Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-15
RE SNAKES HOODoos?

n If the opinion of La Belle Car
4 men, who has had fifty scaly pets
for the past five years and who has
had more than fifty accidents in that
time were to be accepted, the answer
would be yes.
The bad luck which Carmen has had
in the past five years she attributes
altogether to the snakes which she
uses in her act in circuses and in
vaudeville.
When Carmen was interviewed yes
terday she had several of the reptiles
around her body and was talking to
them as a mother does to her child.
Carmen was asked what she believed
was the reason for her persistent run
of bad luck several of the Incidents
of which nearly terminated her life.
Before answering she took one of the
huge king snakes from the mass of
writhing coils at the bottom of the
cage and then said:
Il have been in the show business
ever since / was Is years old, and that
was eight years ago. The first three
years | did only acrObatic stunts. and
then somehow | drifted into the snake
charming business. 1t seemed that
after | got my snakes l had the worst
luck imaginable.
A Long List
81 have had accident after accident,
but nothing seems to permanently in
lure me. A detailed list of the injuries
[ have had would fill a book, and even
Omitting all but the more serious, the
list would still be long
Il firmly believe that these snakes
have been the cause of all my hard
luck You know that for some people
snakes are hoodoos. and | certainly
am one Of that kind of persons
why don't / give up my snakes?
Because / love them. l wouldn't give
up the ugliest snake l have for the
best man on earth.
Il have been married three times
and | should know what | am talking
a about. After all there is not so much
difference between snake and man.
The snake is likely to turn on you and
strike at any time, but is not man
the same way?
"WhY have | been married so often?
Well, the main reason was that none
of the men could stand the snakes and
I would not give up my pets
All the time Carmen was talking
she was handling her hideous pets.
One of the reptiles was rather ugly,
and when Carmen put her hand too
near to him would open his jaws wide
and hiss warningly as he raised up
ready to strike.
Fangs Penetrate Hand
Finally, as Carmen playfullY struck
the poisonous snake, it sprang and
struck her on the fore finger of the
right hand. The force of the blow was
so great and its fangs penetrated Sc
as to leave one of its teeth sticking
i'm the wound made in her hand.
Il =,
nervously, and bandaged the wound.
| II hate to have them bite me-" she
| said. Every time one of them strikes
me a tooth comes out and that makes
( the Jaws sore. ] do not mind being
/ bitten as the poison has no effect upor
me, but ] hate to have the poor little
/ things have sore mouths
1 The reporter said that he would hate
to have one of the little darings bite
kim, but for an entirely different rea'
son than that given by Carmen.
The accidents / have had since
have had the snakes? Well, I'll try
TO tell you some of them.
THE first year l had my snakes
was with Barnum & Bailey's circus
! had n riding act and a slide for life
down "A steel wire; then | did my
snake stunt i'm the side show. l was
also a Circassian girl while the regular
one WAS Slth.
Predicted Her Fall
Just before | was to do my slide
for life one afternoon, 1t was i'm Lon
don, | thought TO myself Here |,
where you fall, Carmen. I made the
start from the platform, $50 feet II
the air, sliding down the wire suspend
ed from a piece Of leather which
held in my mouth
"When I was about seventy-five feet
from the ground 1 knew | was going
to fall, and sure enough did. lit or
my feet and broke both ankles. Tha
was the first of the series which has
lasted down TO the present week, ant
which still promises 10 continue unless
/ give up my snakes, and that l viii
never do
Another time, when ] was with Bar
mum & Bailey's, l was doing my snakt
act in the den. At that time / ha(
three East Indian pythons. one O
them was mean and could not be de
pended upon l wrapped them arounC
my body and put the bad one arounC
my neck All at once l felt the COLL
around my neck tighten, 1 tried t