The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-02-09
FLORIDA SNAKE
STORIES.
A Smithsonian Mans Experience
Years Ago.

even to rattlesnakes. which are frequently VIC
tins of prejudice mainly from ignorance OF
their good qualities"
This was said 10 ne years ago in Florida by
8 isan who WAS collecting curi0sities for the
Smithsonian Institute ! could not doubt from
the WAY he treated them ami they treated him
but that he WAS quite III earnest. lie made a
peculiar moise with his lips, and there came out
fiom the taIterci covering of an Old lounge an
nCly-louking creature. known among the ma
tiyes as chickem-snake.' Hewas not much,
if any, less Than four feet long, and so large
around the body that at once said he was out
of proportion. but the man said it was but the
natural size al " The beauty. The snake came
directly To his master. and crawled into his lap
much after the fashion oil a pet dog where he
seemed 10 enjoy the pctting he received. Then
other sna Rcs OF different kinds were called that
seemed as well pleased 10 sec their master as an
equal number Of dogs or other pet animals
would be- Thus" said the nan, after he had
had HI play with the. to nc, loathsUme creatures
y0u see for yourself that snakes are 40; so bad
when one knows how 10 treat them, The fact
is that snakes in general develop under good
treatment as readily as other animals and i
would ask yea to remember that their relations
to the human net SO remote as common
prejudice would lead one TO think. You know
we have ii on good authority that the human
family was once very near akin TO a fellow OF
this sort" 81 the tine holding up particularly
ugy-louking snake that had Just made has APP
pearance
What about ratticsnakes ! asked. AT
first did not like them more than most per-
sons. hut since have come 10 understand them
] don't think so badly of them. BY the
way" he continued, =" j can show you rattle
snake that / would not part with sooner than
a man wculd part with his pet dog" Then he
stamped his foot On the hOOr, ana out from q
corner came wiggling along rattlesnake OF
large dimensions. lie came up To the man
Familiarity aud knowingly as dog would to
his master. As he did SO The big chicken snake,
which all the while had been c0led up on the
mans lap, slid down and went to his old place
on the lounge. although AT present" said the
Professor, : j and this fellow the best of
friends. our first acquaintance was not under
agreeable circumstances. 1t was nearly four
years ago when / knew less than ] do now
about snakes although j had sent several iine
specimen, to the Institute, for which i received
commentator in the name Of Prot. Henry. i
had been out ali day for specimens, returning
greatly fatieueG, and partly undressing myself
lay down my bunk. with blanket over me,
aud soon asleep. Sometime during the
night i was awakened by something moving
under the blanket ] soon realized thai ii was
asnake Of large size. Something told me it was
s rsttlesnake. lay perfectly quiet Gradually
the snake crawled up toward my face and fin
coiled around my body. There he lay quiet,
probably asleep. 1t was a chilly night for
Florida. and he had found a warm place. i
dared not move, but by degrees put my hand
out TO 2 small bottle of cbIoroform that was on
q box near my head. ] uncorkcd it with some
difficulty. placed il close TO the snakes head,
FIRST pouring out some OF the fluid so he would
inhale il. After time j felt him relax and
move as though he wanted more of the chloro-
form, which he got, and soon appeared to be
completely under its influence, satisfied Of
which sprang from the cot: striking a light
saw my suspicious confirmed. for there lay
rattlesnake Of the largest size, completely over
come and limp, though not dead.
Early the next morning started Of on an
other tramp FOR specimens leaving hIssnakeshp
where he was. Towards evening / returned.
Tie snake was gone. but hearing my footsteps
he made his appearance from corner OF
the room. As plainly as a human being could
he made me understand by weighing from
place to place that he wanted something. !
readily concluded il the chloroform, and
was quite willing lie should have some. i
poured few drops on the floor. to which lie
placed his and inhaled il. lie was stupe-
fed and apparently happy for hours after; and
go u has gene on ever since. When | came
here i brought his snakesnip, and we have
always lived On the best of terms. ] think be
likes me. In many ways he nanifests his
affection as distinctly docs NY dog. He
likes ehloroform as drink just as man likes
whisky. wherein / detect human trait in his
snakeship. Some day ] intend 10 send his
skin 10 the institute"
Here ended the mans story. The snakes
skin was 10 be seen Tor some time in The Ma
tional Museum. Perhaps it is there STILL
The man had great fund Of what appeared
TO be knowledge concerning snakes as lie knew
them in Florida. Ee declared that the popular
idea as 10 snakes in general did them great in
justice. Instead OF assailing human beings,
they never did it unless provoked thereto. As
& rule they ran from man, aud did no harm
except m self-deiense, az they understood that
idea. They are not maraudcrs nor do they
seek TO do wrong, unless robbing chicken
houses or looking about generally for some
thing 10 eat is wrong. He was ever making
the comparison, and said il was simply a
human trait, and should not be treasured up
against tie animal that crawls on his belly
more than against him that has developed into a
human his two legs. Let US he just" he
said. As to the suake seeking 10 kill OF lying in
wait for human being for any purpose, such
thing was never heard Of Wherein" the
snake-defender declared with positiveness,
" the snake stands well in comparison
asked if whisky was an antidote for the
snake bite. He said that such was the popular
belief in some parts Of the country, and there
appeared 10 be some reason for ii, but he Had
never seen the proof Of it himself. Not long
ago" he said, there came a negro to my place
asking for whisky, alleging that man had
been bitten by a rattlesnake, and he wanted
some whisky 10 save him. ] gave the fellow
what whisky had aud be put off with appar-
eDt haste. ] thought no more of it, until ] was
reminded Of the incident by another negro APP.
pearing not long after with an urgent demand
for whisky. a man, he said, had done gone
and got bit by rattlesnake,' and nothing but
whisky would save him. Like the first one, the
negro was given what whisky had and de-
parted Ii occurred to me that the scene Of
these bites might be good place for rnN 10
visit for specimens, and 10 il ! went. But no
one had heard Of any one being bitten within
the short time of q month OF two, and was not
long IN reaching the conclusion that the visits
by the negroes for whisky aud the stories told
was TO get il for themselves.
Tie accuracy OF this suggestion WIS proven
q short time after when a third negro came for
whisky for a man who was mighty bad from
Tattiesnake bite. did not give il to him al
once. Come in here, you Niger said J. and
tell me about the man and the mathematics
The fellow grinned and made motions 10 60
but ] held him. Now, tell me- Won rascal;
didn't you come here for whisky for yourself?'
Then gave him a shake and a cuff Fore
God, Massa, don't hurt lis chile. ] came case
you guv dem fellows whisky, and Use wanted
some too Well, gave the fellow little for
the truth be told, and away he went But there
were no more demands for whisky for snake
bites after that"
Pausing a moment the man remarked :
"Snakes. not even rattiesna axes arc rs mean as