The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-10-02
MUS|C-LOWNG ANIMALS
The South Street Dealer Gains
Some With a Flute.
SOME OF THE LITTLE
Fellows. However. Music Seems to An
noy-story OF q Scientific Man Who
Told Him That Snakes Never
Die q Natural Death.

Inc exterior or the ingy little ami
NAL shop in South street gave no hint
OF the real nature of the place. In its
one window an y sufficiently strong
to penetrate a thick mantle of dusl
and cobwebs could discern a few Ian.
guild birds common to the window dis
plays Of numerous uptown shops OF
divers character and a pair of dirty
lackadaisical white rabbits nibbling al
a wilted cabbage leaf. There were nc
savage or unusual sounds to disturb
the idlers who sauntered in its vicinity
or to Indicate the presence of hat Gag
ed ferocity which the visitor discovered
on pushing aside the heavy. creakine
door and cropping his way into the DARK
interior of the shop.
His entrance vas the signal for a
frightful hubbub. Yells, shrieks, de-
moniacal laughter, yowls, bowls, blub-
bers and blood -curdling roars from un-
seen sources smote upon the visitors
ear. deafening him by their unity. ter
rorizing him by their proximity.
Trough this horrible pandemonium Of
sound ran the plaintive "tootle-tootle'
OF a flute, which died away in a gasp
ing wall as the uproar continued and
the player emerged from an abyss in
taS 80 a. aAA NlCANOl = tAtE NNIt
becoming accustomed to the gloom ne
made out that the musician was n tall.
excessively slender man, g~ray-haired,
yellow n wrinkled as a %shriyelled APP
pie. His eyes were round, coal black
and staring, and the hands which held
the flute were long and gnarled and
not unlike gigantic claws. He was a
weird. sinister-looking creature, as re-
markable in appearance as many of the
Snr1eklnR ina which the visitor nnu-
perceived We're grouped in cages on
both sides of the long. dark shop. Near
the entrance was a pair of marmosets.
With weazen, una faces from the
tangled groves of Brazil. Next TO them
were monkeys of all sorts and descrlp-
lions, some huge and repulsive. some
evidently closely allied to the imps of
the neither world. and some simply rest
less little vagabonds solely ben on mis-
chief and fun. All were untamed, and
n big, ugly fellows strove Justify TO
tear the arms OF the visitor as he swept
by their cages. On the opposite side
was the .l~ong-nosed. shiftless a%nt-eater.
His neighbor was a curled-up armadil-
10. In the same line was a pair Of tur-
oulent peccaries. a puma and a cage
OF torpid boa constructors. Way down
the shop was a doubly barred cage
which contained a ferocious black pam
ther, the bagheera of the indian Jun
gle. Adjoining was a Gagged brown
bear. which, despite his loud roaring.
seemed to be an amiable fellow and
would improve on acquaintance.
"Well?" Intercepted the musician.
who turned out to be the proprietor.
elevating his voice above the tempest
Il want to talk began the visitor.
Talk? This is 10 place to. talk" was
the stentorian and fierce reply.
But want to talk animals" shout
ed the visitor.
That's different" came back the
megaphone retort. Come with me-"
The tall man turned and led the way
to a room in the rear of the shop and
closed the door to shut out the noise.
which subsidized with their disappear
ance.
1t sets them creatures wild when a
stranger comes in" said the proprietor.
laying down his flute and motionfng
the visitor to a chair with a not over
particularly gracious gesture. II was
a-tryin' to quiet 'em when you came
in"
How do you do it?" asked the Wis
itor.
We'll. some of 'em I can keep stiIl
with this here instrument" answered
proprietor, indicating the discarded
flute; "leastways, all but them Internal
monkeys will answer to a few soft
notes; but there amt no power on earth
can keep monkeys from jabberin' an
yellin'. You'd be surprised. no doubt.'
he. relaxing into something
like geniality as h visitor produced
and proffered cigars. "at the power o.
music over some creatures. Take that
black panther from India out there
what's makin all that row: I had i'm
as gentle as a lamb before you came
IN an started the circus agoin'. An
The brown bear-well, he dotes on the
flute. 1t sets i'm a-goin' in no time. He
gets into all sorts of funny shapes the
moment / begin to play. an fairly
gives way to fits o. rejoicin', as 1 take
his antics to be. But as for the mon
xeys, the macaws and parrots, the |
u makes 'em wilder, although I'm
lot so sure that the parrots don't |
'creech louder'n ever when they hear il |
Iust because they like il.
But It's the little animals that mu-
nc sets crazy" went on the proprietor,
up to his subject. Especially
ne valuable rats and mice. Little white
ats will dance an cut capers whenever
play. III you don't believe IT, I will
Prove my words"
without waiting to hear the visitors
the proprietor re-entered the
shop and returned with a tiny
age in which were confined two snowy
ooehts. tndt is, they would have been
howy mad they been washed. He set
cage on a table, took up his flute
nd began to play a melancholy dirge.
'or a momen the rodents paid no at
ention TO the music, but soon they
we're moving ~uneasily about the cage
ma one or them finally began 10 lean
nto the air with short. nervous little
Both were leaping up and down
\ a minute and continued their strange
'apers until the proprietor laid down
us mute. T~hereupon they ceased their
dance. as he insisted upon calling Il.
1t isn't only animals that likes mu-
&c. asserted the proprietor. bringing
o light a glass jar OF the pattern used
for preserves. There are
an lots o insects which act just
IS rats an mice do when they hear
OFT strains o melody. No animal likes
'rass instruments, 50 far as my own
observations Is concerned. but they take
nightly TO the flute an violin. In
his hnfNla W. ~ a