davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-16
4 Chat With the Shamrock Ill.

the curl out of my hair, but in the main
BIT is not very different from the water
we have at home. 1t didn't agree with
my two sisters. Shamrock I. and Sham
rock IL, at all. 1t made them sluggish
and they advised me to tell Sir Thomas
that I wouldn't race in anything but
:apollinaris, but didn't like to do that,
it would be so very expensive, and Sir
Thomas is already spending seven or
eight dollars a week on this business"
gu might have made it tea" said
l.. cit is reported that Sir Thomas has
plenty Of that on hand"
Il Tea makes me nervous" she re-
piled. Besides, the water over here
seems to be good enough. 1 am having
it analysed, just as a precaution. l
know you are all good sportsmen over
here, and will give us the fairest treat
ment you possibly can, but one never
can tell. There may be some evilly
disposed, disgruntled individual who
will drug the water and put me out Of
the running. One bottle of rye poured
into this Sandy Hook course would
ruin my chances forever, for 1 am a
trif1e light headed, and the mere scent
of alcohol sends me staggering all over
the place."
"Does the analysis so far as made
show the presence Of deleterious sub
stances in the ecean?" asked.
..Not so far this morning" she an
swered. But yesterday at this time
it was 90 per cent water, per cent
salt and per cent Of horrid mixture
of barrel slaves and ashes. The wind
was N w. S. E. by P. D. O., or, in less
technical terms, due seaward from
Rockaway Beach. Today the reports
indicate 95 per cent water, per cent
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-16

Certainly" said Sir Thomas. when
asked him for a note of introduce
ton to the shapely little lady of the
sea who has come over here in the
hope of returning to her native land
the crowned queen Of the waters. of
course you can call upon her. and I'll
write the note that will secure for you
your formal Introduction into her So
ciety."
Whereupon the genial sportsman sat
down and penned the following:
con Board the Erin, Aug. 1, 1903.
my Dear Mistress Shamrock: This
Will introduce to you distinguished
friend of mine, whose name escapes
me at the moment, who wishes to have
five minutes conversation with you on
such live topics of human interest as
Influence of Christian Science Upon
Modern Vaudeville and The Psychol-
ogy of the Pyramids Please tell the
gentleman all you know upon these
subjects, and oblige yours very faith
fully, IT. Upton. Bart
"P. S. (confidentiaD-Not a word
about the electric propellers in your
cardboard gaff!"
Armed with the above credentials.
chartered the Manunka Chunk. one OF
the new ferryboats of the Pennsylvania
Railroad company, and started on my
quest. We had no little trouble in
finding Miss Shamrock Third. for, like
the dutiful spinster that she is she
was out spinning as industriously as
possible, but with such well guarded
secrecy that it was as difficult to To-
cate her as it is to establish the iden-
tity of JohnsDoe, the author of Beau
tiful Snow and 1.-The Breadwinners.
The captain of the Manunka Chunk
was of no assistance to me, for until
that morning he had never been on
the water before, and except for the
Brooklyn bridge, which he had crossed
many times in his former capacity OF
motorman on the Gowanus Bay trolley
line, he was unfamiliar with the har-
Dor. We searched every nook and
Granny of the bay without avail, when
] discovered that the newsboy on the
forward hatchway fortunately had in
his possession a copy of yesterdays
paper. from which 1 finally learned
that the eagerly sought for craft, in the
company of a chemist. was testing the
waetr off Sandy Hook in order to es-
tablish' it's purity before the races.
''Sheer off for Sandy Hook. captain"
I said. shes down there today"
Port your hellum for Sandy Hook.
wherever that may bel" cried the cap
tain to the pilot, in response to my or
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-16

