The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-27

he had cleared and lean his head and
shoulders against the two-foot pile of hiss
ing ratuers in the corner, somewhat as
hlping's Mowgh supported himself
against the coils Of the python when the
TWO held confidential talk. half dozen
snakes sid out from the wriggling mass
ana George picked them up, unbuttoned
MS shlrt and thrust them into his bosom,
Whefe they coiled up against his flesh to
warm themselves. Others thrust out their
heads from the pile behind him and rubbed
thelr necks care.essly against his face. He
wound them around his neck and arms.
ana they seemed to like 1t. He picked up
a score of them and held them in his lap
ana stuf1ed others into his pockets. Then
ne leased those in his lap by poking one
niger into their faces until they seemed
IN frenzy. The serpents buzzed their
rattles and Missed, and the others, joining
IN the excitement, sounded their alarms
also until the noise from the rafting was
so loud that the spectators had to raise
their voices to enable one another to hear
After he had reused them to fury he be-
gan soothing and petting them. They STOP
PED rafting, shut their mouths, and snug
gled up to him in calm contentment
presently George unwound the snakes
from his neck and arms and legs, empt-
led his pockets and bosom, brushed them
out of his lap, and stood up beside the
boards of the Enclosure and chatted with
the lookers-on. AS he talked the rattlers
craWled over his feet, wound themselves
around his legs, and climbed to his
waist. And he took out a bag of tobac-
co and a package of cigarette papers, roll
ed and lighted a cigarette, and began
smoking, as careless of the reptiles as If
they had not been there. Occasionally, if
one stuck its head out over the top Of
the pen, he would strike 1t with his open
palm and make 1t go down again.
There's no mystery about my infu-
ence over these rattlesnakes' he said.
I've found out that a snake is as gem
tie and affectionate as a rabbit, if it gets
acquainted with you and knows that you
are not going to hurt it, Anybody, any
of you people here, would do just as l
do with these snakes If you had the nerve
to do 1t and would let the snakes get
used to you first. 1 am attached to my
rattlers and no two of them are just the
same. Here's this one, now" and he
picked up a long, slender snake and
wound it around his neck. "She just loves
to be petted like this, and l do believe
she'd fight for me, If it was necessary.
She slept under a foot of snakes one night
last week, and l think the weight injured
her little, for she doesn't seem well
since. I've been doctoring her a little
since, and she really seems to appreciate
what l do for her. She's very intelligent
and if you just look into her eyes you
can see plainly that she is kind, gentle,
and affectionate.
Two big seven-foot rattlers had had a
misunderstanding and were waving their
heads back and forth, darling out their
tongues and buzzing their tails at each
other. George struck each one gently
with the palm of his hand separated
them and, after petting each a moment,
put them in different corners of the pen.
Entirely Modified, they ceased their sig
nails of war and began crawling in and
out among the other snakes, as peaceful
as lambs.
Snakes often coil and try to strike me-"
the young man went on, before l get
acquainted with them. But l can get on
good terms with any of them in an hour
or two. How do l do it? Oh. just pet
ting and coaxing and caressing them, the
same as you would win the confidence of a
dog that was afraid of you. OF course
they are likely to use their weapons until
they find out 1 am not going to hurt them,
and until they get confidence in me have
to look out for myself. But there'is moth
ing underhanded about a snake. If he's
bad and means mischief he will coil and
rattle like the devil his mouth will be
open and his eyes will snap. 1t always
shows plainly in their eyes. Then l eth
er snatch him by the neck or jump out of
striking distance, which is only about
four feet
Il had always felt just as nearly every
one does about snakes up to one day last
winter, when l caught two rattlesnakes
at a mining camp near Yuma. / caught
them with a forked stick and put them
in wired cage, meaning to kill them
next day for their skins. Early the next
morning l was awakened by one of the
snakes crawling slowly across my neck
It's the solemn truth think nearly died
with fright kept perfectly still and held
my breath for what seemed like hours
though it was really only a few seconds
while that snake dragged its entire length
across my neck. Then 1t crawled under
my blanket, coiled up on my chest anod
went to sleep One of the burrows had
gnawed at the wire cage until the door
came open, the snake had crawled out, and
crawling across me, had decided that I'M
der my blanket was a nice, warm place to
go to sleep in, for a snake does like to be
warm and comfortable as well as any cat
you ever saw.
''As soon as / had time to think and
get my breath again I grabbed the thing
around the neck, jumped out Of my
blankets and ran out OF the tent. Then
1 didn't know what to do, for was
afraid to let go for fear It would strike
me. But I knew II couldn't hurt me as
long as l had hold Of It's neck, even IL its
tail was switching and slashing around
my legs and body. So I just kept hold
and examined it good al, over, and at
last 1 began 10 try to make friends with
II. BY that time 1 had got over my scare
and didn't feel afraid any more coaxed
and petted 1t and gathered It's body up
into my lap and covered II up with a
blanket, and at the end OF two hours that
snake and ] were good friends I've got
II with me yet and 1t has never offered
to bite me.
well, that experience taught me that
IL Is Just as easy to make snakes your
friends as 10 have them your enemies,
and I've never been afraid Of them
since. / stand here and haul them around
all day and never think about their be-
ing dangerous unless / see some one IN
the room turn pale with fright. People
tell me a hundred times a day that I'm
bound 20 be fanged 20 death some day,
but 4 don't believe my chances that way
are nearly as great as are those OF the
ordinary man who travels around Ia any
region where rattlors live. ] am very
careful never to hurt or frighten one OF
my snakes, and I believe that they are
all fond OF me and have confidence In me.
and have no more intention Of hurting
me than / have Of hurting them"
North Carolina has a tobacco farmer
Ia, Affnu uffa n ff.aasr s.rafa q. ......... -.