The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-03-25
A COLLEGE GIRLS SNAKES.
ygILESLEY rRES HMaN VINO ~ FOND
or 7HEM As PkiN.
Keeps Them In Her Room, Except "he"
IN. Tim. Comes for ALTERNATING SOM"
Of Her Pets and How sh" Caught Ih'i"
o,,.r p.ts-II.r studies In biology.

KnsrnN. March TT must confess maj
-, ~ uby there IL anything 50 unusual IN
Young woman's liking IN have snakes if
-, Uhy IA, little creatures are 30 BEAUTIFULLY
r,l,tcd and 80 clcyrf' | would lots rather have
net snake w~tiggliug o'tf my wrist mah n hiiFr'
able little ignoramus 81 q pug dog trailing along
after me"
This Is the manner IN which n mrInb'F OF "s
freshman class at Wellesley College Expressed
herself when asked yesterday TO talk o' q fancy
sbe has that has made her, In the eyes OF her irilo"
students. one Of the most remarkable young women
mis- institution has ever known. The young woman.
yhois 10, prepossessing and a iuemb"r oil u Ieadl'g
family Of Western Massachusetts,, her father
brlng a professor In a Massachusetts, college,
ba, a passion for natural history tina, has already
attracted interest among her Instructors win
regard 10 The possibilities they believe She Is deS
lived to achieve in biology, but has also made her
shine a. one "ireshic' whose room Is not likely
Ia L.. disturbed In the least by prowling soph-
omotcs. The reason Is that The gltli Is enthusiastic
aver snakes. The caller in her apartment, at
, huu., ON the edge II the college campus, were
sh. familiar with the tastes Of its mistress, would
NOT b. surprised should a garter snake b, curled
I'D In "A corner or n siuuOus grass snake p
found hiding under a newspaper.
lido not know what harm there Is. nor what there
,that should attract attention i'll have had snakes
In my ROOM" she persisted. Anyway, | thifk
i, would b. untfuthful and mean If You should
represent me as trying 10 be sensational or seek
ing after notoriety through my fancirs for snakes
and birds and things, for ! never dreamed OF any
publicity growing out Of tbs matter. like snakes
and I'm not ashamed Of it. Prof, Agassiz loved
ia study rocks and things. Wilson loved 10 study
birds. And how about Audubon And my good.
nesl There's Garner with his monkeys
50 far as | can remember, ! liked intensely
to study snakes and tn have pets. When ! was
about 10, | think, | had q blacksnnke. Ah'
but he was u beauty SO cute ard interesting
In the caprrs | came 10 know him master OF.
HIS name was Cbewick' lie cam, 10 know me
a, well as a dog understands his owner, II seemed
to me. | used 10 set out little saucers Of mix
and then steal away some distance and remain
perfectly still for awhile. After Chewick thought
had disappeared he would wigsl" out after
his meal. II was really curious 10 SEE him suck
in IN. milk, for a snake does not lap up milk,
a. IT is always represented in the story books.
lie sucks the milk in and he knows as well when
it's time for lunch a. any human being. Al
though Chewie' was three feet long or over, and
people u4d to keep warning mo that the 'horrid
reptile would some day swallow such a little girl
MS me- il ditnt bother me a bit, and | used 10
tgkp him up and Jet him ,ntwlne himself about
my arm. Sometimes. the scamp would squeeze
harder than was pleasant. Then, | in turn used
o. sau.ele Mr.. Chcwici until he forgot some II
his affection and would slowly untansle himself.
4 gue,. 1t was 'ChewicI that first taught mo
Il few points about reptiles a. playthingS. |
have always liked 10 chase snakes when out in the
fields or woods. | never experience the slightest
trrmur or nerVuuSuess when | come across them.