"Au right" she said settling back.
Il won't tell you anything about them"
Just then the Lightship's bells tolled
forth the hour of one and the courteous
little racer gave me my congo.
I've ordered a siXty-knot breeze for
this afternoon" she said, Ito test my
new crepe de chine topSail, and mas
much as it is about due l must ask you
to excuse me while 1 dress. 1 am very
pleased to have met you. If you want
to illustrate your article with photo
graphs, if you will let me know, 1 will
go to town and give you a special pose.
[ have a lovely new suit of sails COM
ing in next Saturday, made by Worth.
of Paris, from his very latest models,
a photograph of myself in your paper
looking my best, as L certainly shall
do in this new outfit"
Making a memorandum of this sug-
| gestion, l babe the lady farewell and
plunged into the sea to swim back to
| the Manunka Chunk, but, for soma
reason or other. that vessel had re-
turned to tOwn-prObably to get a doc
| tor for the captain, whose SeasicknesS
| had grown mOmentarily worse. So,
! fastening a little motor engine, with
out which / never travel at sea, to the
soles of my shoes, l turned over on my
| back and steamed slowly back to town,
| writing this story on a pad with
! fountain pen as l came. This may ac
| count for any little uneVenness in style
| which the hypercritiCal reader may find
| In the work. 1t is not easy to produce
| good literature under such conditions.
especially in the summer time. when
| the Sandy Hook boats swamp every
| thing in sight as they pass over the
| flats between Fort Hamilton and the
] Atlantic Highlands. -."-
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-16

been announced by the fog whistle over
on the Highlands. .s,sa--
Shamrock ahoy!" cried through
megaphone. 9,4,4,-
.sAhoy yourself!". came the answer,
instantly whats doing?" -
81 want to come aboard" 1 replied.
''Well, put on your rubbers and walk
over" she answered. IF it's too wet
come by wireless"
1.-THE lady is as facetious as a copy
Of Punch" 1 muttered. "All right"
added aloud through the megaphone.
'Stay where you are and I'll swim it..
Taking my notebook and camera in
one hand and basket of fruit and
change of clothing in the other jump
ed overheard and with a few luSty
strokes drew up to the side of the trim
little craft. Her commander pulled me
aboard with a boathook, and I was
soon engaged in an animated CONVEX
sation with the latest addition to the
fleet of Sir Thomas.
"How do you like America % asked,
as soon as my letter Of introduction
had been read and my right to be there
established.
Il love it," cried the Shamrock, shak-
ing her sails, roguishly, at passing
liner. TT is just the dearest little con-
tinent I ever saw. Really, I almost
hate to take that cup away, you are
such a delightful people" -
you have had warm reception" I
ventured. 'fi
Warm Reception.
eyes. very" she replied. zone day
1t was 104 degrees in the shade, but L
stayed all day in my BERTH and so
didn't mind it very much; Is err,
Brooklyn the capital Of the United
States?".
NO." said I. But it is the metrop-
oils of Kings county, madame" ~
1T reminds me of Paris" said she.
tits so different Sir Thomas writes
me that you wish my views on the sub.
ject of-ah-the psychology Of the
pyramids
yes" said I. ,r,os
"Weil, I'm awfully sorry" she said
''but l dropped them overboarde last
night somewhere up around Helrs En-
trance. as 1 believe you call it,
Hell Gate. I corrected.
"Ah, that's different" said she. st
thought it was pretty wet for an en-
trance to that particular resort. A
gate is different proposition. Well.
do you know, I dropped those views
overheard UP there, and they haven't
been recovered, else. l should be only
too happy to let you have them -.
"oh, WELL. said I, while Pm sorry
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-16
Arizona Seems to Be a
Paradise for Snakes

