Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1901-05-30
THIS SNAKE LOVED MUSIC.
Dwelt in the Church and Became a
Fair Performer on Organ.

DWelt in the Church and Became
Fair Performer on Organ.
A party of musicians were dis
cussing the question of the love ct
music in various members of the
animal creation, and particularly
among snakes. The majority of
them denied that snakes in particular
had any idea of music and secuted the
thing as absurd and impossible, when
one of them offered to relate q story
from his own experience that would
be convincing on the point at issue.
AS he was reputed to be q good story
teller his companions agreed to hear
the evidence, however much they
might doubt the correctness of mis-
theories.
Some years ago" said he, Il was
the organst in a little country church
near the Blue mountains, in Schuyliill
county. The mountains were fun of
snakes | used often to go out in the
woods and take my cOrnet along, just
to have a little music and practice by
myself One day | was sitting on a
log by a spring, playing softly and
hardly thinking what | was doing,
when | suddenly saw giant black
snake very close to me, coied 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 a kitten, so | was more amused
than frightened, and continued to play
a variety of airs for him to see the
effect. He appeared to enjoy it I'M
mCnsely, and when | played something
lively he seemed to become almost
delirious in his gyrations. l con-
cluded that if he had legs he would
surely dance, and as it was his
motions were excellent. His eyes
shone with the pleasure it was giving
him, and his forkcd tongue fairly
seemed to blaze in the estasy of his
enjoyment. Suddenly | stopped and
! he seemed a very picture of sadness
and disappointment. He crawled up
to me and asked me to resume just as
plainly as if he knew every word in
the English language.
1T suddenly occurred to me that it
would be an interesting experiment,
to see if he would follow the music.
SO | got up and, playing softly, began
! to walk away He followed me at
once, and led him along down to the
church. When | unlocked the door
he followtd me in without hesitation
and came right after me up into the
organ loft | then tried him with
the organ and he was even more de-
| lighted than with the cornet. Finding
that he would never get enough If
the music, l was obliged at length 10
drive him away by main force.
rhe next day l 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 snakesh.p taking it in, and when
! finished | had to drive him away
again. BY the next Sunday ! had al
most forgotten about the incident,
! when, just as we were in the midst
of the second hymn, | suddenly heard
| a screaming and screeching among
| the lCultlS uGuiDetS Ol the tlOiI as IL
some one was scalping them all 1T
once. ! looked up just in time to see
my friend, the snake, disappearing with
a shower of hymn books and stools
hurried by the male members of the
choir 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 quieted down AMI
went on as usual.
After that the snake came again
/ for many weeks every time I praC-
ticed. but it seems that he had become
convinced that it was dangerous when
others were present, so he neya"
again entered the church during ser
vice, though doutless he was listening
l at a safe point outside.
Soon aftarward m~raneri If the
church reported that, they had heard
mysterious breatnings of the organ
at night in passing the church ami
| inquired whether | was praeticing
| assured them that | was not This
| occurred several times, and as 1t could