The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-10
GETS FUN OUT OF SNAKES.
AN ARTIST THINKS THEM DELIGHT
Full PETS.
How "Charming"May he Done.
Better Than Dogs as Protectors.

How "Charming"May he Done.
Better Than Dogs as Protectors.
From the New York Press.
Snakes are no end of sport when you've
learned how to handle Them" said Charles
Highly, the artist, the other day. Il always
have a few around the studio. That boa
over there have been using in my work.
My model poses with him. See this" and
he held up the picture of a bright red
houri smiling into the jaws of an huge
constructor; big enough to swallow dozen
houris and still be hungry.
That's The Charmer Charmed I was
struck with the idea the other day while
| playing with the snake That's just the way
| his mouth opens when he goes to strike
/ See?" The artist grabbed the reptile and
| pinched him till he showed his fangs. Sure
enough, the mouth ran back far into the
neck.
This is a good room for snakes isn't
it? They go well with the surroundings;
| harmonize, as it were. I've been to a lot
| of trouble getting this place en- rapport
| with snakes. The decorations as YOU see
are a medley of East Indian, Turk, Per
! sian, Javanese-all snake countries. The
snakes think they are where they belong;
| not one of them knows he's in New ork
Look at this king cannibal. He's
The king cannibal was on the top shelf
| in cage in one corner of the studio. AS
he lay Aat on the floor of his room he was
! quite out of sight, so the artist had to feel
around before he could find him.
| You see, l want to catch him by the
head That's why l don't pull him right
! out. If / grasped him by the tail he
could turn to strike me. Snakes don't
have room 10 strike. All, 1 have him.
| Isn't he dandy? Rare reptile that.
Strikes TO kill Don't believe there's an
| other in the city. He's a bit stupid now,
just coming out into the light That S
the way snakes are. If you take them
from dark place, out of bag, for in
stance, you can fool with them freely
! play too long"
The snake that called forth this COM
ment was hardly five feet long, but 1t
looked as 'snaky" as If it had measured
fifty feet. 1t was notified black and yell
low colors in a ragged design. 1t held its
head up from the floor and began tour
Watch him strike this" said the ar
fist, holding out handkerchief and shak-
looking around. / don't believe he's go
ing to strike. Let's see." Here the ar
fist poked his hand down to the serpent s
nose temptingly, but the king wouldn't
strike. Instead he shifted moment and
went up the artists sleeve.
Looking for mice" said the snake fan
| cier. He's mighty fond of them. | work
my star trick with the help of mouse.
See that black snake? He's a gopher.
| Kind of thin now, but If he had couple
of dozen of rats in him he's look proper.
l took him to private charity show one
day up near Fifty-Seventh street. / was
dressed as an East Indian, and worked
my friends thought I'd slipped out and
| run in a real Indian conjuror. had him
in bag. When first let him out he was
dazed, and would do nothing.
II kicked him round, but he hardly
moved. The audience thought he was
drugged. put him in the bag again and
| n ~
on magic stand and sang a mysterious
jingle round It,
When l took the reptile out again he
was lively enough. He followed me down
stairs and down, till he was at his bag
again. Held his head up high, too, all
the way. Folk said it was great trick,
| but they thought it mesmerism. No, it
was only a mouse. The snake followed
me because he wanted more.
| did you ever see snakes dance to
music? That's another fake. They can't
hear. Motion attracts them. and they are
sensible Of Vibration, but they have no
you how those Indian fakirs do their lit
s'Funny thing about that cobra. I'll tell
you the story after I'm through with this
fellow" Then the artist reached up his
other sleeve, caught the king cannibai
tail disappeared up the right sleeve just
as his head came out the left. II was evil
dent that he wished to stay in a sleeve, for
.'See! he's mad" said the artist. That's
good; he'll dance all the better now. He'll
be watching for chance to strike which
is just what L take advantage of to
eyes on this handkerchief? He's laying
for it. While he's watching I can graf
him by the neck and jolly him till there $
The artist jollied the serpent till !,
frothed at the mouth, and then asked for
a mandolin.
all the time as l play 1 sway my body
and my arms to the time of the tune
don't get too near the snake, either. AS
hong as keep .swaying he won't strike
unless approach too close to him -
So the artist played and hummed a tune
and swayed his body and swung his arms
while the snake coiled itself held its head
up high. running out its tongue and show.
| ing its fangs, its body meantime bendine
forward and back and from side to side
following the motion of the tingling instru.
| ment
1t was hard to believe that the music had
not bewitched the reptile, and that move
| binary gyrations.
''If | had that cobra here now I'd give
you the prettiest snake dance you ever
saw. The one had could hiss and swell
his neck and grin at you in a way tc
freeze your blood. He was beautiful
i lost him IN the other house. He used
| One day he turned up missing. l hunted
everywhere, but did not find him. 1 knew
tHdl ne Was III the uOOTs LnOuBn, IOf i q
hear a rustic. a noise like a broom going
| on carpet. then a squeak That would
be my pet taking in mouse l tried tc
| coax him out with saucers of milk, but he
| was too comfortable where he was, with
his steam pipes and mice, so 1 never got
| him. found the hole he went down, and
once 1 saw his head sticking UP through
| it. He, ran his tongue out at me and dis
appeared. That's the last ever saw OF
| him.
I've never had any trouble with my
| own snakes, but once / had a lively
| experience with a big boa that belonged
| to friend of mine-a professor of nat
| ural history. The serpent was about six
| teen feet long. While 1 was looking over
| the professors cages and making some
| suggestions. this big fellow got out. l
| waved a glove at him, and just as he
| was about to jump at it I caught
him by the neck. / didn't grasp him as
near the head as intended, and he turned
about on me. He would have bitten me
| ~ L hadn't hnId him a arms Iancefh q