The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-03-22
those BIG SNAKES.
They DO Have Powerful voracious Appe-
titles for small Boys.
Paul osI
,us Appe.

lSt. Paul Daily Globe-
BARABoo, Viz, March lO.-The snake
house connected with Ringing Bros
circus winter quarters at Baraboo. Wis. is
a center OF attraction for tile small BOYS of
the village. What there is about snakes
so peculiarly attractive to boys is some
thing no fellow can find out Ii were
ever fascinated by these insects" in my
youthful DAYS | have forgotten it. The
orders TO attendants are very strict on the
subject OF boys in relation TO the snake
house, and this. OF course. only renders
the vicinity the more interesting To the
venturesome youth OF the town. IN 20
the present tine the attendants have sue
ceeded In keeping the kids at sale dis
lance. and it was only because he WIS
such q diminutive little fellow that tow
headed urchin succeeded in running the
guards last Friday. when the snake cages
were being removed 70 the new aud larger
quarters recently provided Tor the huge
reptiles.
How it happened no one is able to ex-
plain. The men were removing the
pythons and boa constructors from their
old cages into the new ones. The door OF
"Ben Ahmid's" caze-B. \. being mon
s.er boa thIrtv-two feet long-was temper
arily left open while the men went out
into the yard to get a new cage. Ia these
few moments little tot of a Norwegian
boy. who had come into town with his
father, who wGs busy with the Ringings
negotiating sale OF oats. slipped across
the yard and into the rear door OF the
snake-house. What he saw there prob
ably paralyzed him with wonder or fear.
Whatever it was. he had little time to re-
fleet on the wonders OF natural history !;
for the boa no sooner saw the little fellow
than his mind, or instinct, or whatever he
calls his think works, reverted to some
long past appetizing scenes in his native
India. and lie sprang from the cage with
distended jaws and gObbled the
yOungster.
When the attendants returned with
Ben's new cage they were Mortified TO
descry a fast Disappearing pair OF legs
sticking out through the monster Jaws.
The great serpent's eyes We're a flame
with excitement and IN another second
or two the poor little Norwegian boy
would have disappeared from view for
ever. 1t happened that Henry Ringing,
a giant in strength and statue, was present.
He is a man of quick impulses. and, with
out counting the cost or foreseeing
the danger, he grssped the serpent
around the neck and commenced shaking
it. With one swipe OF its muscular tail il
sent Mr.. Ringing scurrying heels over
head across the floor.
Al Ringling happened in. He took in
the situation at glance. Grasping q
long chain lying on the floor, he passed il
around the serpents body at point about
six inches below where he thought the
chiids head would be. Directing several
attendants TO grasp either end OF the
chain and pull with ali their strength.
he was gTatitied to notice relaxation OF
the snakes efforts TO swallow the child
Then this chain was made fast. The
snakes tail was fastened around a post
and tue whole body drawn to it's greatest
tension. This rendered his majesty inert
and poweriess He still. continued tc
gulp. But his game was up
Two men inserted a wagon Jack be-
tween his jaws. and by degrees they
were pried open and the boy pulled out
His head and body were covered with {
thick saliva OF peculiarly offensive odor
The boy gasped for breath and then burs
into tears Then he looked around in
wondering way and ran out OF the house
aud across the snow to his fathers wagon
Two hours efterward he was in a drul
| store munching almond candy and drin K
ing soda. But his hair, which his lathe
said was of that peculiar light shade 81
noticeable in Norwegians, had turned
| three shades lighter. His experience wal
a direful one, but was happily attended
with no III affects