Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-02-11
Strange Sigularity in the Early Elk
perienee Of Those Who Handled
Ven0m0us Sarpants.
The Handling of These Dangerous
Reptiles not so Hazardous as
it Appears.
a Number OF These Charmers Tell
How They Came to Handle
Them.

| Al t1S Citys lhOuSU no. bHe cefleSS, mas
left Us for season. There is Little Dot,
the rattlesnake charmer, who was bitten
in the cheek by one of her pets one day
the albino lady. Besides these there are
half score of other women more or less
tavorably known to snake charming fame
aud dime museum audiences.
Why is it that there are ten women
snake charmers to one man? Can it be
that the daughters of Eve have less dread
of the serpant than the sons of Adam?
81 am not afraid of snakes" chatted
Undine while the snake boxes were being
opened. 81 never was. have two aunts
who were snake charmers, two listers, and
my sister in law has travelled two years
in South America with show doing the
snake act.
And your father, uncle and brother,
did they ever
mo, indeed. Only ladies can charm
snakes
Then it was that she gave me the. ex.
PLANTATION which begins this biographical
sketch
"How did | begin snake charming?"
she went on confdentially. ''I'll tell you.
| always loved snakes. We lived on a
farm In Tennessee, and there were lots of
snakes around in the fields and rocks. One
day my mother saw me in the back yard.
I was two year: old only and l 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 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 craw'ed away. From that
time On | was crazy about snakes. play
with them as other children play with
dolls. taught my little sisters 10 play
with snakes when | grew older. and when
mother died we all vent into the show
business. How about my aunts? On, they
are only aunts by marriage. was so fond
of snakes, you see, that married into a
snake charming family"
"Waat secret is there in charming
snakps?" [ asked.
Natural love for snakes in the first
place.. she replied, land the lack of fear.
If you let snake see that you are afraid
of it it will bite you the first chance i
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 CT
contemporaneous 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
Ind l,oIo ~ ,o r 4l,.,I Il
ct curio hall No. |. Clos professional cos
tunnels bright red Over her scarlet tights
she wears d 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 warm TO
them, " she explained.
Il suppose you want to know how | be-
came snake charmer," she went on. II
always loved snakes. We lived on farm
in Louisiana, and there are lots of snakes
down there, you know. One day | was
playing in the back yard when | was a
little child. My mother went out to call
me and she found to her horror that was
playing with big water moccasin that
had crawled out of the bayou. She rushed
at it with the broom and killed it. She
was terribly frightened, but | only cried
because my pretty playmate was dead. Ro-
mantle, WASH it? 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 to the platform
upon " hich she performed and had taken
from chest large and agile constructor,
which she held fearIessly in her hands.
This is beauty, isn't it?'' 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. 1t was heavy. though,
and it had an inquisitive way of raising
UP its head and looking me in the specta
Giles with the beady eyes which made me
nervous. Then she had the nerve to ask
me whether liked.
at is pretty, no matter what you say.
But it is vicious. 1t bit me last week.
See?' she added, showing a half healed
scar on one of her hands. Snakes are
easily handled when once you have learned
the secret of snake charming" she cor
tinued. 81 always treat nv snakes firmly
but gently When they Irvine around my
body too tightly, | catch them by the neck
ard tail. When you tie little kuot in a
constructors tail it drops its folds in a
in a hurry. Yes, love snakes, and if any
of my friends want to make me present
that l will appreciate let him give me a
dozen or more good healthy snakes.
There Is no danger from snake bites-l
mean non-poisinous snakes-unless they
have cankered mouths. Then look out for
trouble; Blood poisoning may set in, you
know"
1t may be said en- PEASANT that Clio is
only the fearless snake charmer's stage
name. In social life she Is known as the
wife OF Professor Wilson, the man with
the powerful and expansive lungs. He
earns his livelihood by having MS chest
bound around with iron bands which he
bursts assunder by taking In deep breath
and bearing down hard, as the athletic
trainers say
Little Dot, the latest victim of the pub
lies curiosity, is really little, and she is
very pretty. Her den is under the bal
cony Of the main curio hall opposite the
performing Japanese. Dot dresses for her
performance In a seanty gown Of some
flmsy material which shimmers IN the
electric light like snakes scales. She only
handles rattlesnakes, and that she has fol-
lov ed this line Of work for several years
ap to last week without ever being bitten,
is proof of her skill In this respect she
| is mora fortunate-or shall [ say less for
tunate? than her husband, Professor Sun
well, who is doing the store act. as she
kindly explained. in New England town.