Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1899-10-25
CHARMING OF SNAKES
SECRETS OF SEEMINGLY MYS-
FERROUS PROCESS.
Several Feats Performed by East In
dian and other Fakirs that Are
Only Tricks of the Trade-Snakes
Cannot Hear Music.

A few days ago there appeared IN one
of the papers a wonderful story ol
| snake which was charmed by the
strains of jews harp. The story was
to the effect that countrymah, meet
Ing a dangerous reptile In road, was
Mortified at seeing the creature prepare
to attack him. Being an enthusiastic
performer upon the jew's-harp, he I'M
mediately struck up the tune "St. Pat
rick's Day in the Morning" which eth
or paralyzed the serpent with astonsh-
ment or sent series OF sentimental
chills down its undulating vertebrate.
At any rate, it discarded all hostile in
tentions and became motionless, when
the countryman mercilessly ground its
head into the dust.
This is an example of the many snake
stories which appear constantly before
the eyes of credulous humanity. 1t or
iginates, like all Of its kind, from super
stitious sources. Snakes are utterly de-
void of any sense of appreciation or
music. They have no ears, and al
though they may distinguish vibrations
of heavy sounds upon their delicate
scales, a voracious, hungry serpent is
entirely ignorant Of the presence of a
chirping bird, providing 1t does not see
or scent its prey. The familiar exhibit
lions Of the East Indian fakirs, during
which the deadly cobra Is made to
dance to the music Of flute, have
| led many to believe that these creatures
are extremely sensitive to the sound of
music. But exhibitions of this charac-
ter are only tricks practiced by the
clever Hlndco, and the cobra, instead
of being In a quiescent, charmed con-
ditiou, as it waves It's body to and fro,
| Is really in fit of intense anger.
Not long ago large cobra was In the
possession of DR.. Joseph G. Thompson,
| Of Rosebank, S. l., an assistant surgeon
in the United States navy. This reptile
was purchased by DR.. Thompson in
| South Africa. 1t was then In the pos
session Of some professional charmers.
| After 1t had left their hands 1t was
made to go through lively perform
ance without the accompaniment of the
weird music Of the faklr.
The operation Of making the cobra
dance is very simple. The reptile has
the characteristic habit of elevating the
ground when annoyed, spreading It's
neck or hood and glazing tiercely at the
object of its anger. When In this posi-
ton its keen eyes watch eagerly for
chance to deliver deadly blow, observ-
ing every movement of the object or
person in front of it. If one moves, no
matter how slightly, there is a CORE
| spending nervous movement on the
part of the snake Here the entire Sc
cret of the snake dance Is explained.
| When the Hlndoo opens the snake bas-
| ket the cobras rise ominously to their
| peculiar position of defense. He now
commands the snakes to dance, at the
same time beginning lively tune upon
his flute and swaying his body from
side to side in time to the music. The
nervous cobras follow every motion of
the supposed charmer. They are not
dancing to the music but, intensely
angered, are seeking to revenge them
selves upon their human captor.
The snake charming act Of the be-
| spangled female, with the giant boas
and pythons at the circus, Is even more
simple. The large snakes used In these
exhibitions are, In the first place, of a
harmless nature. Secondly, they are
most inoffensiye In their hands. The
lazy boa will lie for hours, or days,
motionless In It's cage, and when sud-
denly awakened from a long nap Is
utterly Indifferent to what is going on
around 1t. After few weeks in cap
tiyity these huge reptiles become very
tame and seem to enjoy being handled
by one familiar with their movements.
The chief requisites Of "snake charm
err are great elaboration and sufficient
nerve to handle ten-foot boa or ana
conda without the slightest hesitation
A nervous movement Is apt to annoy
the serpent, and cause 1t to bite, while |
IL treated gently and handled with |
movements corresponding to Its slug
gish habits, 1t eyinces the utmost good |
nature
Accounts have been published of |
large snakes coillng themselves about |
the object Of their annoyance and dem |
onstrating In an exceedingly uncom-
Portable, II not dangerous manner the |
power of their scaly bodies. This char.
acterlstlc Is popularity supposed to be |
commonly resorted to by the boa con-
strictor,' but the idea is purely erron-
eous and originates from an aversion
to the serpent race from which have
sprung innumerabla fallacies and su-
perstitions.-NewY York Times.
Rockefellor's Frugal Lunch.
Though possessed of boundless wealth |
! lnh N II al