Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1892-02-13

Mr. Sunwell is one Of the few men il
public life whose lapses from sobriety ar,
strictly in the line Of his profession anC
causes no unpleasant comments on tn,
part Of his wife and nearest friends
''You want 10 know how | first became
a snake charmer,' queried Dot as she get
ly founded a large rattlesnake, who show
ed MS appreciation of the attention by
vigorously rafting the beads at the end OF
his tail. "Well. | was born and raised
in Pike county, Pennsy lvania. where
ther are more snakes than you can count.
was always fond of snakes One day
when | was a little CIR! | was sitting In
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 gen.
eratioDs of snake charmers, had sim Div
laughed cackling, irritating sort of a
laugh and the den had smiled YEARLY and
had turned its face 10 the wall.
When this had been explained, Dot went
on
My mother saw me and found to her
horror that was playing with big rat
/ tlesnake. She killed il, of course; but |
!
/ on. used to bring them into the house.
and called them hop toads with long
tails. | never knew fright One dhy
when I was at nome a summer boarder
who had box of rattlesnakes, 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 a dare. So /
reached down and picked up rattler. That
led to my going on the stage
"What is the secret OF charming
snakes?' | asked
81 don't know. When ] look snake
full in the eyes, | have him under my con
troll, cant tell you why but it is true.
| have no particular way of handling
them. | am cautious, of course, and gem
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 rattlesnake that cannot tame
in FIVE minutes.
what do you feed your snakes r.
In the winter give them milk and
feed of their own accord In the
summer / feed them on mice and small
birds. -
Mamie Clayton, the Albine enchantress,
has den on the top floor of the building
Her den is on a long platform which Is
shared by the fat dwarf lady and colored
man who walks on tacks with his bare
feet. Mamie handles constructors and a
species Of Cuban reptile life which is
vicious knotty and prone to bite, She
was rubbing the tangles out of partiou-
larly long and stockily built fellow when
she turned to me.
You want to know how began to train
snakes, she said amiably, 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"
What" she exclaimed
when your mother, | started to re.
peat
At this moment a wave of applause
swept up from the floor below.
as theJapanese working2' interrupted !
the fat dwarf lady.
Yes, replied some one in the audi
ence.
Doing anything new?'' she continued. |
Eyes, the door act "
"Oh, broke IN Mamie, 'theY done that
on Saturday. As you were saying, my
mother
Your mother saw you 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 played with snakes wnen | was |
child | came from Baltimore. ! am the /
l.. - -. Il - r L
and have been an Albino lady on the /
stage for several years, About six years
ago there wasn't any snake charmer in tue |
show was with and took 1t up |
doubled my salary, see2 And I'm the only |
lady Albino 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?'
is there no. secret is the businessp |
ventured
II amt found none. handle EN- care.
fully and look cat that they don I bite me.
When a snake bites you and coils at the
same time, don I do nothing but lust stand
still until they let go, unless you want to
spoil good snake by cutting him in two
with knife. which is wasteful when
snakes are worth from $50 to 800 apiece
There amt no real danger unless snakes
has a cankered mouth fhen it's sure
death
Manager Anderson, who knows all
about natural history and artificial history
as we'll, is particularly well Informed as to
snake charmeTs.
There amt muck money in it, he
said, unless you are like Dot and travel
with little snakes that cost from - to IS
each The big ones cost from $40 to 500. /
and this kind of weather they are apt to
die. Snake charmers get from S25 to $40
a week salary and they furnish their own
snakes So when one dies it is expensive
business. Snake charmers traye around
with boxes ln which they put tanks Of hot
water The snakes are wrapped IN warm
blankets, but they die dreadful easy.
Most Of the snake chsrmars have rl,5 uds
in the show business. Mamir's husband
is the embroidery machine man down
ssairs
Superintendent C5uk'Iu, of ,a' Cen.ra
Pax M-nagar, know both snakes and
snake eaAruers de- has buown them for