The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1906-01-20
SNAKE TALES BY A sc ENLIST,
Curator Ditmars Tells of Snakes He
and His Friends Have Met

In the course OF lecture in The
Bronx the other evening Curator Ray
mond l.. Ditmars of the Bronx Parl
reptllian collection let slip a story not
found in school text books. He was
describing the vicious disposition Of
the diamond back.
only one case of genuine domestica
ton Of this species had ever reached
his ear There was man down in
florlda who so enjoyed the intimacy
or snakes-rattlesna above all
that he tanned RATHER and handled
him quite freely.
When the rats began troubling the
sentleman's chicken yard he used to
let the snake out in the evening TO
destroy the pests. One night he left
MS rtptllIan playmate out all night
although the neighbors had threaten
ca TO destroy it if found at large
| Inc gentleman was awakened in
| the night by what sounded like a
man $ groans downstairs With his
slippers and candle, he sailed down to
| investigate and discovered burglar
nall way over the window SILL The
faithful RATHER was coiled around one
leg OF the burglar and had his tail
out OF the window rafting for the
police.
The little blacksnake is credited
with prodigous powers in some rural
communities. Mr.. Ditmars never saw
one longer than six Or seven feet, but
q farmer in the back country reports
specimen at least ten feet in length
This snake raided chicken yard
all one summer. until one day watch
was set anc the marauder was inter
rupted just as he had slowed away
a full grown rooster. He scuttled off |
the way he had come, but in trying to !
crawl between two fence rails the |
bulk of the chicken in his stomach +
blocked all progress half way through. /
Just then hen strolled along the
other side of the fence Unable &c
resist the temptation, the snake en-.
quilted her, too, and was unable tC
move either way.
When the farmer was asked for
the skin of this monster it was not in
evidence. Re didn't pay much atten-
ion to such things, the rustic explain
g. PROBABLY he had burned the car
cass or the p:gs had eaten it.
There is pugnosed belligerent lit
lie reptile i?.own as the hognosed ad
Ter that ha. ) trick of playing pos
sum when attacked If it once gets
tarted on t.n role the snake can be
led into knotS and handled indis-
Fl an hour or more. The
'arhies of Florida believe that this
eptile is a particular chum of the
EVIL and endowed with a poisonous
reath. although it is really quite
armless.
While snake hunting in the south
ear or two ago. Mr.. Ditmars plotted
D win the admiration of his guides
nd the population by announcing that
e had marvellous powers. He was
ndowed with the gift of destroying
fe by a sign
The natives had never heard of this
ossum stunt of t4lair dreaded adder.
nd when the perfc.l mer formed them
| corcle around t3a specimen found
the fields they llaked in their
BOTS; such as heI boots. The
agician advanced rapidly as if to at
ok the enclosed snake, pointed his
lger to the sky, muttara.l to himself,
I'd the adder obedieA,iy turned on
5 back
1t was timidly passed. from hand to
md. The performer teared with
He would &, enc better.
the audience would fe.rl a larger 4
role he would restore life to the
ad reptile.
The audience Obeyed. the snake
ind all surroundings peaceable af-
: few minutes. and tunnel over,
slide away to parts unknu*L.
Mr.. Ditmars faced around 10 accept l
? admiration of his guides. but the l
ldscape was all still life. To the
t ragged urchin his assistant snak-
} were gone, never to exhibit their
eS in camp again.-NeW York Sun