The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-12-20
SNAKES LOVE MUSIC.
HERE'S A TALE THAT PROVES Be-
You'd DOUBT THAT THEY DO.

the Man Who Told II Declares That
He Was an Eyewitness of the Won
derful Performance.
"Some years ago." said the musician
who declared that snakes loved music
and who was telling the story to prove
his assertion, II was the organist In a
little country church near the Blue noun
tains In Schulykill county. The noun
tains were full of snakes. l used often
to go out in the woods and take my cor
net along, just to have little music and
practice by myself. One day l was sit
ting on log by spring. playing softly
and hardly thinking about what l was
doing, when suddenly saw a giant
black snake very close TO me. coiled up
and swaying his head to the rhythm of
the tune. am not afraid of snakes and
knew this one to be as harmless as kit
ten, 50 l was more amused than fright
ened aud continued to play a variety of
airs for him to see the effect. He ap-
peared to enjoy it immensely, and when
l played something lively he seemed to
become almost delirious in his gyrations.
] concluded that II he had legs he would
surely dance, and as 1t was his motions
were exceedingly graceful and his ideas
of time excellent. His eyes shone with
the pleasure it was giving him. and his
forked tongue fairly seemed to blaze in
the ecstasy of his enjoyment. Suddenly
l stopped, and he seemed very picture
of sadness and disappointment. He
crawled close up to me and asked me to
resume just as plainly as il he knew ev-
cry word in the English language.
ut suddenly occurred to me that 1t
would be an interesting experiment to
see IL he would follow the music. 80
got up and playing softly began to walk
away. He followed at once, and l led
him along down to the church. When l
unlocked the door, he followed me in
without hesitation and came right after
me up into the organ loft. l then tried
him with the organ, and he was even
more delighted than with the cornet.
Finding that he would never get enough
of the music, was obliged at length to
drive him away by main force.
1.-The next day went into the church
to practice and had not been long at it
when heard rustic on the carpet, and,
looking down, there was his snakeship
taking it In, and when finished had to
drive him away again. BY the next
Sunday had almost forgotten about the
incident, when, just as we were in the
midst Of the second hymn, l suddenly
heard screaming and screechng among
the female members Of the choir, as IL
some one were scalping them all at once.
looked up just in time to see my friend,
the snake, disappearing with shower of
hymnbooks and stools hurled by the
male members of the choi. flying after
him. However, he escaped, and l said
nothing about my previous acquaintance
with the reptile. You may imagine that
it broke up the service for awhile, but
finally everything quoted down and went
on as usual.
After that the snake came again for
many weeks every time practiced, but
it seems that he had become convinced
that it was dangerous when others were
present, so he never again entered the
church during service, though doubtless
he was listening at safe point outside.
"Soon afterward members of the
church reported that they had heard
mysterious breathings of the organ at
night in passing the church and inquired
whether ! was practicing. l assured
them that was not. This occurred sew
eral times and as it could not be salts
factorily explained it aroused deal Of
comment, and some of the more superst-
tious began to whisper that the church
was haunted and that the spirit Of
former organist was at the bottom of it.
AS the mystery was beginning to tell on
the nerves of the neighborhood as well as
on my own l determined to ferret 1t out.
The music would generally sound as II
some one were touching the keys with
one finger, though sometimes n number Of
keys would be depressed simultaneously,
but whenever ! would enter the church l
would find no one there. The organ,
however, would be open, though l had
left it closed when last used it.
Zone evening determined to make
night of 1t and solve the mystery il it
was possible. l accordingly took up
concealed position in the church shortly
after dusk. was assisted somewhat by
the fact that the moon shOne into the
building and Illuminated small space
around the organ. 1t was no sooner fully
dark than heard slight rustic and
moment later saw none other than my
old friend, the black snake, wriggle his
way up on the music stool. lie was not
alone, but was followed by half a dozen
or more of his companions, who formed
n shiny black mass upon the stool. You
can imagine that was amazed as | had
never been before, but ! resolved to
await developments. The next move |
noticed was that all the snakes, appar-
emily under the direction of my old ac-
lid, and, pushing all together, it went up
as easily as if l had lifted it myself.
Then all the other snakes got down. His
musical snakeship then let down a coil
and grasped lever that started the wa
ter motor that did the pumping, and ey-
erything was ready.
Then, seated coied on the stool, he
began to press the keys with his head,
and Of course produced the corresponding
notes on the instrument. Sometimes to
vary this he would jump bodily upon the
bank of keys and wriggle along. produc-
ing most weird and curious tumble of
sounds. As he proceeded he became more
and more excited and violent, and the
other snakes danced and wrthed round
until could imagine what it must be to
have delirium tremens. was SO interest
ed that | let them go on for full hour,
when suddenly making noise they all
scurried away. | pretended to the mem
bers of the congregation that had not
found out what it was and thus was en-
abled to enjoy this novel spectacle on
several succeeding evenings. When l
finally told them. no one would believe
me, md think it was partly on this &C.
count that | soon after lost my place.
However, by placing Il lock on the organ
mud stopping up all holes by which the
snakes could enter the church | put m
end to the nocturnal concerts, and the
people were satisfied TINT the ghosts, or
whatever it was. had ceased to walk.
After such IN experience nobody can con-
vince me that snakes do not have love
Of music and taste for it."-Pittsburg
Times.
Misery may love company, but 1t
doesn't entertain its company very well.
-Eunsas CITY Stnr