combine to make life for the rattle
snakes in this region one OF rare ease
and comfort for many long year. ]
doubt whether VenomOuS serpentS may
be studied anywhere else on the CONT
nent so satisfactorily as here in this
territory.
The Home. of the RattIesnake.
'There. are literally tens Of thou
sands of rattlers in the sage brush and
IFchaparral along the edge of the South
ern Arizona wastes. They grow to
enormous size, and it is common to
read in the local newspapers Of this
part of the territory items of news of
the capture OF. rattlesnakes five and six
feet long and with fourteen and fifteen
rattles. Localities and objects of ma
ture all over the territory have been
named from the serpents. There are
rattlesnake canyons, ratlesnake ar
royos, rattlesnake creeks, rattlesnake
mountains and 1, rattleSnake gulcheS,
| Over at Maricopa an old fellow has
| named his. dispensary of. intoXicants
after the most venomous American
snakes and Rattlesnake Roost,' paint
| ed in clumsy letters. stands in bold re-
lief over the door.
| Arizona possesses more varieties OF
| deadly serpents than any other region
! of the United States and probably as
many varieties as can be found any
where in, the aWorld. The most curious
| of all serpents in this region Of noun
| tain and sage brush and sand is what
the miners and vaqueros call the puff
or blow adder. No scientific writer OF
note has, ever. told of this reptile In
any work ever saw or heard of.
go Hoa-Nose Adder.
1.-THE name puff Or blow adder is a
misnomer. as the true puffer or blower
| is native of Africa, and is not found
on this continent at all. A correct des-
ignation is hog nose SO called from,
! the odd formation of the muzzle. which
| is turned up at the top for all the world
like the .snout Of a hog. Still. hundreds
/ of people in Arizona call him puff OF
| blow adder, and this incorrect designa-
ton will no doubt cling to the reptile
| for all time to come. Although abso-
! lutely. without power to harm anyone
for he is neither poisonous nor q
constritor-yet, the hog-nose puts or
| more airs than rattlesnake. which he
initiates in actions, coils and manner
of striking, while making more noise
than goose in furiously kissing al
nothing. He acts just like Veno-
| nous serpent. and yet he has not the
least faint of poison in his whole
! length. have satisfied myself of that
| by scores Of days of patient investiga-
! ton of the snakes carcasses.
| Snakes Don't Hiss.
His high, defiant attitude Is en-
| tirely without excuse. for even when he
strikes at anything he never opens his
| jaws, and not the slightest scratch is
| the result. His cousin. however, the
| realAblow ladder. after which he is
| enormously called. is one OF the most
| deadly reptiles in existence. His ace
of-clubs head is a fearful object to be-
hold, and his thick. Shiny body is de-
| cidediy indicative Of venom. I don't
| suppose that man ever devised more
powerful poison than the five or six
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-16

The little lady nervously scratched
her bowsprit as she spoke. and 1 could
see that she was deeply sincere in her
observations on the condition of the
course.
II really think the whole racing area
should be fenced off for at least ten
days before the races" she continued
merely as precaution to prevent any
possible tampering with the course;
but, of course, it's too late to do that
now, so there's no use talking about
it." cog
"Well, there isn't any doubt. Miss
Shamrock. that over here we want the
best boat to win,' 1 said thoughtlessly.
1 had no idea sho would take the re-
mark the way she did.
THANK you very much said she,
demurely. 7 appreciate your good
wishes and will do what I can not to
disappoint you"
I'm his note of introduction" I OBJ
served hastily, "Sir Thomas writes a
confidential postscript. telling you not
to say anything about the electric pro-
pellers in your starboard gaff."
YES" she answered naively. che
doesn't want that to get out. We
haven't had the scheme patented yet
and somebody might get ahead of us if
they knew the details. though. as a
tie things in the world. They're for
use in drifting, and really add 100 per
cent to the interest of a race. They
are like ordinary propellers, and are
fastened to a shaft running athwart
my for'ard ribs six feet below the sur
face of the water. When attached to
a little electric motor that l have con-
cealed in my port bow they make at
full speed $40 revolutions a minute. and
enable me TO drift sixteen knots an
hour without a sail set. But of course,
inasmuch as Sir Thomas doesn't want
me to mention them, / shan't."
I'm rather surprised" she went on
in a minute, that he hasn't requested
me to be quiet about the naphtha pad
dlewheel I've had built abaft the main
mast. It's a movable apparatus that
can be let down below the keel into the
water, and is operated-by a naphtha
engine placed directly over the axle
I can go fourteen knots an hour in the
teeth of a gale with the full power on
and flying before the wind we estimate
that it adds twelve knots toHnly maxi
mum speed. This, with the electric
fans we have in the stern, of sufficient
wind power to bulge aout9my mainsai
and balloon jib. it seems to me SHOULD
assure us of victory"
81 should think So" said 1. TITS
rather strange that Sir Thomas should
| have overlooked them in that post
| script"
Eyes, it is" said she:' "but then he
| has so much on his mind it would bt
stranger still if he did not overlook
! something. l fancy, perhaps. I'd bes
not mention them to you after ALL He
might not like it." fs' 7e'f
q guess YOU are, ri ght."4 said I. &c
wouldn't myself If were in your place
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-16

