Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-02-26
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| means sure death 1t Is this snake
| that the jugglers all over the for east
| use TO show their skill. They handle II
with impunity. laying IL on the ground
| and playing upon n flute. which seems
to charm it. They also wrap cobras
around their naked necks, and fondlc
them. The other day n traveller VINO
was watching one of these Hln1oo
JuSglcrs made bet that the cobra's
poison glands had been extracted. and
offered to prove this by handling. the
cobra himself He grabbed hold OF IL
and the snake sank its fangs into his
arm. He died within a few hours.
a cobra was recently found in 4
bathroom where a little baby was play
ing. 1t did not offer to injure the
child. and seemed inclined to play with
II. and 1t was only when the other peo-
PIE came I'm that 1t elevated its head,
swcled out It's hood, and began to spit.
The other day three of these snakes
were found at one time In the bath
room of Il villa near here
Among the other snakes arc pythons
20 or more feet in length. They arc
not dangerous, and out In the country
the natives domeSticatc them and use
them as rat catcners in the place OF
house cats. One 20 feet long was re-
Gently captured in a Buddhist temple
outaide Singapore. The government
is now paying s. apiece for dead snakes
of III feet ard upward. and from that
down TO 80 cents for the smaller varic-
ties
CIVILIZED SINGAPORE.
Stories like those have just told
seem strange in connection with this
island of Singapore which is perhaps
the richest trade center Of Its kind II
Is the great halfway station around
the world. the chief city at the cross
ways of the hemispheres and our
southern gateway to the Philippine Is
lands IL has a harbor which cost mil
lions, and today something like $780,
100000 worth of merchandise comes
into II. 1t is the seventh
harbor OF the world in tonnage and
seventh in the number of vessels which
call There are 80 different steamer
lines which stop at Singapore. and the |
English government is now investing
like s20,o00,000 to make new |
docks and to improve this as naval |
base
Singapore is one of the most i'm
portani of the commercial ports of the
far east. 1t is the ganglionic nerve
center. or rather shipping center. for
the archipelago OF the Dutch East In
Hes. for Siam and. as far as the east
-rn trade Is concerned. for Asia and
Europe. 1t is one of the best places
or the pushing of American trade. and
we arc fortunate just now in having
IN experienced active and up-to-date
,onsul general. l refer to Mr.. James
[. Du Bois, who did such excellent
service as consul to Leipzig and 9TH
n parts of Germany and who saved
ne government millions OF dollars by
hA
ions while he was consul general to
Mr. Du Bois believes that our trade
n this part of the world can be largely
increased. and he suggests that IL an
bazar were established here |
~ some of our big exporting houses
Win branches scattered throughout the
'eninsula, 1t would be of great value.
lie tells me that the balance of trade
now much agair t us. We buy about
20,oo0.OOo worth Of tin. hides gambler
md other things OF the Straits Settle
nents, and sell something like s.. 900 900
worth of flour oils, machinery, drugs
md tobacco in return. This region
steadily growing in trade and i'm
'ortance. and the English and Ger
mans are nursing their commerce and
'ushlnS their goods in all possible
ways. There Is no doubt but that
We should use Singapore as a center
rom which to work not only the sur
ounding islands and the mainland. but
ndiq and the far east as we'll This
especially so since Singapore lies
light on the main road to the Philip
ines and vessels from the eastern
lnited States could call here on their
'ay,
JOHN BULLS RICH COLONY.
Indeed, it might pay our officials to
tudy this colony with a view to tho
cvelopment of our Asiatic island pos
essions' The English seem able TO
ote the white mans burden better
han any other Caucasians They took
old of this island over 80 years ago,
hen il was jungle. and they have
ow made one part of 1t the most i'm
ortant commercial center of the far
ast. They have cut down much OF
he tropical vegetation and have re-
uced 1t 10 profitable farms. They
ave built up on the shores OF the is
md one OF the finest cities of Asia.
lnsapore has 100000 OF 100000 people.