Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1902-02-11

"OhI Aren't they darlings! May l
hold them a moment? l should just
love to; they are SO cute"
The speaker was comely, matronly
looking woman, well, though some
what showily. dressed. She was one
Of a motley crowd that stood before an
exhibition platform in a dime museum.
On the platform sat garish young
woman, who, on the show bills, was
the peerless Circassian beauty. She
wore very short skirts, as real Clrcas-
sian beauties always do, and her high
heeled satin slippers and crimson silk
en- hose were undoubtedly imported
from the wilds of Circassia. Her hair
stood up in a great mass, like the boil
of a ripened dandelion. 1t was proba-
bly, a wig, but it was the orthodox style
Of beauty for the dime museum Cir
cash."
At the feet of the beauty lay the ''dar-
lings" which had evoked the woman
visitors admiring exclamation. They
were not babies, but pair of big dia-
mond-backed rattlers, the deadliest OF
the rattlesnake tribe. Safely Gagged in
a den Of wire and glass, they cou.d do
no harm, but at each of the hourly ex-
hibitions given in the museum the Cir
cassian beauty would take the venom
GUS reptiles from their den, fondle
them and, as the museum patrons ex-
pressed it. do stunts" with them. The
beauty looked somewhat suspiciously
at the woman who had made the re-
quest.
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 it might cost you your life"
Huh! l amt afraid" was the re-
ply. Il 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
venomous reptiles from all parts Of
the world. Once" she added proud
ly, Il owned a cobra" The woman on
the platform incontinently surrendered
and allowed the visitor to take her pets,
mother would baby.
90 wouldn't hurt mamma, would
oo?" she cooed as the ugly, fiat head Of
the rattler lay against her cheek. The
snake darted out its forked tongue, but
it did not spring its rattles. The glitter
of its beady eyes showed that it was
fully conscious of what was taking
place, but it evidently enjoyed being
caressed by the veteran. 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 cat does. If they
are tormented, they are likely to strike.
Rattlers are the easiest of all snakes to
handle, for they won't bite without
giving warning. Nearly always they
will coil for a strike, and invariably
they will spring their rattles.
81 was in the business nearly fifteen
years. In that time was bitten more
than a score of times, but it was al
ways because 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
a bee. Snakes have always been one
of the best cards In museums and side
shows. In nine cases out of ten the
reptiles are handled by women. The
act proves more attractive to the public
than when they are handled by men.
Besides, women take to snakes more
readily than men. Perhaps they in
herited that from old Mother Eve" and
the speaker laughed at the suggestion.
New York Sun.