Graham Peck, formerly druggist at
Springfield, H., has for thirty years
lived like hermit in the San Francisco
mountains of Arizona, with dogs and
cats for his companions and snakes the
object of his study. He has for thirty
years studied the habits, life. and uses
OF the numerous varieties of serpents
in the Sierra and Rocky mountains;
and he is today regarded by miners
and mountaineers as the best authori-
ty on snakes to be found in that part
of the country.
Mr. Peck has pursued his hobby in
dustriously and enthusiastically. He
has been a mine proSpector, school
teacher and an assayer to gain live
lihood, but these occupations have not
engrossed his attention or diverted his
mind from the snake as a life study.
They were bread and butter incidents
to his career and only served to secure
him the means of buying books and
providing the few necessarieS of life
which a mountaineer has to purchase
to keep him in comfort.
He has Travelled all over the noun
tain and desert districts Of the South
west and has pursued the deadly rat
tier and poisonous and poisonous
snakes in their haunts that he might
become better acquainted with them.
He has spent weeks in the noun
tains of Mexico. months in Colorado
and New Mexico, and years in the
Southwest studying the habits of
snakes. He has climbed the mountains
delved into the canyons and gulches
and crossed the deserts in search Of the
snakes from which every other human
was trying to escape.
His Home Like Museum.
His hermit house in the San Fran
cisco mountains is filled with the skins
of all kinds of snakes, and it is like a
snake museum. He has filed seven
great blank books with his observa-
tons of snakes and he is regarded as
an authority on their customs and their
poisonous nature.
Mr.. Peck is. however not an eccen-
trio. He is a student of natural his
tory, and he is trying to supply what
he regards as some of the missing
links in the text books on that subject.
He is a college graduate and studied
medicine. He was for seven years a
druggist at Springfield, Ill, and after
the death of his wife and two boys in
that city in 1878. he went to Tucson,
sayer, and then began his study of
snakes, which he has continued for
nearly thirty years. He is so years old
and is still following the snakes trying
to learn about rare specimens of which
he has heard but has never met.
There is no region in the union
said Mr.. Peck, that is so natural a
breeding ground for the rattlesnake-
the crotalus horridus-as Southern
Arizona. The rocks of the mountains
and foothills are a heavy yellow and
gray color, and the soil is so nearly
the hues of a RATHER that snake can
move slowly along and be hardly per-
ceived by person fifty feet away.
The hot, dry air and the warm, sandy
earth. through at least ten months of
the year, and the immense quantity of
small birds and ground squirrels In
the mountain canyons and brush. all
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-16

for your loss. liam sure I shall be just
as glad to have YOU talk on some o.n ne
ltopic-say The ethical Influence OF the
F THa ButIS ri ai on the Tender5l.o'in.
You've seen5 tie Fqatiron building"
Il have, TO my sorrow" she salo.
sadly. 81 started up one Sunday nlgn i'
to attend one of Duss. concerts. 81.
Thomas had engaged the Yenoefat-
canal for me, and on the way we pass
Iof nv loyeIiest sails-blue canvas,
trimmed with pink chiffon. and a pas
l.sementerie cSrsage trimmed with gun
metal spangles. au coIililuIe
l'along the shoulders, ana uo
you know, when we reacneu
THAT F1atiron corner the WIND Prev lndl
sweet costume all to shreds! why, l
was in such tattered condltlon py thg
time I got to the other corner that L
had to turn around and go back nome
again without hearing note. l don
think there's cents worth OF ethics
in building that will treat a lady that
way"
! I agreed with Mistress Shamrock. =
TITS a very impolite building" said
I "but it treats all alike. 1t picked up
child last Tuesday morning and blew
him into W., H. Stewards lap over in
Madison Square park, and I've actual
ly seen ten policemen pulling lady
across the street. there with rope, the
wind was so strong"
WastefuI Americans.
"Well, it's pity you Americans are
so waSteful Of wind" said she. IF you
could only store some of it up for use
in the races I'd like it better. I'd buy
a couple Of dozen tornadoes for my
personal use gladly If they'd do that.
1t was a good suggestion and prom
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-16

like quails, chickens, rats, rabbits,
squirrels, and gophers i'm wire cages,
and 1 have stood by secretly watching
the snakes and. their prey for hours
at time. AS result of my expert
ments and years of observation L may
say I believe implicitly that all snakes
have certain degree of power to fas-
cinate their victims. to death. Black
snakes, gopher snakes, and racers have
the power to large degree. Rattle
snakes have the most fascinating
power among all the poisonous SER
penis in the Southwest. But there are
many facts seized upon by naturalists
as reason for believing that ser
pent is charming his victim that are
ridiculous. For instance, one often
sess a number of birds mobbing a
snake just as they viii mob an owl
mr. a hIlzzard
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-16

salt and only per cent of over ripe
bananas, which is not necessarily in ,
furious to speed. I do hope, though,
that on racing days we can get pure
ocean-that Is, 81 per cent water and
3 per cent salt, for that is what I'm
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-16
Marqaret,s Discovery.

