Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-04-04
DECLARES SNAKES
ARE GENTLE PETS
Allen S. Williams, Student of
Reptile Life, Sees Only Beau
ty in Them.
FINDS THEM HARMLESS
AS ANY CANARY BIRD
Says Boys and Girls Are Fast
Becoming Fearless of
Snakes.

Allen S. williams, of 1872 East 175th
street. New York city, is interested
in snakes. Not interested In the way
the majority of persons are-in CIV
ing all snakes a wide berth or killing
Them-but interested TO the extent of
making study Of their habits, col
lecting them and imparting his
knowledge by lectures.
Hundreds of boys and grown-ups
have listened to MIR. Williams's very
interesting talks on reptilian life. He
has addressed audiences in Young
Mems Christian associations and
their summer camps for boys, pub
tic schools, private schools and other
organizations of Newark, Railway,
Plainfield Morristown, Westfield,
Crawford and other places in this
State. Every year since the inception
of Ramp Kiamesha, the boys sum-
mer camp of the Newark Y. NJ. C. A.,
Mr. Williams has visited the boys,
has gone snake hunting with them,
delivered short talks on snakes to
them until the majority of the boys
at the camp are fearless as far as
most snakes are concerned.
Among Mr.. Williams's collection Of
live reptiles there are some really
beautiful snakes The owner regards
them as pets, more gentle and just
as harmless as a canary bird. By
reason of Mr.. Williamss lectures and
talks in this State the level of knowl-
edge about reptile life has been ap-
preciably raised and it's scope broad
ened AS Mr.. Williams puts 1t:
Girls and boys are photograp hing
harmless snakes and catching and
keeping them alive for observation,
instead of cruelty mangling them.
The only drawback Is that in few
cases the principals of schools have
had to post bulletins in their schools
stating: Positively no live snakes
can be left in the cloak rooms pre-
sumably because they frighten under
developed teachers"
Mr.. Williams usually carries about
twenty specimens with him whenever
he lectures. OF a recent lecture on
THE Truth About Snakes" which he
delivered before a large assemblage
Of boys of the Orange Y. M. C. A.
Mr.. Williams says:
Test of Courage.
II was quite satisfied with the per-
Torrance Of Gardiner Stanton, o
boy, apparently not more than thir-
teen years old, who responded to my
invitation to some boy to learn
Snake charming in one, lesson be-
fore an audience Gardiner handled
about a dozen specimens of live ser
peIlts, and among them a fair sized
bull snake from Texas. He also got
quite friendly with a seVen-f foot
cribo and q young boa constructor;
the last two were among the speci-
mems l captured last winter during
my hunt for big snakes in South
American jungles,
= II, F,.1I
q supreme test for courage in put
ting his hand in n bag, without look
Ing in first, and taking out live
\, " .tefTtife, although he was absolutely
ignorant Of its name, nature or APP
pearance. The specimen happened to
be a iglass snake really footless
lizard.''
Mr.. Williams urges all his listeners
TO take an interest In snakes. He
points out that snakes are not a
deadly enemy of mankind. as they
are sometimes supposed to be. He
nnys:
IA reason why the people Of New
Jersey might increase their interest
fn its native species of reptiles is that
4his State is probably the richest
in species and census of specimens
of any of the northeastern of the
States of the Union. 1t probably has
seventeen kinds of snakes-two more
than New York, the New England
States and Pennsylvania. One of the
species is the pine snake, found
around Lakewood, and from there
south through the pine woods of
New JERSEYS coastal plain. This
handsome reptile, which exceeds six
feet in length, has in sharp contrast
ebony black and ivory white mark
ings and is one of the most beauti-
full snakes in the world. 1t is prob
ably the best subject for photography
OF any snake in the world. 1t is
powerful constructor, poisonous,
OF course, and is a gentle captive.
Gentle "a Canary.
"Then the occurrence of the king
snake is reported in Cape May and
Cumberland counties. The king snake
has no superior as a fighter in the
reptile kingdom, and we owe him
debt because of his destruction of
poisonous snakes, while as a home
pet he Is as gentle as a canary.
New Jersey possesses, but does not
monopolize, the hog-nose snake, also
called the nat-head adder, spreading
adder and other names. 1t is one of
The most harmless. and yet in some
ways the most interesting, snake
known.
"Birds-so much studied and con-
served in New Jersey-are descended
from reptiles, and the more 1 see of
snakes the more they seem like birds
only more gentle. OF all wild erea-
lures none is so quickly and easily
famed and reconclled to contact and
companionship with man as the farm
er's best friend-the harmless snake.
The snake does more to destroy the
rodents that deyastate the cereal and
other crops than any other natural
agency"
The experiences of snake lecturer
on tour are sometimes amusing Mr..
Williams tells the following
while saving wood at my Camp
walden Cedar Lake Park, DenVllle,