Although | never have come In contact with
poisonous snakes, | don't think II | were 20 come
upon a RATHER, that ii would deprive me
a irving to manage him with the nearest avail
able club, or what would be more 10 my desire,
an attempt 10 capture him with a forked stick and
n bag. am quite eager 10 soc a genuine RATHER
in his native lair. 50 to speak, although l admit
should not want him to see me first,
Il u,t came To " ellesley last fall, and therefore
de- not know the country around here as | mean
To before my college course is finished, ! had
been here but u short time before | saw q splendid
big gqttcrsnake scuddlng through te under
brush cut in the campus wood, | ran after him
and soon curnerrd him \ swift lunge and ! had
him by the thick OF the body and an instant later
by the tail. had my bicycle with me and |
Jumped on that and, steering the machine with
one hand, | sailed for my boarding place, while
Mr.. NtNIuT NNuIl-t l''l upNHNhlAA' III my WV
hand passed several cyclists who, as they
caught n g.imp.e Of the snake, gave their wheels
sudden twists out to the edge Of the road and | got
all tie ieoway | required, and it was convenient,
a, do not boast ut wheeling eNperluesS. l got
a great glass mr. for the snake, pat some netting
over II. ana he began 10 E"taIung finely in durance
vile. had rat" snake luck, Tor soon alter, while
oat m the woods east Of the campus, | captured
as perfect q mate for the other a. could be- found,
lie was almost identical In siAc, disposition
aui color. | named the pair tho Mig Twins.
Was out with a coupled little children for a
roam at tie time captured the Tiny green snahc,
IT., children set up a regular 'calerwauP when
they found me determined % take breenlc' home
with me. 1t va, On and " uw' and ouch" and
Don't lrtm touch me until | got TO the house.
] had To- carry him ~ my nlilen, ucd the end
Oft up, and itSa marvel to me the poor little fellow
ever Meathrred the. IMP. IhuNe children told
the story ct Grrenle'~ capture In such exas-
grratel language, | fear the trusting parents
must have felt their offspring wer' an tow Of u
crazy woman have not since had children rs
c,rtrts for expeditions. / can manage snakes,
for they are 80 lrnCllc you can thrust them away
aiuu,t anywhere, but children must be seen and
h,t,url lu. Then, too, their lnCcSsdnt chatter
end moi e IL cnuuShto scare oil every snake within
tn t'Inlory.
Ny room Was JUS, satisfactory when | had a
blachsnake, II regular beauty, lie was a very
Young one, not more IL IN two feet and n half
long. but clever as he could be. There Is great
difference IN the intelligence OF ways Of snakes.
a, having intelligence, but ] think that some ot
them are pretty cute m their duluES | soon took
the greatest lkillE 10 Greene ! q lake nm Out
ufthr jar. and a~ he would wind over my hand and
wrist, don't thIuh tner" VA, ever n lONclicT green
than the sIngularly brilliant glowing green that
he wore. and II turned 10 such a drnratr, sAlmmrTy
Nht' uu hs SIDES aud stomach But, do you
know. hr wasn't near $50 smart q, tie hlaCb~uake.
'BackIp would get out and hide, and We hunted
sometime, Tor an hour aLuut MY room before |
would fiuI the rascal. missed one Of The Big
Twins one day, and II was four whole days before
] found HIM, AN, then, where do You suppose he
was Why, under the carpet ! happened Ia
motto" that the corner ui the carpet seemed bulEed
up. and, stepping over, there was the runaway
a.. Cu,ry A. could DE-. For brains, | must say that
ny faNurltr Gr'ruie' was n STUPID thing com.
pared To- ms follows. II he ever got out oi his
cage could always detect his whereabouts within
q very few minutes. found the little fool in my
bed, ono night, Just a. ! was about 10 retire"
A. the young woman told all this her eyes
lighted up with the enthusiasm Of the scientist,
There was not tine least suggestion n the uncNuny
in her expression, although the thought Of crawl
ing into bed With a 1--we snake would be sufficient
~ send the Crrrps over most young women.
"Gn | il have some rather amusing times
with visitors -n" SAID IN response tu n cue tiuu.
mrrly boarded seemed 20 nave n longing for a
CERTAIN green lamp shade tnat was IN my room.
She didn't ASK M outright Il | would consent to
do without IT, but she limited rather vigorously, SO
! resolved tu btqueItu It 10 her lsrt the shade On
the table and inverted the shade, placing, nicely
cooled m the bottom, NlaCkie When | started
oil for school ! informed her that size might have
came back IN the afternoon the shade was night
thsE'. imagine on squInt NJ II was enough for
her She never mentioned the article again"
Il seldom left my door open, Tor | was no more
anxious To- lose tho snancs thAl people were 10
find them around. one day the precious cat Of