Evening star., 1901-12-19
FONDLING SNAKES.
Diamond RattIers Good Pets when
Handled Right.

From the New York Sun.
"OhI Aren't they darlingsI May ] hold
them a moment? L should just love to;
they are SO cute"
The speaker was a comely, matronly look
ing woman, well, though somewhat showily
dressed. She was one Of motley crowd
that stood before an exhibition platform
in a dime museum. On the platform sat a
garish young woman, who, on the show
bills, was the peerless Circassian beauty"
She wore very short skirts, as real Cir
cassian beauties always do. and her high
heeled satin slippers and crimson silken
hose were undoubtedly imported from the
wilds of Circassia. Her hair stood up in a
great mass, like the boil of ripened dande-
lion. 1t was probably a wig, but it was
the orthodox style of beauty for the dime
museum "Circash."
At the feet of the beauty lay the "dar-
lipgs'' which had evoked the woman visit
or's admiring exclamation. They were not
babies, but pair of big diamond-backed
rattlers. the deadliest of the rattlesnake
tribe. Safely Gagged In a den of wire and
glass, they could do no harm, but at each
of the hourly exhibitions given in the mu-
scum the Cfrcassian beauty would take the
venomous reptiles from their den. fondle
them and, as the museum patrons
pressed 1t, do stunts with them. The
beauty looked somewhat suspiciously al the
woman who had made the request.
Don't" she exclaimed. They're the most
poisonous of all snakes and their bite means
almost certain death. The managers would
not allow you to touch them and 1t might
cost you your life"
"Huhi / amt afraid" was the reply
II was in the business before you was born
and handled snakes that was a deal trickier
than rattlers. Water moccasins, black and
puff adders and venomeus reptiles from all
parts of the world. Once" she added
proudly, Il owned a cobra" The woman
on the platform incontinenuy surrendered
and allowed the visitor to take her pets,
which the stranger fondled as a fond moth
er would baby.
100 wouldn't hurt mamma, would oor'
she cooed as the ugly, fiat head of the rat
tier lay against her cheek The snake
darted out it's forked tongue. but it did not
eyes showed that 1t was fully conscious OF
what was taking place, but IT evidently en-
joyed being caressed by the veterapr Even
the most venomous snakes are harmless
as long as they are treated right said the
woman "They love to be petted and
stroked, just as a cat does. If they are
tormented, they are likely to strike. Rat
tiers are the easiest OF all snakes TO handle.
for they won't bite without giving warning.
Nearly always they will coil for strike.
and invariably they will spring their rat
ties.
'I was In the business nearly fifteen
years. In that time l was bitten more than
q score OF times. but IL was always be-
cause of my own carelessness. l always
kept antidotes at hand and never suffered
from a bite more than most persons would
from the sting Of bee. Snakes have al
ways been one of the best cards In mu-
seums and side shows. In nine cases out OF
ten the reptiles are handled by women.
The act proves more attractive 10 the pub
lie than when they are handled by men.
Besides. women take TO snakes more read
fly than men. Perhaps they Inherited that
from old Mother Eve, and the speaker
laughed at the suggestion.