Little Margaret is only five; but she Is
very observing. 1t was she who liscov-
cred the baby brothers first tooth, and
this is the way she announced it:
Mother! Oh. do come quick Brother
has got stone fastened In his mouth.
and it is as pale as death!'
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-16

the cardboard strake to lie down, leav-
ing the pilot in command. after which
all was plain sailing. Further details
of the quest. while exciting in way,
are unnecessary to my story. Suffice
it to say that after one hours search
we located the Shamrock about noon,
down by. the ltghtship. She was rest
ing during the lunch hour, which had
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-16

Used to refer it to the proper authori-
ties. soiai,i&3 .
How do you like the water over
here?" asked. - 1thids 9ei
pretty WELL" she replied. ."Its
itrifie too full of humidity and takes
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-16
Birds viii Fight Snakes.

The dashes of the birds toward the
snake and their futtering around it
may easily be put down to the effect
of the snakes glance. In reality it is
merely the attempt of the birds to
drive off the intruder. Avnlother bird,
whose young are attacked, will almost
certainly behave in this way, and may
herself fall victim to the force of
maternal feelings. 1t has been no.
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-16
Needed Repairs.

Little Harold. whose father is car
claimed:
Mamma. there's a piece broken out Of
the moon! Wen get papa to climb uS
on his stepladder and fix it,
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-16

tingulshed counsel being engaged. and
seven great law lords. headed by the lord
chancellor himself. being gathered to-
gether to hear the case. The elder claim
ant, he of organ-grinder fame. Is declared
by his friends of both high and low de-
gree to have firm belief in his own
right to the earldom. At various times he
has had powerful friends. one of the most
kindly having been the hate duchess Of
Cleveland.
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-16

Among the curious, pathetic and even
grotesaue sights of London, few have
Compared in romantic interest of late
years with that of "Viscohnt Hinton.
the organ grinder who last week failed in
his claim in the house of lords to the Pou-
lett earldom. The other claimant to the
dormant title was the son of the late
Lord Poulett by his third wife. One of
those strange r6maneeS of the peerage
was unfolded, formidable array of dis
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-16

ders. LET go. the main taffrail. reef
the capstan bar and all hands pipe for
action he added. throwing out his
chest and cooking his gold braided cap
over his eyes to indicate that he knew
his business.
On the BiIIowy Main.
The order must have been correct
one, for in a short while we were pass
ing through the Narrows, and ere long
were plodd4ng the billowy main. At
this point the captain was overcome
with seasfckness and went down into
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-16

hundreds of other naturalists, who
have got their education and ideas
from obs ervation and actual contact
with the things of nature, 1 have spent
days, weeks, and even months in
studying what it is that is popularity
known as a serpent's charm.
My observation of serpents in Ari-
iona has led me to believe that the
nom poisonous varieties poss ess greater
powers of fascination or charm than
the poisonous snakes have, for in or
der OF get a chance to throw it's coils
about its prey the n-poisenous snake
must hold the attention of its victim,
while the poisonous varieties may
spring and fang their prey and then
wait for death or stupor from. the
venom to do the rest. The popular
idea Of a serpent's charm is much ex-
a pgarated
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-16
ParaIyze Their Victims.

BY their power to charm, some
snakes are said to be able to SO para
lyze their victims that the birds or
animals are rendered utterly incapable
of movement, and wait for the attack
of snake, or even go forward to meet
1t in fear and trembling, but without
any power of retaliation.
II have time and again experiences
with snakes and birds and animels
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-16
Promises Not to Tell.

for, you see, might tell somebody, and
then it would be all over town"
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-16
Snakes ,cEarm Their Victims.

ooh. how many times / have been
asked hatss2sBes, there is a certain
marvellous power to fascinate in a
snakes eyes and movements. Like