The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-07-03
1TNKINS'S DEADLY SHOW.
rvo wAN,S RECKLESS TRICKS
\ 'V WIN RAIIk ESSAKES.

NFNtNNNN
h" mat NRLo tho Spectators
p ,,,,-.Hls Notions AbsWt ItAttiers.
,,,,tEs. Cal, juno 20 Among tho
~ men In the mountains OF california ana
tasp cha have achieved local lame for their
-, toAts with Venomous rSttiesnakos, n
tahnS sung man named Albert NJ. jenkins
-, FAR the most romarRaOIe' lie mas Deen a
h@ among the foothills and oahons OF the
v, Gabriel Mountains for several years, ana
> ~, he believes no has learned how to con.
-, the most poisonous snake III inc west, no
wS.om, A Snowman. For a fortnight he has
-, ,olns from town to town with a wagon
ia ri,h wooden shoe boxes filled with rat
,,,s,kss, and people have been holding their
- While he has been risking his life among
=. ,,nblss for the sake Of II few dollars n day
800 rom admittance fees.
I..t,n, IL 40 unlike The typical snake charmer
s..rb,s lie iisclainis the possession Of any
~, over serpents and attributes his ability
,,,a,, them simply to tho fact that they
- h. 4, their friend and will not harm them.
-, bo does, be says, any ono with nervo
"a.,h may do. lie ridicules the fear enter.
$3.50 by old plainamen OF r~attlesnakos, and
-, ,h,y arc really hffectionRte and grateful
a., He Is not yet 20. is b~lue-eyed, rosy
.kAeka0. ana pChIIltbbs AAoob W nv
..,t to YUM, and near tho camp at the
-,,iro settlement Of Fortuna caught, by
-,,rs OF a pronged stick, two ra%ttlesnakes.
TA,.e he put into a wire cage. intending to kill
nam later for their skins A week later he
rote IN one morning in his little tent and felt
,ns snake slowly dragging its cold, smooth
Lnrth across his neck. while trying to force a
v,y for It's head beneath his blanket.
1870. all n,- lagr1fr ItrInU fhneA mn
r,pts." says young Jenkins. at seemed hours
,hns I lay there In u cold sweat, wondering
vh,r, the snake would sink its deadly fangs
Into me. 1t was. however. but a part OF a min.
a., believe I almost swooned. l never
moved and scarcely breathod. At length the
male drew It's body ii seemed a mile long
a my neck and coiled up to sleep in the folds
athe blanket on my chest. had time to think
and was now calmer. ] gathered all my
,r,pVth and grabbed the snake close about the
psck, rose from my blankets, and ran out of
The tent with tho reptile dangling between my
hVp. 1t seems that tho door Of the wire cage
had become unfastened in tho night, and the
make had crawled in to me for a warm spot.
Well, / held that snake there in my clutch for
over an hour and got acquainted with It."
That experience taught Albert jenkins that
10 had nothing to fear from rattlesnnkes. He
has become the most fearless. reckless person
In handling the deadly reptiles ever known in
this region. His whole mania now Is to catch
nttlesnakes and get acquainted with them.
