The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-12-15
CAPTAIN LUCAS SNAKE YARD.

CAPTAIN LUCAS SNAKE YARD. It Furnished Considerable Excitement to Old Salem-IIe was In the South American Trade and Kept Pythons and Other Big Fellows for Sale to Clrcuses and Menageries-The Wild Hunt for Two That Got Away.
 Not born there?" Oh, no! Their native land was South America. On the bank of the Amazon, in luXuriant marsh, the eyes of one of our heroes first opened, and there he wriggled his sinuous way amid scenes of luXurlant beauty (himself creature of brilliant coloring) till the day when a white man captured him and bore him away to the shore, placing him in an iron cage there to ruminate on the degene- racy of life in captivity-humiliated and despairing-tiI he suddenly be- came aware that another python was a sharer of his captivity, in an adjacent cage. Then, his self-complacency re- turning, he coiled himself together and fell asleep. So sound was his slumber lldL lllG Sllll llil5 cL IAiS SS'A D @-A NAA~ numerous storms the bark encountered in it's passage to Massachusetts Bay never awakened either captive. It was only after the cages were opened on warm April day that either python blinked his eye, or yawned over inter rupted maps.
 Captain Lucas, residing in old Sa- lem, a retired sea captain, carried on quite a South American trade in anil mals and reptiles, disposing of them to conductors of travelling caravans, menageries, Sc. His yard Ca very large one), and, indeed, most of his outdoor premises, were filled with box es of various descriptions containing such creatures. One warm spring day the writer together with many school children and citizens was startled at seeing stalwart sailor carrying through Essex street.-the main thor oughfare of the city-a huge snake The creatures coils were about his neck, Joins, shoulders and arms. . He was taking it." he said, on being questioned, from the bark to Cap tain Lucas snake yard.
 'The creature" he assured them, "was harmless, as he was in semi normal state' But his snakeship's of ten-protruded fangs, as his head rested tn the sailors hand, did not seem to al- lay public criticism which, sharp and severe, followed his pathway. Danger to the conveyor, as well as to others, semed imminent But the distance of nearly two miles was traversed in safe ty, and cold wave soon succeeding, .o.,. rilU for gotten by the maturer citizens.
 Not so by the younger portion. Nat ural history is usually attractive to the rising generation, and when an oppor- tunity of studying tropical products appeared at their very doors it was not surprising that they sought to avail themselves of it.
 Let me see the snakes, Frank, do. I'll give you my best jaclSknife if you will" was a frequent offer to Frank Lucas, boy of sixteen, who assisted his father in the care of this living property. But Frank was generally obedient to his fathers express orders not to show them to any one.
 Dorothea Cavanaugh's windows overlooked a part of the yard, and her interest once awakened never Jagged, She had read several of Captain Mayne Reid's books, and had studied some- thing concerning boa constructors and their sandy haunts, of anacondas and their river homes. This golden oppor- tunity of seeing living representatives allured her. She coveted her brother Georges intimacy with Frank, espec- fally since he had been favored, as few others, by seeing these creatures at his leisure and under the care of the cap- tain himself. Boy like, George tanta- lized his sister with wonderful stories about the numerous creatures he had seen, till Dorothea, with the audacity of innocence, and dominated by per sistent will, determined to take matters into her own hands. See the snakes she would at any cost, by fair means If possible, but if not, then some other way.
 Her call on the captain to ask his permission was unfortunately timed when he was in New York on business "He would not be home for a, day ol two" She was afraid to wait The reptiles might be sold No, she could not delay any longer. "Now or never must be her motto. She desired tC make an experiment and ascertain whether either boa constrictor or ana conda could fascinate her as she hat read others had been by such creatures
 After many futile visits to the yard she that day succeeded beyond hel highest anticipations. Conversing witt Frank that hot June day, he was sud denly called into the house. Here wa! her opportunity, her one chance.
 Which of these boxes held the partic ular kind she desired to test? Giving z nasty guess, she pushed up the covel over the anaconda. It was too heavy for her weak arms to hold at an obliqu' angle, Franks custom, so she boldl! let it slide completely off.
 The varying colors of the huge crea ture coiled within attracted her atten tion at once. Engaged in considering which pigments in her color box would produce them, she did not notice tha the python was slowly, subtlely mov ing. Gradually it's head rose above tn  
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