The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1901-06-13
TROUBLE WITH A PYTHON.
8i
. HE superb reptile-house Of the
New York Geological Park
was rapidly nearing compile

TH HE superb reptile-house of the
New York Geological Park
was rapidly nearing compile
ton. Its great main hall was
swarming with workmen, who We're
concreting the alligator pool. finishing
the big wall cases, dividing the CEN
tral .iastalla ion" for turtles, and do
Ing q hundred other things. Ihe
opening day was relentlessly drawing
nearer and nearer. and we were anxl-
ously assembling live beasts. BIRDS
and reptiles with which to fill the
various installations that would be
opened to the public on that occasion.
Down at Barters place we anxiously
examined his stock Of live serpents,
and made many purchases. The most
important acquisition was a black
tailed python. between fourteen and
fifteen feet long, fresh from some East
Indian jungle; chosen because Its size'
Its perfect condition and ravenous ap-
petite combine to make 1t a genuine
prize. In q collection snake which
feeds freely is worth about twice as
much Us one which does not, for 1t
will live twice as long Us one which
REQUIRES to have Its food forced down
Its throat with a ramrod.
Pending the completion OF our rep
tile-house, bird-house, small mammals
house, bear dens and dozen other
things, we quartered all our live stock
In a closed yard at the. rear OF the
storehouse. A cleared space in the for
est about one hundred feet square
had been enclosed by a tight board
fence, and in this were dozens of tenn
porary cages and pens Of all sizes, filed
with wild creatures, impatientsy
awaiting the opening day-and better
quarters. In one corner Of this yard
we had hurriedly erected cook house,
which in appearance was similar to a
Western claim shanty. 1t stood low
upon the ground, and the most con-
spicuous object within it was lire
II, great ant-eater.. whose wire house
extended quite across one end Of the
room.
In that portion of the yard where sew
eral dozen glacs-frohted snake-boxes
were arranged under shed one of
our carpenters built for the python,
under Mr.. Ditmars's direction, large
box cage, with q front of wire netting
and glass. Compared with the other
snake boxes 1t was very pretentious
affair, as befitted the "star boarder.
The python was expected by express
on a certain day. but when left the
park at nearly seven o'clock. it had
not arrived. and seemed very unlikely
to do so that night
I reached the park the following
morning at half past seven o'clock.
and was just opening my desk. when
in came my Office boy. red in the face
and breathless from running.
''Good morning, sir! Mr.. Ditmars
would like to have me help hunt for
the snake. May 80 now"
"Hunt for whaty'
"The big snake. It escaped last
nightr'
What! That big python?"
"Yes, sir"
"Horrorsg' said I; and we turned
and ran.
Words could not do the situation
justice. The stupid carpenter who
built the python's cage had left big
hole, four inches square, carefully con-
cealed behind a rafter in an upper
corner of the box. The serpent had
arrived late the previous evening, and
during the night had found this open
ing and joyously glided through to
freedom.
TO think Of that big serpent at lib
erty in the Geological Park! had no
great fear that it would harm any one,
but the publicity! The busy place
was humming with gossipy workmen
from all parts of the city; the report
ers would surely learn of the python's
escape; before my mental vision rose
columns upon columns Of newspaper
articles headed: Terror in the Bronx"
Monster Serpent Looser' Panic IN
the New Zoov' and the thought of all
this was more appalling to me than
the countenance of any wild beast l
had ever met. Great would be--eAAe
surprise and chagrin ot~the geological
Society, and the humiliation would
almost unbearable. Truly, h@as a
pretty way to start nan Geological
Park!
AT sAtthheranaa uni a dozen
men and be! quietly,
like sensible fellow lg to find
the vanished python. sly hrst act was
to send for several more men and
start them searching Systematically,
but without any noise or fuss, through
every square yard of the low bushes
outside. Their orders were to search
in ever widening circles, discover the
snake if possible, and in the event of
doing so, silently to mark the spot and
bring word to me. Leaving this part
Of the hunt in full progress, l returned
to the yard.
It seemed probable that the python
had crawled under some one of the
many cages, platforms or buildings,
under several of which it could easily
have found refuge. II 1t had gone un-
der anything else than the big, spread
Ing storehouse building, which was
thirty-five feet wide by one hundred
and thirty feet long, we might find it
before it could escape into the forest
II, however, it had hidden under that
extensive building. we were in
)Quandary.
The men continued to look under
Ious things, likely and unlikely;
presently they discovered broad
(which seemed to be the trail of
Ipent, leading under the cook
4 close examination confirmed
cy, and then it was also re-
q no similar trail could be
lg out. A carpenter was
1T for to remove the
ho f3oor