The record-union., 1898-02-06
SNAKE SKINS.
PERFECT RAGE FOR THEM IN
EASTERN CITIES.
Put to Many Strange Uses by Rick
Folks-A Business That
Pays Well.

MIR. Shopman, you may give me the
skin Of that copperhead for belt.
That one with it's head looking right
at me now. And let me have it tor
Easter"
Impossible, madame. That copper
head will not shed its skin by that
time But if you say July or August,
then l might promise
No matter l must have the skin.
Coax the snake to shed its coat. No
other one will suit me-
The snake in question drew tight
skin over it's eyes, lowered it's head
slipped its coils together in a strange
folding way, and caressing itself With
it's long undulations, curied up and
sank to sleep as though it had heard
and was determined to do it's best to
produce the skin by Easter.
The scene was in a loft in New York
City where snakes are raised fed and
coaxed for the sake of their skins when
they shed annually. The rage has come
for snake skins, and to cater to the
| needs a certain Sullivan of a certain
city has rented a loft and is supplying
skins. The snakes are brought to him
from all the boys and swamps Of the
country, and he gets rich selling them.
The many strange uses to which snake
skins are now put would surprise the
ordinary woman who buys a strip OF
| leather for a belt and yard of satin
| for a handbag, for snake skins are
| used for belts and handbags and for 4
| great many other things.
| The strangest use to which Mr.. Sutli-
vans snake skins were put was at
| Christmas time, when a young lady
visited him and wanted two skins for
! suspenders for her best young man.
| She was tired of the woven ones, ana
| her resources in crewel work were ex-
| haustcd. She wanted something nice.
| The snake dealer selected two long
| slender skins which had just been
obGgingly shed and offered to get them
| up for her in good shape. When she
| called a week later she found the finest,
most beautiful pair of suspenders she
had ever seen. They We're tan with .ong
! green stripes running through them.
| The scales had been removed. In the
middle of the largest part of the green
stripe was a big black eye looking not
unlike a snake eye.
Carriers are one, of the uses also to
| which snake skins are put. Many of
| the skins when shed are imperfect.
| They are torn half way their length.
| This makes them ideal for carriers.
! Small, narrow strips of skin are made
| up with elastic backing to be worn
| round and round the leg. Then there
are long side elastics set with jewels.
| The cobra, that part of the neck next
| to the head, makes the most valuable
! part of the snake skin. The cobra is
| the Dag which the snake initiates when
| he is angry. 1t is big, loose, soft and
! handsome. This is made into tobacco
! pouches and handbags for ladies TO
| carry.
Snake skin when dressed is no more
| Objectionable than Sealskin or calfsixn.
| Alligator skin has been so long in use
| that no one objects to it, yet old dealers
| will tell you the trouble they once had
| introducing it. The same with snake
| skim Many object, but it is coming
| in just the same.
| The ways employed by the man Sui
livan to keep the snakes in good health,
! happy and numerous are peculiar. He
| tames them as though he We're an ami
| NAL cnarmer. He gets them SO he can
! hold them in his hands easily. When
| he wants to keep a snake back he puts
| it in a cold room and let's il hibernate.
When he WigheS to- rush the season
he provides tropical heat and pleases
I the snake To see if the skins are ripe
| for shedding he allows one chilly night
| TO come on, removing the snake to a
colder room for twentyfour hours and
| the appearance of the skin then tells
| him the probable time of shedding.
| The S. p. c. A. will be after Mr.. Sui
| livan if he doesn't look out, for he takes
up quantities Of live frogs, live mice,
| flies and other small food for his
snakes to eeat and allows them the
| pleasure Of catching them. Once a
| big snake charmed the pet kitten of
the establishment and it would have
disposed of it in the same way had not
the keeper come in just in time to res
cue the pussy.
The snake trade, Mr.. Sullivan says,
is an intermittent one. One year the
snakes are plentiful, and shed their
skins easily and nicely. The next year
they are scarce and act out of sorts.
This year is their good year and boxes
of them are sent to the snake head
quarters all the time.
1t may be stated that the snake fad,
beside being a fashionable one is very
expensive and intended only for the
rich Ten dollars is the very cheapest
that enough snake skin can be obtained
for any purpose A woman who wanted
two strips of a snake skin for shoulder
straps upon a velvet gown to be Worn
at a fancy dress ball had to pay SO
each for the straps, tiny affairs, two
inches wide and four long
Enough skin fer a pair of slipper
fronts costs SO, and if you want 4
cobra for a bag you must pay $40. Fiji
~ dollars is cheap for a handsome
snake belt of green and tan with black
eyes.
The very incest skins have the scales
all on. There is something in Ahe sea
| sonng process that holds the scales in
place. Attempts have been made II
treat fish skins in the same way, hut.
as Il rule, by the time the fish is riddel
of its natural odor the brilliant, shiny
scales have Clipped off. but the prop
erly seasoned snake skins have them
! all on.
1t may look tride barbaric If the
society bellies Of this city appear Easter
day decked out with snakeskin belts
glistening with scales. their necks ca
ressed also with the slippery. shiny
material. But It will be the fashion, 50
you must say neutrality-suspicious.