The semi-weekly messenger., 1902-11-25
SNAKES NO TERROR FOR HIM.
A Young Mans Passion for Deadly
Reptiles Proving Source of. Great
Alarm to His Neighbors-His Ser
want Gets IA Bad Scare.

Snakes are to be the next pets of New
York city's fashionable society, it is
said, and already there is a demand for
snake charmers from the Orient and
elsewhere.
AS a matter of fact, snakes as a rule,
are very harmless. 1t is only the rattle
snake and a few of it's kind that are
really dangerous.
There is only one person known to the
civilized world who will pick up a rat
tlesnake anywhere at random and
whilst holding it in his right hand risk
the danger of it's rearly poisonous fangs
by pushing food down through its ugly
jaws.
The young man resides in Brooklyn
and he is not a snake charmer nor a
professional handler of snakes, but he
is the most daring fellow who has vet
come to light in regard to dealing with
dangerous reptiles.
His name is Harold L. Burnett and
he resides with his parents in a COM
Portable mansion on Livingston street.
The Burnett home is situated in the
midst Of a number of others of a SIM
larly substantial character and young
Burnett's passion for snakes and all
kinds of queer animals has been a
source of unmitigated alarm to some Of
the neighbors.
One particularly we'll known lady,
who is a prominent member of eXclu-
sive Brooklyn society has felt so agi-
tated over the subject at times that she
has contemplated selling her handsome
home in order to evade the danger Of
possible escape from her unwelcome
neighbor's menagerie.
Once or twice a rattle or boa con-
strictor has gone astray and wander
ed around the roofs or areas in the
vicinity and then a reign of terror has
existed for a day or two in the quiet
block on Livingston street. which no
mere newspaper reporter could describe.
The last rattle that escaped from its
quarters in the cellar was missing for
several days. 1t was one of the dia-
mond back species, from Florida, whose
bite is fatal in from eight to fifteen min
utes.
Several of the neighbors went out of
town on hurried excursions for a few
da--s, and the policemen failed to cover
the block during the reptiles disap-
-aarance.
One of the servants in the Burnett
house when ascending the stairs one
morning knocked her head against
something hanging over the banisters
1t was the rattler's head, and the
diamond back was looking cody down
at her as she dropped to the bottom
floor in a swoon.
Fortunately the rattlerS owner was
at home, and he was promptly captured
and replaced in his box below stairs.
But rattlers and boa constructors are
not the only kind of things that Burnett
takes a fancy to, and which create ter
rOr AMONGST his neighbOrS.
Sometimes it is a roar OF newly ar
rived mountain lion which breaks upon
the stiffness of the night in Livingston
street the voice of a panther or Cana
dian lynx, or some other queer animal
to which the young naturalist has taken
a liking.
Since his earliest years Burnett has
manifested a love for animals, and his
father has often remarked that the only
thing which he has not had in the house
so far is an elephant, the reason for
that being that he could not get 1t
through the doors.
But rattlers now appear to be his
special hobby, and TO those who under
stand the daring feat which he executes
when he picks them up, wild and nerce
from their native swamps, and pushes
food down their throats, carefully
avoiding the deadly venom which theV
are perhaps squirting out. ne Is an eA-
Mr.. Burnett is an electrician by pro-
fession and possibly his familiarity
with deadly currents gives him cool
ness and confidence which is absolute
ly necessary to ensure him from certain
death every time he tackles rattler.
The young man himself thinks thar
his fondness for animals has mucn 70
do with his success in handling them.
To Professor Dittmar. OF the new
Zoological Park, Mr.. Burnett has prov
ed exceedingly useful, having provided
him with most OF his poisonous reptiles
Only once has he been bitten by a
venomous snake. This was when feed
ing a moccasin with a skewer.
The venom of the moccasin acts slow
ly The injury received was to the left
thumb.
A ligature was promptly tied below
the wound and with a razor Mr.. Bur-
nett made two cross cuts, to the bone