The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-03-14

S snake was, was a IEess9t or was wished on
The other keepers had left. for thslr
services were needed only while handlin &
rough anAkes like the big constructors.
Charley paused in the runway. stroking
the beautiful scales ci the cobra with hls
weighing many hundreds Of pounds-
one Of the largest In the woFld-named
Vivian. wandered alowly down the runway
and Charley leaned an elbow Aenlnst an
cave OF it's shell and told % his recsnt
efforts ct snake training.
You have already told said Mr..
Snyder, what terrible trials Prudence
vent through when she escaped while
Mrs. Thew was out buying yeast. A
/ steam pine some place hlistered her naok-
Prude1ce's neck-and besidss that she
was all run down from an attack of acute
| gaStritis due 20 eating late at night. 50
Mrs. 1haw sent Prudence up here 20 be
muldooned.
we red Prudence up.- continued Mr.
Snyder AZ he dropped the arst cobra in
lts new cage and went hack for another
| load. and even went 20 far a. 60 help
her along Whenever she needed new
skinning. Very early Prudence began
| tn show her gratitude. First abe began
to hang around w on hot days late last
summer when Johnny and the rest OF us
| would 20 into the ONCE ca make lemonade.
A few days later Prudence. being q oon-
strictor. climbed on the table and began
OF her own accord 20 help .us squees" the
lemons.
-Of course Mr.. Snyder hastsned 20
| add a. he got out some russell Polish 20
shine mp one Of the AlhgatoFs, Prudence
made a mess Of things by squirting the
lemon juice in all directions. but with
few lessons we taught her to hold the
lemon directly over the pitcher.
PROM this Il was but q step tn taAchInG
her general snake houss work. MIR.
Snyder went on IA he sponged painting
water moccasin and placed u ia new
cage. "A snake houss above all PLACES
must be kept scrupulously clean II the
/ snakes are 20 live, hence the constant
scrubbing and washing you see going on
all around you. Many n washEnan' . hand
has grown stiff and rheumatic from wiring
ing out bath sponges and wAshrags In
this building. Now Prudence. much as
she dislikes soiled water. does all the
Squeezing OF the wAshrags.'
Mr. snyder here took a glass snake from
its cage and standing before q a moment
washed mp and brushed his hair.
1t did not take me long. he resumed.
to realize that all out pets-the greater
number of them. at least might easily
he trained 20 do each its share in some Of
the work that daily must bs gone through
IN the reptile house For instance. the
Geological SOciety's ball for alarm cioc ks
to awaken the snakes each day had run
as high - g. % per annum until mt
/ upon tn. idea 81 training the diamond
, hack rattlvrs To let lOoss an alarm each
weekday az go O'Clock A. NJ. and at
/ 0 O'Clock Oh busy Sundays.
! $50 FAR as the constructors arr concerned
w. no longer have To give Them their
daily sponge baths since I took up this
| idea OF training the snakes 10 do ~ les-st
! a part of their own work. Herr. Pru-
dence. called the scientist and he reached
/ for a bath sponge.
Prudence who had been following Mr.
Snyder around. came toward the sponge
/ hesitatingly MIR. Snyder explained tina,
this was because the king snake for the
/ first time had been put through the sama
stunt twice IN one day and could nor
$50 the reason for an encore. But with
little coaxinR Prudence threw a loop
around the big sponge near her graceful
neck. dousad the sponge IN the alligator
tank and then standing erect Gquee1ed
the water all over herself
step by STEP resumed Mr.. Snyder
as he took down comb from a shelf
and buAied himself with several strands
Of garter snakes he held. we have taught
each kind Of snake To do the work which
Ia their own poor dumb way they are best
adapted to- Only Recently have trained
the milk snakes to So themselves out
on the kitchen doorstep the last thing
each night before they 90 TO bed for the
night. A small item. you will say, but
IL saves us much labor.
DO you hear that notss out hack Of
Mr.. Ditmarss offioeS- asked the snake
copparhead snake without injurinR Il
and raised a window shade that opened
on a small plot Opposite the entrance To
DR. Hornaday's offioe. \ great black
snake Was stretched between two upright
clothes poles and hanging from the snake
was a Turkish rug from Mr.. Ditmars's
once floor.
Fastened u one ~ the poles. perhaps
two maybe two and ons-haf-feet above
the ground was a whip snake, which had
wound only a few inches u lie lithe neck
about the pole. Swishing around in the
Air was the res, q the whip snakes body,
wildly IL seemed at first glance But
after a moment Of watching one saw that
there was method In It's nadness' Tor the
Whip snake was beating the rug, Dang
ling over an unused part 81 the black
snake clothes line were several water
-nAkes who had become waterloggcd
and had gone out there To dry out.
r..,,m.d MT. SNYDER. Els when we iiuSh
the concrete floor in here with hose.
Now I shouldn't want To be quoted a.
saying that tho water snakes nave IN
Diligence enough TO bet which can swim
the furtherest up the hose while the
water IL running through IL. but ] will
aHsert,-And I have witnesses right hsre
that when one Of the biggest water
SNAKES named Hook and Ladder was
able 10 swim only half way up the hose
axainst the pressure and then bad To
rst1Irn. what do you think u did,
what did Hook and Ladder do?" Mr..
snyder was QUESTIONED
well. Hook and Ladder came back
axnin and gave another water snake.
Re.c,le No. ( we call him, a try. hut we
could 80 that Hook and Ladder was
sulkV and was watching Rescue No. 1
with an evil eye And the minute Hescne
No. I swan up the hose a few inches
further than Hook and Ladder bad gone
Hook and Ladder spranR at the hose and
began 90 swallow the running hose In .
rage
snake With all our might. for We Heared
Hook and Ladder would shut on ha9Csse
No. IL air up in the hoss. dhdnt We.
GeorRs9 But our efforts we're q no avail.
And gradually Hook and Ladder began
70 an up with ths water running from The
hose u was swallowing and speedily
drowned. didn't hs Oeorgei'
-Speedily.- answered Mr.. Palmer
-. H.l... g..sg-..mf.sS, q 4