Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1892-02-13
The Handling Of These Dangerous
Reptiles not so Hazardous as
it Appears.
A Number of These Charmers Tell
How They Came to Handle
Them.


recently Clio, the Fearless, and Ulamie
the albino lady. Besides these there ar
half a score of other women more or les
tayorably known to snake charming FAM
aud dime museum audiences.
81 am not afraid Of snakes, cbatteC
Undine while the snake boxes we're belnl
opened. 81 never was. have two aunti
who were snake charmers, two listers, anC
my sister in.law has travelled two years
in South America WITH a show doing the
snake act.
And your father, uncle and brother
did they ever
No, indeed Only ladies can charm
snakes.
Then it was that she gave me the ex
PLANTATION which begins this biographical
sketch
flow did begin snake charming ?"
she went on confdentially. "I'll tell you.
! | always loved snakes We lived on a
/ farm In Tennessee, AMI there were lots of
snakes around in The fields and rocks. One
+ day my mother saw me in the back yard.
/ | was two years old only, and | was sitting
| down on the ground Mother wondered
why sat still so long. She called to me,
but | did not answer. Then she went out
and found me playing with q monster cop,
| perhead. 1t was lying In the sunshine in
my lap and was stroklng its fat, wicked
head. When mother saw it she gave a
shrek and tainted. This frightened the
snake and it crawled away. From that
time on was crazy about snakes. play
with them as other children play with
dolls. taught my little sisters to play
with snakes when ! grew older. and when
mother died we all vent into the show
business. How about my auntsY Oh, they
are only aunts by marriage. was so fond
of snakes, you see, that married into a
snake charming family.
What secret is there in charming
snakes 2" asked
Natural love for snakes in the first
place. she replied, 'and the lack Of fear
If you let a snake see that you are afraid
of it it will bite you the first chance it
gets. Those are the only secrets that
know
This advice was impaired to me early
nine years ago, and | should have forgot
ten it entirely if had not been called
upon TO visit several snake charmers of
contamporaneOus times in their dens last
week.
The first of these was Clio the fearless.
Clio is pretty and she is interesting.
met her at the foot of the stairs which led
to her platform, right under the Punch
and Judy hole in the wall at the lower end
of .curio hall No. l. Clos professional COS.
tune is bright red. Over her scarlet tights
she wears scarlet cloak, and the snakes
crawl in and out of its long folds and curl
themselves under the flaps contentedly
They like it because it looks wDm to
them, she explained
81 suppose you want 20 know how | be-
came snake charmer, she went on. IL
always loved snakes. We lived on a farm
in Louisiana, and there are lots of snakes
down there, you know One day was
playing in the back yard when | was
little child. My mother went out to call
me and she found to her horror that ! was
playing with a big water moccasin that
had crawled out Of the bayou She rushed
at II with the broom and killed it. She
was terribly frightened, but ! only cried
because my pretty playmate was dead. Ro-
mantle, wasn't il? Snakes are pretty
don t you think SOP
Up to this time | had not thought that
snakes were particularly pretty, but ! was
open to conviction
Here is one OF my pets, >" continued
Clio, who had gone up 50 the platform
upon which she performed and had taken
from a chest large and agile constructor,
which she held feariessly in her hands.
This is beauty, isn't t2' and she let
the reptile twist and squirm all over her
neck and shoulders, even allowing it to
lap her pink ear with its little red tongue.
Take it in your hands, she went on,
letting it fall into my trembling hand
somewhere near its middle 1t felt cold,
but not clammy. Ii was heavy. though,
and it had an inquIsitiye way OF raising
up its head and looking me in the specta
cles with the be8dy eyes which made me-
nervous. Then she bad the nerve 10 ask
me whether liked
1T is a pretty, no matter what you say.
But il is vicious II bit me last week.
See2" she added, showing a half healed
SCAR ON one of her hands. SHAKES are
easily handled when once You have learned
the secret of snake charming, she cor
tinuei III always treat INV snakes Ermly
bit gently When they Irvine around my
body too tightly / catch them by tie neck
and tall When ydu tie a little SiOs In a
constructors tail it drops its folds In
IN % hurry. Mes. ] love snakes, and if any
of my friends wan, 90 make me q present
chat I VIII appreciate let ann gave me
dozen or more good healthy snakcs.
There is no danger from snake bites--l
mean non-py isluous ,nakes-unless they
have canksred mouths inen look out for
trouble Blood poisoning may set in, you
know
Little Dot the latest victim Of the pub.
he's curiosity. is really little, and she Is
very pretty. He~ dcn is under the bal
cony OF the main curio bali opposite ,le
performing Japanese. Dot dresses for her
performance III a scanty gown Of soma
Hunsv material which shimmers IN the
electric light like snakes scales. She only
handles raitesnakes, and that She has tJ.-
loved this line 1t work for several yAarS
ap tl last week without ever being bitten,
IS proof 81 her skill. In tai, respect sla
is mora f1rtunate-0r shan say less for
tunatsy than her husband, Professor SUP
well. who is doing the store act, as She
kindly explained, in a New England town.
The store act consists IN attracting aus50m
rrs by performing vito a den Of snakes
somewhere in the store IN question Mr.
Sunyvsii Il tha. AXE eHarmrr who fal led