The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-09-18
LOVING ANIMALS.
THE SOUTH STREET DEALER GAINS
SOME WITH 4 FLUTE

Some Of the Little Fellows, However, Music
Seems to Annoy-The Dealers Story of n
Scientific Man who Told Him
Snakes Never Die = Natural Death.
The exterior OF the dingy little animal shop
In South street gave no hint Of the real nature
OF the place. 1t Its one show window an eye
sufficiently strong to penetrate q thick mantle
Of dust and cobwebs could discern q few lam
guild birds common to the window displays OF
numerous uptown shops OF divers character
and n pair OF dirty. laokadaisical white rabbits
nibbling at q wilted cabbage leaf. There were
no savage or unusual sounds to disturb the
idlers who sauntered in its vicinity or to indi-
cate the presence OF that Gagged terocity which
tho visitor discovered on pushing aside the
heavy, creaking door and cropping his way into
the dark interior OF the shop.
His entrance was the signal for a frightful
hubbub. Yells. shrieks. demoniacal laughter.
yowls, howls, blubbers and blood-ourdllnR
roars from unseen sources smote upon the Wis
itor's ear. deafening him by their unity. terror
izing him by their proximity. Through this
horrible pandemonium OF sound ran the plain
tive "tootle-tootle" OF q flute. which died away
in q easping wall as the uproar continued and
the player emerged from an abyss in the rear.
As the visitors eyes were becoming accus-
toned to the gloom he made out that the mu-
sician was n tall. excessively slender man. gray
haired. yellow. and wrinkled as q shrivelled
apple. 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 q weird. sinister-look-
ing creature, rs remarkable In appearance
as many OF the shrieking animals which the
visitor now perceived were grouped In cages ON
both sides Of the long. dark shop. Near the
entrance was q pair OF marmosets. with
vuaavap human faoaa from the tnnUlad RrOVaa
O Brazil. Next to them were monkeys Of all
sorts and descriptions. some huge and repul-
sive, some evidently closely allied to the mps
Of the neither world. and some simply restless
little vagabonds solely bent on mischief and
fun. All were untamed, and the big, uglyf fell
lows strove Justify I otear the arms OF the WIS.,
itor as he swept by their cages. On the oppo-
site side was the long-nosed. shiftless ant
eater. His neighbor was a curled-up arma-
dlllo. In the same line was q pair OF turbulent
peccaries, q puma and q cage OF torpid boa
constructors. Way down the shop was a doubly
barred cage which contained q ferooious black
panther. the bagheera of the Indian Jungle.
Adjoining was Q Gagged brown bear. which.
despite his loud roaring. seemed to be an ami
able fellow and would improve on aoQuain-
tanoe.
"WelP' Intercepted the musician. who
turned out to be the proprietor. elevating his
voice above the tempest.
"Iwant to talk began the visitor.
"Talk2 This Is no place to talk, was the
stentorian and fierce reply.
But l want to talk animals" shouted the
visitor.
THAT'S different" cam back the mega
phone retort. Come with me-" The tall man
turned and led the way to q room in the rear Of
the shop and closed the door to shut out the
noise. which subsidized with their disappearance.
" 1t sets them creatures wild when u stranger
comes In" said the proprietor. laying down his
flute and motioninG the visitor to a chair with
anot over particularly gracious gesture. L was
a-tryin' to quiet 'em when you came in"
How do you do 1t 2" asked the visitor.
well, some OF 'em I can keep still with this
here instrument" answered the proprietor. in
dicating the discarded flute; "leastways. all but
them Internal monkeys will answer to a 10
soft notes: but there amt no power on earth
can keep monkeys from jabberin' an yellin'.
You'd be surprised. no doubt" continued he.
relaxing into something like geniality as the
visitor produced and proffered cigars, at the
power o. music over some creatures. Take that
black panther from India out there what's
maxim all that row; 1 had I'm as gentle as q
lamb afore you came in an started the circus
agoin'. An the brown bear-well. he dotes on
the flute. 1t set i'm a-goin' in no time. He
gets into all sorts Of funny shapes the moment
I begin to play. an fairly gives way to fits O.
reiolcln'. as I take his antics to be. But as for
the monkeys. the macaws an parrots. the flute
makes 'em wilder, although I'm not 50 sure
y thsS hear i Just because they IKE t.
crazy" went on the proprietor, warming up to
his subject; , a's MPSis yat the v yaipgH Snss rats ats, and and
c %lsei w hisSae eHi'G play as'' II Ti You pe don't be
1t, III prove my Words
Without waiting to hear the visitors pro-
and returned with q tiny cage In which were
confined two SNOWY, rodents. that Is. they would
set the cage on a table. took up his flute and be-
gan TO play o melancholy dirge, For a moment
soon they were moving uneasily about the cage.
and one OF them finally began to lea3 into the
air With $ short aHd nervous IHyO IS i ! IL ir ITmp p9d Both e@Gfip werse
their strange capers until the proprietor laid
down his flute; Thersupon they ceased their
1T isn't only animals that likes music" as
serted the proprietor, bringing to light q glass
"There are lots an lots O. Insects which act
Just as rats an, mice do when they hear soft
stTains e m so faE as mo NV a1 OWN ~o bses atom Us Is
concerned. but they take nightly to the flute
an the violin. In this bottle I've got q Florida
want you to watch hin, while play"
xa ntS eFSR'i iisRt, p and again took up the mute.
Tho inclosed tarantula was certainly q formid-
Of bringing destruction to an entire family, as
the proprietor. said. He lay buddled at the
movement until the flute began it's dreary wall.
As note after note poured into the air a change
shot 10 and out conyulsively. and soon he was
kicking and squirmi1g about his limited quar-
music continued he went through his gym
%nastics. but when it ceased he again settled
down at the bottom Of the jar and remained
motionless. Several times the proprietor re-
peated the tune. and at each repetition the
"Common house spiders will do the. very
same thing" said the proprietor. Catch one
OF 'em an get q flute an try It for yourself.
I've never known 'em to fail 10 dance when the
right kind OF music was played"
Does music have any effect on snakesf"