Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-11-04
TRICK OF A SNAKE oAARMeR.


Il can toll YOU something Interesting
about snakes In India" said Capt. ~
Ioltenholn Of the British Indian army 10
san Francisco Call reporter at tho
American Exchange hotel. IL have
made spccial study Of Snakes IN TINT
country. As result 1 rot nt the boz
tom Of the great snake chnrmer frauds
aud. also. | think. mnde nm important
discovery In connection with the cure of
venpmuuH snake bites. AZ lcnst | never
failed In my experiments. When 4 was
stationed nc kurmuul. In the northwest
provinces Of India, occupied the usual
officers bungalow, with a largo garden
around the building. One day my sor-
wants complained Of snnkes In mo rnr.
den and asked II they might send for n
snake chnrmcr OF course, / agreed
The usual professional charmcr appeared
and | consented 10 the usual terms. 30
cents q head for each sunke caught.
Then he set to work aud ! followed and
watched him closely. lilo went into the
stable first and commenced blowing a
horu. Presently q snake came crawling
out OF n hole and mndo toward him. Uo
suddenly grabbed Il by tho neck and nut
u into his hnsket. This was repeated
three times, Once he got bite ON the
khucklc They were nll Cuhraa, from
three to four feet long, md | watched
for results. lie pulled q pebble from his
pocket, muphlcd some incanhtions over
II aud then bound it over his wound,
which he showed me. | only chucllcd.
Two things had struck me forcbly, One
was that Cohras do not climb Of their
own accord They are ground snakes
Again n struck me that he seemed 10
know where 10 go for his snake each
time. ] ordered him to catch some more,
but he declared that was all. ! insisted
on bis irving round the compound 40
he marched round blowing his horn,
but no more snakes came
"lhen / hought Il time TO turn the |
tables. ! paid him over the thrce rli- |
bees and seized the basket with the |
three snakes, He looked alarmed. | |
sent for my sword aud hlorl, Of wood |
He asked me what | was going TO do. / |
told him the snakes were mine by right |
OF purchase nnd | was goin to cut on |
writhed at my feet as only q IllndOo cnn, |
lmplorng me 10 have mercy upon him
consented TO give him bncly his snnkos
if he would make Glenn aud open cons
fession 10 me, Ho did 40. What do |
YOU suppose the rnsom told mci lie |
said Il was their custom in trade 10 go
out nt the PROPER RensOn aud hunt a |
mother Cobra with her brood. They Kill
HE mother and capture the fifteen to |
.wonty little iive-lnch annkcs which con.
5titutO the brood These are too young |
% be harmful. They then pull ont the
.wo eyc-tceth, which arc the iangH that
fill. Then they set 10 work to train the
inakeA They feed them on basin OF
milk and blow this horn when feeding
ime arrives After three or four months
he snakes get 10 understand the signal
ind come from all parts Of the room 10
eed as the basin. by this time they arc
,rpwn up TO a decent size. and an ready
or business. The ohnrmer goes round
he night before and plants his snakes In
Iifforent places Next day be approaches
he premises causunlly and offers 20 rid
he place OF snakes ~ 30 cents hcnd. In.
'nriably his offer ~ accepted, rs You can
Then he goes and blown His
orn. The snakes, which are all starry
ng with hunger, promptly come TO the
yell-knowu call for food. and then he
Dtchos aud pouches them. No one wants
makes particularly, aud his humble sup.
lication 20 take AWAY snakes for tam |
lg purposes i invariably asBentod 10 |
y the good.nattred Anglo Indian. Ia
he course Of week he makes a good
cal OF money.