The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-07-10
TICKLE SNAKE NOW
HAS SEA SERPENT
Glides From Ship Into the Sea
Rather Than Be a Slave
in New York
Ii was the freighter Albenga
That sailed the Indian sea:
And the skipper had taken
A python from saken

To bear him company.
(From The Slippery Snake Of singapore.')
The only reason that a python, %
feet long, cost price 500 f. o. b. Singa-
pore, was not part of the cargo of the
German tramp steamship Albenga that
arrived recently from the far east, was
that the snake slid overheard in the
Mediterranean between Port Said and
Algiers, to the great comfort of ths
Lascar crew, but to the financial detri-
ment Of Captain Lorentzen, who had
bought the python on speculation.
The affecting story OF the snakes
last afternoon on board ship was told
by Captain Lorentzen as his steamship
lay OF the statue of liberty. The mar
rative so worked on the feelings of the
mate that at several points in the story
he begged the captain not to go on
until he had mastered his emotions.
SNAKE AT 81 4 FoOT
1t is not every day, he said. that q
sea captain sees a snake the value OF
which is at least 81 running foot
slide slowly over the side of ship
while on the way to market in which
its owner was sure TO get SO for every
81 he had invested in the python in
Singapore.
Mr.. Snake was bought in sailors
boarding house in Singapore. In this
subzoo the captain also purchased &c
perfectly good monkeys. The captain
declined to buy a small tiger, which
was offered to him, but he willingly
paid 800 for the 25 foot python.
II knew II I could get him to New
York" said the captain, 81 could get al
least three hundred for him.
In order that the snake might be
comfortable, Captain Lorentzen placed
it in crate on the after deck, and
every little while the captain and the
mate went to look at the snake and
figure on how they would spend the
5000 profit in New York.
1t was along about o'clock of hot
afternoon, while the Albenga was roll
ing through the blue Mediterranean
bound for Algiers, that the captain and
mate stopped spending all that mind
money. They heard the Lascars and
the Malays in the crew cry:
Him outl Him out!'
1t was worse than that. The snake
was not only out. but 1t was stirring
CREW IN RIGGING
The Malays and the Lascars took to
the rigging. From their refuge they
made faces at the snake. This was
their only contribution toward the task
of catching him. Captain Lorentzen and
his officers were holder.
They chased the snake. But as none
of them had ever chased a snake 25
feet long before, the snake had all the
advantage. For three quarters of an
hour it hurried hither and thither on
the after deck, and then went to the
bulwark.s The snakes head went over
first, closely followed by 10 feet, or SAC
worth of length. With the captain and
the officers calling for the snake to
come back the rest OF the python dis
| appeared, going slowly and turning its
head to look at the frantic seAmen.
The mate said, as he wiped a tear
from his eye:
He did look pretty as a picture as
he swum away"
Pretty blazesi' said the captain. 81
never could appreciate seeing $500
swimming away.
But still it was pretty sight. per-
sisted the mate.
Il never can forget the last look ]
had of him as he swan away" said the
captain. blinking. ut wasn't pretty to
me. 1t was what I would call pa
thetic.''