The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-11-18
Guile of a Tricky Native
Snake Charmer in India
GATHERED INTHE SERPENTS
No Trouble to Him to Lure the Reptiles
into His Basket, and the Supply Was
in No Danger of Giving Out
and Losing Him a Job.

Among the numerous Objectionable
and dangerous creatuT 5 peculiar to
the orient none is more repulsive than
the snake. One shudders involuntarily
MS one thinks of its wiggling body and
vicious characteristics. During my
residence in India ! never felt safe
from its presence had my closets,
bed and even my bathtub searched ev-
cry day lest one should be found coiled
up in some corner, writes Eliza X
Van Bergen in the Christian Intelli-
gencer
/ was always on the watch for the
creatures and ever in mortal terror Of
treading on one. 1t never occurred to
me to sleep without light, and a
stick was always near at hand lest |
might find one unawares and be I'M
prepared to meet it. / even looked
upon nay thin mosquito curtain as
slight protection, for it would at least
break its fall should a snake tumble
down suddenly from the ceiling.
The creatures have a decided pref
erence for cool, damp places and often
choose the bathroom and sometimes
the tub for their habitation, much TO
the discomfort of its rightful habitue.
1t is not unalloyed bliss 10 live in
place infested with serpents. With
such formidable enemies, one never
forgets TO be cautions. nor to guard
against their presence and sudden at
tack II makes one alert TO be in the
midst of danger and adds spice to life.
Well, as | started out to say. my
garden was infested with snakes, and
was persuaded to have a native
charmer summoned to lure them
away. His hideous occupation, weird
nominations and strange pets sur
round the snake charmer with q pc
cuIiar fascination. His magnetism
and skill are considered phenomenal
in the east.
This specimen was tall and lank and
had deep. cavernous eyes and an alb
stracted air Some of the creatures
were colled around his wrist. which
made him still more repellant, He
handled them as If they were per.
fectly harmless. About the neck he
wore a chain with a flute attached.
Two other jugglers accompanied him.
similarly attired but minus the
snakes. One carried a closed basket
on his arm
He stopped at a respectful distance
to make his "salaam," which is the
customary salute of the country. Then
he approached the aloe hedge which
inclosed my grounds. squatted himself
tailor fashion on the grass and began
to produce weird, plaintive sounds on
the flute. to which music the reptiles
themselves around him and
seemed to sway their bodies to and
fro.
After some time a snake appeared.
gliding slowly and stealthily out from
the hedge toward the spot where it
heard the enchanting music. The
charmer allowed IT to come quite
close and to wind itself around bis
arm. Another followed and yet an
other. while the other two men stood
by holding a basket ready to receive
them as soon as they unwound them
selves. At least a half dozen APP
peared and were disposed of in this
manner. After being captured they
as If in a stupor
Horrifed with his performance.
begged him. to stop and babe him
leave the place. He assented and,
picking up the basket. departed with
the snakes without ever ceasing to
play his uncanny tune. His compan-
ions gathered up the rest Of his be-
longings and followed him. | paid a
sum for each snake thus dis
patched.
He came repeatedly thereafter and
went through the same performance,
conjuring up more reptiles and dispos-
ing Of them in the same way until
began to suspect some trickery. He
refused to allow the snakes to be kill
ed, insisting that they were sacred and
must not be put to death. It looked
as if he replaced the snakes In the |
hedge after removing them. and thus !
be multiplied their number and in
creased his gains.
/ was finally forced to have him re-
moved by the police and threatened
with punishment in order to keep him
away. Nothing would persuade me to
permit one of the fellows to enter my
premises again.