The progress., 1904-12-31
| BOUT WITH g0BRIS|


CSs - - y - SSess
/ Stats senator 3. D. RessntAAl.
(LL. D.. Of New York;
NEW New Yorkers who have done
IN the state soma service''~and still
lever lawyers of Manhattan--hsve been
able to avoid, now and then, certain ad-
venturous experiences more thrilling
than welcome.
ut think can say with all sincerity
land with all modesty) that few New
Yorkers--or Americans, for that mat
ter-have had an experience like the one
l am about to relate. It is one that, even
now, do not care to recall when Iawake
ct night.
This tale deals neither with politics
nor with law. But, largely, with that
necessity which, being impolitic. knows
NO law.
remember. in college when studying
james psychology. running across, q
se.tence which here quote from MEM
ory with verbal errors no doubt, but
substantially correctly:
Many a mans heroism or cowardice
is determined by the state Of his nerves
and stomach at the moment when an
exigency arises"
hold this to be true. The average ex-
igency calls for quick action. for in
stantaneous thought. The mems sana in
corpore sano." as we term 1t In law
(sound mind In sound body) rises with
equal speed to the emergency. The mind
connected with ill-strung or exhausted
nerves falters or delays. And thus. in
moment. watching world brands .
man as hero or a coward. do not
stink deserve either appellation. The
adventure wherein was engaged, at
the time to which refer, gave me ample
time for planning. But the situation
was such that clever and feasible plans
did not come readily to hand.
ask the reader, therefore, before con-
demning or praising me. to reflect what
he or she would have done In Hike cir
cumstances and to decide whether or not
l acted for the best.
A Family Quarrel
1t was several years ago. was
spending the winter at Albany, where
both houses OF the legislature were In
session. business cslled me to New
YORK one Saturday. and accepted the
long-standing invitation of we'll
known writer (whom l will here call
Fletcher) to stay at his house over Sum
day.
It was. and is. a delightful homo to
visit, but on my arrival on Friday night
I found the usually peaceful and har-
monious household sadly upset In fact,
my host and his charming wife were
dangerously near quarrel.
The cause will recite In few words:
Fietchers brother, man Of wealth
and leisure. li7ed In Orange, N. J. He
had4 rich mans hobby" He called 1t
"ophiology." In other words, he was
q snale fancier. In huge glass house.
carefully heated and watched over by
skilled attendants. be kept one of the
finest private collections Of reptiles in
America. He had spent thousands of
dollars in importing from every country
on earth specimens Of rare snakes He
had every variety. from the deadly fer
de lance of Venezuela to the king cobra
of India.
The king cobra is. from money
standpoint, the most valuable serpent on
earth. The danger of capture and the
difficulty Of transportation brings the
price Of one full-grown specimen up to
nearly $1,000. Consequently his king
cobra was the pride of this wealthy
mans collection. And when his one
king cobra deliberately starved itself to
death (refusihg the most toothsome
frogs, rats and watersnakes) he was
miserable. He sent at once to his agent
IN Calcutta and soon had the Joy Of hear
ing that two of the finest specimens Of
kiyg cobra ever caught were on their
way to him. He foolishly boasted Of his
expected acquisitions to some friends
ory.the train The train crew heard of 1t
and vowed they would handle no such
perilous luggage.
Consequently. when the big box con-
tanning the serpents arrived the bag
gagemaster fatty vowed he would not
touch it. 1t was necessary to carry the
box, therefore, In a truck from Jersey
City to Orange.
A heavy snowstorm. followed by zero
weather, had rendered the roads unsafe,
and their owner, knowing the necessity.
Of keeping his treasures warm, had car
ried them to Fletcher's home. there to
remain until tfrs-wagon roads should
again be passable.
This was the cause Of the ferment In
the Fletcher home. Fletcher had re-
,eived the box, and had II placed in his
study. Mrs. Fletcher vowed she would
not sleep under the same roof with such
deadly monsters.
Into this family jar descended on
that Friday evening. Husband and wife
had at last come to compromise. The
snakes were to be allowed to remain In
Fletcher's study in their securely locked
box. but the study door was to be kept