"Tve seen rattlesnakes for more than forty
years," said Manuel Alyarado, a whito.haired
Mexican cattleman, as he stood gazing at young
Jenkins among his snakes the other day, land
have known personally a dozen MCxicans and
Indians who have died In agony from. the
make poison. Some of them did not live more
than an hour. I've lost many horses and cattle,
too, from snake venom. This young man Is a
wonder. But some day he'll get his squirt OF
snake poison and die. wouldn't stand in there
among those ~rattlers for all the world"
Jenkins with his seveEty.eight rattlesnakes, as
be appeared In Santa Monica q few days ago
Easa sight calculated to shock nervous people
Aman at the door sold tickets OF admittance a
10 cents each. A dozen vaqucros from the Sar
Gabriel and amt ranches were there, with
great spurs clanking at their heels. They had
heard about the marvellous snake handler, and
had ridden many miles to see the show. Two
Of them brought in a big tin can n rattlesnakt
that they had caught the day before in San
Gabriel Cation and wished to see il jenkins
could handle it. An inclosure of rough boards
had been built in the middle Of the floor. II
was five feet long and three wide and waist high,
In this stood jenkins, in his shirtsleeves
about him vas a mass OF wrirhing, Kissing rat
tlesnakes. lie stood among the reptiles as in
differently Us II they were so many playful kit
tens. The mass was IA foot deep in places. anC
the floor in the inclNsurc was everywhere GOV
cred with snakes. There were seventy. eight o
them, and TO prove his TO u doubling yaqucro
jenkins counted them. He ltrst scraped hi
foot hard along the floor and cleared n space a
one end OF the Enclosure. lie picked up tn,
EnnRna ~ IN. ~. unI III al than, ,,-,r Inn, h,
cleared space, counting is lie proceeded. The
spectators watched the operation in silenI
ainhzrmcnt. One or two persons turned tieil
gaze away. unable to endure the horror o. Inc
sight OF the writhing, CrawlIng mass in which
the young man stuck MS bnrc hands as he
separated and countci the reptiles. But the
scene had a peculiar fascination for most spec.
tntOrS. Jenkins picked tho snakes over as II
They were simply animated sticks OF wood. Ii
hnIe no difference where he caught them up
whether about the neck or body or tail, wher.
ever WAS the most convenient. He plunged hi:
hSndS into the piles OF scrpents while they
hum Of II swarm OF ~locusts. A score OF times
The serpents tried 10 get to another part OF thC
hc!ooure, but he struck them. gently across th,
bead with his hand ana subdued them. Whcr
tlecounttng was done, there wasa pile OF rattle.
thAkts two feet hi.h, all wrissling, squirming
rafting, and kissing.
Nov, perhaps you think ihosc snakes have
tcta doctored, or that Their fanZs and DO isOl
Sc have been cut out" sad jenkins. 'poinI
ou! The snakes whose fanEs you want to see"
" - 'AuLNh pluh'b "NIt lIil N'hltu WIN L
iohI pole. Jcnkin? picked them upN one after an
other, with u rccklessness That made some OF tht
spectator, shiycT, and leaving the tail to thrasl
dramatically about his waist and legs, h,
lnHed open each %rattler's mouth with the fin
ttFs Of his right hand. Then, while he CRASHED
lhe head Of the snake in his left hand, he prict
H4wn The Thngs of the serpent with a toolhpick
ihefc, sure enough, were the deadly Curvec
lthgs, a half inca long, white US milk, anC
aharp as needles, and the pcar!-colored roisoI
secs, me size OF small peas, in the ROOF OF tn,
mouth A dozen rattlers, chosen haphazarC
LOm among the mat of snak.s, were picked III
ana lheir fangs shown TO the spectators.
lneh Jenkins performed tricks with the rat
ueshakts % show how he had them under hi
Vnalrol, ltr thrust a half dozen great, fat dia
nonh'striEHG fellows, i've feet long, Gael, bear
nE 4 lwQ'ihch chain OF ~ratt!es. into tho opening
hS Shlrt and let them writhG there next hi
te'h. lie wound mali II dozen scrpcnts abou
li neck, stuffed some smaller snakes Into hi
pNEets, anu leased half a dozen old yelloy
iasLee INTO q fren y by repeatedly thrusting hi
LLamHS IN their faces. The rafting became 8
HnnHu tlat one had TO raise his voice to be heard
t ~ or TWO Mexican sheep herders exclaimel
W. ne would be stung TO death before thei
r49Ss, ouL nc only laughed at their alarm. On
sIosouont turned hbruptly and ran out of tn
JI,mrsSi uhao.e 10 look ut the exhibition Longer
GvnnA,hs smlllhgly sCoopeh aside tho twisting
hSaalhs mass and made room for himself to 81
Inc IN" On Inc hOOr. lie partially reClined lean
NAL ma ~ mead and shoulders against a heap @
Iw"sa hhIt "a foot high. The creature
And Meu across his chest, over his shoulders
Ard alonnn hls arms and neck. They hisse
A. I" RATED about his ears. but he only laughe
~ fright the spectators showed, The yout
On NNA GtHIA mr. IA N-t 4" ll..