Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-02-11

| slrlcIly IN the line or his profession and
causes no unpleasant comments on the
part of his wife and nearest friends.
| You want to know how | first became
a snake charmer," queried Dot as she get
~ founded large rattlesuake, who show
ed his appreciation Of the attention by
vigorously rattling the beads at the end of
his tail. well, [ was born and raised
IN Pike county, Pennsy lvania, where
Their are more snakes than you can count
II was always fond OF snakes. One day
the back yard when my mother-what
did you say?'
| had said nothing, but George the
turtle boy, who has been in dime museums
| for many years and has seen several gem
erations of snake charmers, had simply
laughed a cackling, Irritating sort of a
laugh and the den had smiled YEARLY and
had turned its face to the wall
When this had been explained, Dot went
on
my mother saw me and found to her
, horror that was playing with a big rat
tlesnake. She killed it, of course; but |
was always fond of snakes from that time
on. used to bring them into the house,
and called them hop toads with long
tails. never knew fright. One day
when L was at home summer boarder,
who had box of rattiesnakes, said to me
that they were dangerous. When
laughed at him he dared me to touch them.
Now I'm pretty plucky and | am spunky
that way, and won't take dare. So [
reached down and picked up RATHER. That
led to my going on the stage"
"What is the secret OF charming
snakes?'' | asked.
81 don't know. When | look a snake
full In the eyes, have him under nv con,
troll. I can't tell you why. but it is true.
| have no particular way of handling
them. | am cautious, of course, and gen
tie, and | can do with them just about as
please. have standing offer of $50
which will give to any person who will
bring me arattlesnake that | cannot tame
in FIVE minutes"
What do you feed your snakes?'
'ln the winter | give them milk and
egg with syringe because they won't
feed of their own accord. In the
summer | feed them on mice and small
birds.
Saarnie Clayton, the Aibine enchantress,
has den on the top floor of the building.
Her den is on long platform which is
shared by the fat dwarf lady and a colored
man who walks ON tacks with his bare
feet. Mamie handles constructors and
species of Cuban reptile life which is
vicious knotty and prone to bite, She
was rubbing the tangles out of particu-
larry long and stockiIy built fellow when
she turned to me.
you want to know how began to train
snakes" she said amiabIy, that is what
most people ask first
You have always loved snakes" |
broke IN to save time, land one day on
your mothers farm, you were
sitting in the back yard when your moth
err
"W.h-a,t!' she exclaimed
when your mother | started to re-
peat.
At this moment a wave of applause
swept up from the floor below.
SIS theJdpanpse working?" interrupted
the fat dwarf lady.
YES" replied some one in the audi
ence.
Doing anything new?' she continued,
Eyes, the door act. :"
''Oh, broke III Mamie, ''theY done that
on Saturday. As you were saying, my
mother
Your mother saw yod playing with a
snake and killed it. You cried but you
kept on loving snakes. Isn't that right?"
You're getting things mixed up. /
never pla,ed with snakes wnen | was a
child. came from Baltimore [ am the
only light haired ~member of our family,
and have been an Albino lady on the
stage for several years, About six years
ago there wan t any snake charmer in the
show | was with and took 1t up.
doubled my salary, see? And I'm the only
| lady AIbino snake charmer in the world.
| didn't always love snakes and don't
! now. I'm charming snakes because there
is money in it. see?"
lis there no secret is the business?" |
yentured.
II amt found none. | handle 'em care
| fully and look out that they don't bite me-
When a snake bites you and coils at the
same time, don t do nothing but just stand
still until they let 60, unless you want to
spoil good snake by cutting him in two
with knife, which is wasteful when
! snakes are worth from $50 to 500 apiece
; There amt no real danger unless snakes
has cankered mouth. Then it's sure
DEATH
Manager Anderson, who knows all
about natural history and artificial history
ao NSli, 1o poi t1CuidLIy Wei IAlOIHSu DIS W
snake charme1s.
There amt muck money in it," he
said, unless you are like Dot and travel
with little snakes that cost from 81 TO SIS
each. The big ones cost from $40 to S100,
and this kind of weather they are apt to
die. Snake cbarmers get from $25 to $40
a week salary and they furnish their own
snakes. So when one dies it is expensive
business. Snake charmers travel around
with boxes in which they put tanks of hot
water. The snakes are wrapped in warm
blankets, but they die dreadful easy
Most Of the snake charmers have husbands
in the show business Mamie's husband
is the embroidery machine man down
stairs "
Superintendent Conklin, of the Central
Park Menagerie, knows both snakes and
snake charmers He has known them for
nearly the whole of thirty years of official
life, and he has given over fifty aspiring
young women their first insight into show
life.
u met Clio up here about three weeks
ago." he said to me- yesterday. ,'She
wanted TO learn something about snake
charming"
"Clio?' | interrupted. "How about
that back yard incident in her childhood?"
Did she tell you that?" answered the
doctor. Did you ever hear of man
whose gre lt-great. grandfather did not
have two brothers, and when they settled
in America, etc? Well, the backyard in
fancy story is professional tale. Clio
has only beeh in the business a few weeks.
Dot has been IN it for several years and
III - hnuE I