The Jennings daily record. [volume] (Jennings, La.) 1900-1903, 1902-06-06
. HE superb reptile-house of the
New York Geological Park
was rapidly nearing compile

ton. Its great mann hall was
swarming with workmen. who We're
concreting the alligator pool. finishing
the big wall cases. dividing the cen
trail ''installa dom for turtles. and do
ing hundred other things. The
opening day was relentlessly drawing
nearer and nearer and we We're anXi-
ously assembling live beasts. birds
and reptiles with which to till the
various installations that would be
opened to the public on that occasion.
Down at Bartel's place We anXiously
examined his stock of live serpcnts.
and made many purchases. The most
important acquisition was Il black
tailed python. between fourteen ana
fifteen feet long. fresh from some East
Indian jungle; chosen because its size
its perfect condition and ravenouS APP
petite combined to make ii Il genuine
prize In a collection Il snake which
feeds freely is worth about twice as
much as one which does not. for it
will live twice as long as one which
requires to have its food forced down
its throat with Il ramrod.
Pending the completion of our rep
tile-house, bird house, small mammals
house, bear dens and dozen other
things, we Guartered 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 Il tight board
fence, and in this We're dozens of tenn
porary cages and pens of all sizes, filled
with wild creatures. impatiently
awaiting the opening day-and better
quarters. In one corner of this yard
we had hurriedly erected Il cook house.
which in appearance was similar to
Western claim Shanty. 1t stood low
upon the ground, and the most con
spicuouS object within it was Il live
ly, great ant-eater. whose Wire house
extended quite across one end of the
room.
In that portion of the yard where sew
eraI dozen glassfrOnted snake-boXes
were arranged under a shed one of
our carpenters built for the python,
under Mr.. Ditmars's direction a large
box cage. with a front OF wire netting
and glass. Compared with the other
snake-bOxes it was very pretentious
affair, as betitted the star boarder."
', The python was expected by express
on certain day. but when 1 left the
park at nearly seven o'clock. 1t had
not arrived, and seemed very unlikely
to do so that night q.
h 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
xt,o 10,
Hunt for whatY'
nignt!''
What That big python?"
Yes, SIR
Horrors said 1; 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! l had no
great fear that it would harm any one,
but the publicity! The busy place
was humming with Sossipy 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 Zoo and the thought of ali
this was more appalling to me than
had ever met. Great would be the
surprise and chagrin of the Geological
Society, and the humiliation would be
almost unbearable. Truly, this was Il
pretty way TO start u new Geological
Park!
AT the animal yard L found dozen
men and boys ut work very quietly,
like sensible fellows, trying to find
the vanished python. My first act was
to send for several more men and
start them searching Systematically,
but without any noise OF fuss, through
every square yard OF the low bushes
outside. Their orders We're to search
in ever widening circles, discover the
snake if possible, and i'll the event of
doing SO, silently to mark the spot and
bring word 10 me. Leaving this part
of the hunt in full progress, returned
to the yard.
1t 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 it had gone I'M