The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-08-24
FEEDING A PYTHON BY FORGE
Thirty One-F Foot Snake Breaks An
 Eight Weeks Fast.

l LlRHI NSGhG II eiSl'
 | Long Tom, the big phython, had an
 other meal yesterday. It was break
 fast, lunch and dinner combined, and | the first for eight weeks. He was not
 consulted about the matter, and not
 until he found himself securely held did he realize that he was up once more for food.
 | Eight weeks is a long period between meals for anyone but Long Tom. He holds a record few would wish to struggle for. It is not case of disappointed love, or a violent attack of despondency developing into suicidal mania, taking the form of
 death by starvation; simply the fact | that he is in captivity, and maybe | doesn't like his boarding house.
 | He lay in his cage yesterday morning, coiled upon the platform apart from the tank, his eyes closed. Not an inch of his 311a feet of sinewy body showed the slightest sign of life, but he was beautiful to look upon. To look at a snake from the safe side of a heavy plate glass cage is one thing, and to stand beside him in the open, with only the hands of men to protect you, is an other The thought that he was to be taken from the tank and held while food was thrust down his throat sent certain thrill through the body not exactly pleasant.
 Hold him straight, now, be sure! Don't let him form 'S.' If you do it's all up with everybody" shouted some one who knew. On the whole, the warning was not reassuring. Standing at the tank was Beatrix Roderico, or as she is more familiarity known, 'Trixie," the snake charmer. The glass came off and the snake raised it's head In a flash "Trixie' had covered 1t with cloth, and, holding fast, drew the monster out slowly. The men filed in and took hold, one on each side, shoulder to shoulder, hugging close to their bodies the writhing form of Long Tom The snake was taken from the tank much as one would tug to draw out a long strip of large hose.
 Long Tom, by the arms of his score or more of attendants was strengthened out for the application of the "stuffing' process he alone indulges. Just as one would stuff a pillow, or more likely a bed roll with feathers, just so was this snake stuffed with rabbits. 'Trixie' held his head, while next to her. hold ing the snake, were Walter Fox, Frank Prior and Roger Davis, while Charlie Bunker, a man of some weight, was put upon his tail very important part of a phthon in such fix should he succeed in getting 1t free.
 To guard against canker, Long Toms mouth had to be washed out with weak solution of cauboic acid and water. He didn't appear to desire such a douche, and held his mouth tightly closed. "Trixie'' soon overcome that difficulty by force when she discovered that one of his teeth was loose. Hold ing the snakes head with one hand, she reached for a hairpin, and with this feminine instrument played dentist with success. The mouth washed, it became Luncheon timer J. T. Benson appeared with bamboo pole nine feet long. On the end of this in a string were five rabbits The whole "meal hanging from the pole was perhaps four feet long. When q snake eats of it's own voltion it unlocks it's jaws This will permit the eating Of animals of almost any size. Long Tom was not hungry and refused to give up the key. so the rabbits had to be pre- pared in such a form as would permit of their being forced down his throat.
 When the end of this string of rab- bits was placed in his mouth Long Tom began to make himself felt. His great body swayed, and the men, strong as they were, had hard work to keep the body straight. Once in, the process or "stuffing" was slow, danger of injurins the snake and difficulty in holding him entering into the question in no small measure. Gradually the body grew as the rabbits were forced down the throat, and after 20 minutes of the hardest kind of work the pole was withdrawn and long Toms luncheon was over. His mouth was washed again, and then began the journey back to the tank,
 He had come out head first; he went back tail first, and coiled up as each man let go. His head was dropped and the glass front went up in a flash, the men wiping the perspira tion from their faces, with sighs of relief
 To feed snake by the stutfing pro- cess does not always mean that he will retain the nourishment. so there was some anxiety concerning Long Toms general disposition for food When, after an hours wait, the snake was seen drinking as if he enjoyed it, fears as to the success of the mornings work