The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-02-27

it touches the eye or a sore. means
sure death. 1t is this snake that the
iugglers all over the Far East use to
show their skill. They handle 1t with
impunity, laying it on the ground and
playing upon flute, which seems to
charm it. They also wrap cobras
around their naked necks. and fondle
them. The other day a traveller who
was watching one OF these Hindoo
jugglers made a bet that the cobra's
poison glands had been extracted, and
offered to prove this by handling the
cobra himself. He grabbed hold of it
and the snake sank it's fangs into
his arm. He died within a few hours.
A cobra was recently found in a
bathroom where a little baby was
playing. 1t did not offer to injure the
child, and seemed inclined to play
with it, and 1t was only when tho
other people camc in that 1t elevated
Its head, swelled out its hood and
began to spit. The other day three OF
these AXES were found at one time
In the bathroom of a villa near here.
Among the other snakes are pythons,
twenty or more feet in length. They
are not dangerous, and out in the
country the native domesticate them
and use them at rat catchers In the
paw " mousse CatS. one twenty 1eeC
lons was recently captured in a Budd-
hist temple outside Singapore. The
government is now paying So apiece
Tor dead snakes of fourteen feet and
upward, and from that down to so
cents for the smaller varieties.
Civilized Singapore.
Stories like those I have just told
seem strange in connection with this
island of Singapore, which is perhaps
the richest trade centre of It's kind. It
is the great halfway station around
the world, the chief city at the cross
ways of the hemspheres and our
southern gateway to the Philippine
Islands. 1t has a harbor which cost
millions. and to-day something like
$300,000.000 worth of merchandise
comes annually into it. 1t is the
seventh harbor Of the world In ton-
mage. and seventh In tho number OF
vessels which call There are fifty
two different steamer lines which stop
at Singapore, and the English gov
eminent is now investing something
like S2O,000,000 to mako new docks
and to Improve this as naval base
singapore Is one OF the most i'm
portant OF the commercial ports OF the
far East. 1t Is the ganglionic nerve
centre. or rather shipping centre, for
Indies. for Siam and as far as the
Eastern trade is concerned, for Asia
and Europe. 1t Is one of the best
places for the pushing OF American
trade, and we are fortunate Just now
in having an experienced, active and
up-to-date consul-general. I refer to
James T. Du Bots. who did such ex-
cellent service as consul to Leipzig and
other parts of Germany, and who
saved the f,oyerpn,enT r,,il1iopc 80
lars by exposing the corrupt lace I'M
| organizations while he was consul
| general to Switzerland.
Mr.. Du Bots believes that our trade
! IN this part of the world can be large
~ Increased. and he suggests that If
an American bazaar We're established
here by some of our big exporting
houses, with branches scattered
throughout tho peninsula 1t would he
OF great value. He tells mo that the
balance of trade is now much against
us. We buy about $4,000 900 worth
OF tin, hides, gambler and other things
OF the Straits settlements, and sell
something like s2,oo0,oOo worth of
flour, oils machinery, drugs and to-
bacco in return.
This region lis steadily growing In
trade and Importance. and the Eng
lish and Germans are nursing their
commerce ana pushing their goods In
all possible ways, There is no doubt
hut that we should use Singapore
IS centre from which to work not
only the surrounding islands and the
mainland, but India and the Far East
as Well This Is especially so since
Singapore lies right on the main road
to the Philippines and vessels from the
Eastern United states could call hero
Aon their way.
John Iiuli's Rich Colony.
Indeed, II might pay our officials to
study this colony with a<yiew to the
development OF our Asiatic island pos-