdomen must stretch at least three inches before l can get into that position. The doc- tors say that my digestive organs arc crowded way up into my chest cavity. and once they put machine on my wrist that made little wavy lines on tape. After came up from bend they looked at it and said that my heart didn't beat when in that shape. Maybe 1t don't l know. though. that can't breathe.
 There's another trick that makes you work. You stand on your chin and throat and bend four different ways at once. It always makes the house shout. but l wish 1 could cut 1t out of my act l generally feel as if l had been run through a thresher after it is over.
 But the last figure always takes. l Looks as if was in frame, don't itf A great many persons would thinl that l enjoyed 1t, but don't. I'm ex- pecting something to let go every second"
 "There isa peculiar sensation have once in while that 1 can't account 1 for. It's when l do the bend, as rep resented in the first picture. When l let go of my legs and try to come up seem to be paralyzed. I've no power to lift myself. feel like string thrown over the back of chair. There hang for a minute until all of a sudden l feel my strength come back and l get up. The people think it's in the act to hang that way, but it always scares me.
 ''I couldn't lift 100 pounds to save my life without having my back cave in, so that shuts me out so far as laboring work goes"