The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-10
BALLET GIRL.
Soaked Her Hair in Beer and Became
 Circassian Snake Charmer.

From the Chicago Tribune.
 It was my first season on the road with a circus. I was one of forty ballet girls. It was a great lifes living day after day under the white tents, travelling night after night in sleeping cars.
 Rough as 1t looks, an outsider would be surprised how fine it really Is. The thing that interested me most was the side show. Every day after parade was over would find me in the side show watching the girl with the bushy hair charm the snakes. l soon became friend ly with the girl, but she could not get me within five feet of her pets. NOT dld she seem at all anxious to have me near them.
 One day Allie--that was the girls name was not in the parade. The glass case with the snakes was there, but no Allie sitting inside. So, after we came back, I ran over to see what the trouble was. Allie is sick" said the manager, And had to stay at the car. l wish you would take these snakes out in the stand Tor me while I make a speech to the crowd.
 'I?' l cried. Why. MT. Griffen, never touched a snake In my life" "rhey won't hurt you" he said. And before knew what had happened he had put three or four small ones on my arm ana was leading me out on the little stage before the crowd.
 l life. The snakes were ice cold and crawl ing around my hands and arms trying to hold on. I held them away from me as far as possible and was trembling Tn every limb I could hear people in the crowd saving: Look at her. She IS afraid of them herself"
 MT. Griffen made his speech short and led me inside. Well" he said, laugh ing you really are scared taking the snakes from my arms. I tried to smile. but couldn't My face seemed frozen stiff.
 I was glad to get away from the side show and back to my own dressing room.
 Two days later MT. Griffen came to the big tent and asked for me.
 "Allie is sick" he said, and will be sefft home this afternoon. I'm in an aw- full fix. The snake act is my main at- traction and l have no charmer. How would you like to do this act? You'll get four times as much salary as you are getting now and Allie will sell the snakes at half price, You can make lots of money selling your pictures, too.'
 He gave me no chance to refuse. That night I soaked my hair in beer and put it up in curl papers to make 1t look bushy. The next morning I put on my little spangled dress and took my seat on the little stage beside the glass case of snakes.
 At first I was afraid to handle the big ones much to the disappointment of the audience. I soon became extremely fond of these snakes. This sounds strange. But one gets as fond of these as of any other pets.
 Snake charming is an expensive act. Snakes cost about s foot for little ones. and $s to $10 foot for big ones. A snake 5 feet long costs $25 while one 10 feet long may cost s75 to $100, according to its weight. They must be kept in warm place, and at times 1t is necessary to put not water bags in the case at night, which they hug closely. They get a milk bath once a week. and drink of the milk. This is the only time they do drink. Their way of feeding is the most remarkable part. They eat only once week. or once in two weeks or once month, as they get hungry, l suppose. They do not eat anything that has been killed. They kill their own food. They feed on little chickens, ducks. birds, tiny rabbits, and they swallow the food whole. Three days after feeding charmers do not ham de snakes. This is the only time they are dangerous. Sometimes I would put a peep for days before a snake would eat it. Sometimes he would crush 1t to death and not eat it at all
 Once I had a little rabbit in the case over night and the poor little thing went insane from fright. When I opened the case in the morning the rabbit jumped out. ran up and down the tent until he found an opening. Out he went and never came back.
 Many people will ask, do you extract the poison from these snakes? We do not; they are just as they are captured. What makes them lay so stu then