The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-11-25
NEW yORK'S SNAKE TRADE.
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ths' tihr ihsl' f.od srd W"w ths' "'tNL
Ton ,s,rs syo tho onl siinflr method ~
.r,Httr n sippIy ~ snake In Nep 'ofh rI=
rrr. nri or'husins'ic ~, ,'iou q" nv"
900 'h,t ehr~r, md alec 0nerr.r'"s hri 'h'
m,f.b - ar.oroe. /pos snd I'm" uu."uu
rn,' changed ~ M n"mand has create" ?
sIu''r 1ni 'rr snake husin"sa ~ ~" $50 IA
ns.ruol rather impn-inT PROPORTIONS
Nptut,ll, enough. Ncp YORK T. m" snnke
market ~ Nmrrca torrisu TN or '"'ur"
Their american snake, through dealers hr'
aud American buyers depend upon mo ""T
Work market. although occasionally 'he larger
/op- VII hrt valuable snakes directly through
fnreisn agents Tho New York mrn who har"
gone into tho snake trade tn any great extent
have ther own authorized nsrnis Throughout
,his country and IN the tropical lands vh"r"
snakes arc 10 br found in IN" greatest nnmb"r"
and varieties I, vounr woman who Is teach
Ing school in q Ionelv district ~ southern
Tcxas suppllos one New York dealer with al
his Texan and Mexican snakes r~attlers. bull
snakes. coppcrheads. SC. Occasionally. IN"
denlers receive letters from individuals through
uui tho country Offering rare snakes or privst"
collections Of snake. Another source ~ sup
| ply is in the merchant ships running between
New York and Fast Indian or other tropical
ports. The captains pick up consisnnh"nts
~ snak' s from the natives and bring them
over. rs thev bring monkeys and other tropical
creatures. OIL the chance Of disposing OF them
here Arrived IN port, they send word 10 the
snake dealers. who go 10 the ships. look the
| snakes over and buy whatever they may hap
pen TO want.
4 ship from Singapore. locked only a week
or two ago. brought a large consignment OF
--~ 4 \. 81 n
fair profit. and recently one snake dealer
bought from a trader AT one time eighty large
pythons. which reduced tho small back room
OF the shop to a very fair imitation Of a Dora
illustration Of the Inferno. The inside Of that
little room. by candle light. was calculated to
shake the nerves Of the ordinary mortal. with
his inherited disirist Of the serpent. but the
men Of the shop walked cheerfully about. ster-
ping over the huge Shiny coils and pushing the
snakes aside. with no more ceremony than II
they had been 40 much rope.
After the first instructive repulsion is con-
Quered. IL Is astonishing how swiftly snake
! handlers become accustomed to the business,
and how readily Familiarity brecds contempt
4 certain degree ~ care is always necessary
In handling a poisonous 81 axe, but that care
IA exercised merely in avoiding any chance
Of hurting or angeriug the reptiles. md, when
| correct and careful methods OF handllnG become
second nature to the snake dealer. he Is APP
parently as reckless In his treatment Of the
snakes ns he would be II he were managing
guineapigs. As for the non-poisonous snakes,
they receive not an atom Of respect. The
dealer runs his hand into a big box full of py-
| thons and boa constructors. wakens one and
| pulls II out, holds il ND BY the middle to show
| it.. length drops il on the floor as IL il were aloe
| of wood, and pulls out another specimen. II
| the visitor IL q novice. he looks unhappy and
| keeps an eve on the door, but. apparently. Il
never enters the dealers mind that any "a.
tional being could dislike the unrestricted
society OF a Nftcen-foot python or object Ia
holding an armful Of amiable and ingratiatins
kin osnake..
The klncsnakc is the angel boy OF the snake
tribe He carries good nature and Christian
a. 49, It, :, .-,rat,r II.
fornearahcc va NV PONY "os"u"F' hc
can't he E,nde 10 bite. Ills temper cannon
he r,Ned II his chceks were NOT inextricably
-, $1,000 - wa,,L
mlNen up WIN w" i"'en"au avn nus " "o"u
turn the other cheek 10 any sort or hiow. Hes
nm arectionete creature, too, IL the king snake,
-. oh.rn.,s cnd h,r, a ,s,l ,oy and
a'o tne snaNr o""'"'''' MN "I'"' y ""u
comfort. In fact, as a SIN reporter gleaneo