davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening journal., 1915-05-28
THE BEAM THE EYE.

SNOMMENDABLE wisdom has been displayed by the
~ New Castle County Levy Court in refusing to be-
come a party to the sort of Investigation of county
affairs that has been proposed by the small group OF
men that is in control CT the Wilmington Chamber OF
Commerce The taxpayers of this county do not want
their money spent and the orderly transaction OF their
business interrupted by the operations of unofficial
committee backed by who wish to go on fishing
expedition who do know what sort of FISH may be
caught in the Levy Court stream and who would be at
loss to decide what Of bait they ought to use if
the fishing we're TO begin.
The Levy Court has gery properly informed these
would-be fishers for that the books and accounts
of the county arc wide open TO anyone who wishes
to examine If they know that things are wrong,
vhy don't they step in and show them up or, better still,
induce the AorneyGeneral TO drop the serious tasks
ne hes hand at the present time and go off on hunt
for maresnests will-o hewisps. lefthanded monkey
wrenches. live mastodon calves, great aux chicks and
other things that may have conjured up by brains
fervidy upon driving probe deeply into the af
fairs of New Castle county that its other end will come
out some~here between Chmperng and Manandills
South Australia OF Torowoto and Ularara, New South
Wales.
We do not know how Acknowledgement wolcott feels
about it, We do know. however, that with hot weather
coming on the taxpayers of this county not pro-
foundly impressed by the present activities of cer-
tain in the Chamber of Commerce to wish to
sentence him TO spend the summer driving probe at
the end a Chamber of Commerce rainbow, searching
for mares-nest in the Augoan stables following
the trails OF mastodon calves and great aux chicks in
Cherry Island marsh. And yet if he wishes to spend
his Summer in such pursuits knows better than
that his nqustoral power is great that he does
not need the aid the Chamber of Commerce or any
other body supply the Initiative The power he pos
sesses is sll-suhicient in itself
We also know that many members OF the chambe
of Commerce WHO supply the money that finances it
activities and keeps it alive heartily tired of hay
ing il diverted from its proper functions and used 70
purposes that were not contemplated when it or
ganized The four cardinal objects that underlay it
work
Frst--To induce industries to locate here.
second-To promote the commercial interests OF ou
city State and Peninsula
Third-To induce national organizations of variou
sorts to hold their conventions here.
Fourth-To float big promotion company tina
financing industries that wished TO Ia
cate here.
Nsmeers Of the Chamber Of Commerce who hav
Evening journal., 1915-05-28

That victory in the Lorette Hills following bayonet
hghtng of a most desperate nature. should serve to
stimulate greatly the military ardor of the French
soldiers and lend encouragement to all the Allies
Evening journal., 1915-05-28
GEMS OF THOrcHT.

Blind zeal can only dc hsrm.-Lichtver
.-.-.-.
When all candles be out. all cats be gray-Hey-
wood
.-.-.-.
Keep thy shop and thy shop will keep thee; leht
gains make heavy PURSES; lis good TO be merry and
Wise.-Chapman.
Evening journal., 1915-05-28

NOT WOuld tne SITUATION De altered
and the contract invalidated by the
future belligerency of any one of the
three States now apparently on the
edge of war:
Bulgaria ..... ........s. & Rat. S. & Rat.
Sroece ....... s. Rat. >. Rat.
hunahm ..''. .....s a Rat. 5. Kat.
In that Wholesale destruction of a
well intended system which was
brought about by the presence of the
multiplying conditional clause in so
many Of the conventions of The
Hague. both in the series Of 1898, and
in that of 1907. the prohibition as 10
the use of asphyxiating gases and the
prohibition as 10 the use Of expend-
/ ing bullets survive in full force. To
violate is possible. as we have seen,
but violation is the shattering of a ma
tions solemn pledge
/ Not the least remarkable feature
/ in this extraordinary situation is TO
be found in the fact that If the United
States should enter the world war
! the use of asphyxiating gases and
! the use of Gumdum bullets would i'm
mediately and automatically become
legitimate warfare in the case of any
and all of the dozen belligerents.
, These two declarations we're neither
| ratified nor even signed by the Gov
crnment of this republic.
Evening journal., 1915-05-28

tion Concerning Expanding Bullets
are a valid obligation:
Evening journal., 1915-05-28

IN The Associations Of Auor-
faghtA lean Advertisers bEE ex-
WSW axnined and certified 20
~ the circulatioa Of this pub
Hention. The figures Of circulation
contained ip the Assscistion's -
pert only are guaranteed.
Association Of American Advertisers
Ma 4ls1 Whitehall BIas. n 7. CIV
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-03

interesting information about the
snakes and during the trip explained
the processes by which the venom is
extracted and passed through the cleo
trio furnaces before it is injected into
the horses. He said that it took a long
time for a horse to get enough of the
venom to make it's blood fit for the
antitoxic serum. A horse must be
young and healthy, but even then it
can stand but a small amount of the
poison at first 1t gets addit onal doses
every day or SO and the doses are grad
year of such treatment the blood of the
animal contains enough of the poison
to be used to make the serum. 1 I'M
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-03

more than $4,000 tubes of the serum
for snakes. and within the past seven
wears only it has handled more tnan
$4,000 of such snakes. extracting me
poison from their glands ana putting
it in the veins of the horses.
Today it has hundreds OF Venomous
reptiles, the bite of any OF when Is
sure death. Its snakes come from an
parts of Brazil. but mostly from TINS
state of Sac Paulo. They are sent IN
by the farmers, each man receiving
tube of the serum for every snake ne
sends in Tubes are also given out "
others who need them, and they are So
distributed that they may be at mana
in case one is bitten. According to tne
statistics up to within FEW years,
24O persons annually died from the
bites of two kinds or snakes IN .n'o
speciality of antidotes for these snakes;
and also of a special serum to be useo
when the kind of snake is not known.
X
was shown the institution by the
director, a man who has become famous
for his discoveries relating to snakes
and snake poisons and to the antidotes
that may be used for the bite OF each
kind of snake. He is DR.. Vital Brazil,
who has devoted his life to this work.
native Brazilian, he graduated as a
physician and began his practice in a
region infested with snakes. He found
that the people had certain theories
regarding snake bites, but that they
were not based on fact and that the
medicines they used were, of no value
He began to look about for new medi-
cnes and in studying the snakes he be-
came so interested that he dropped ms
medical practice and has devoted his
life to this work. He has studied IN
Europe with Prof. Calmette of Lille,
one of the pioneers in the scientific
vaccination against snake bites. and
has also done research work in Paris
with Roux and in Berlin with Koch.
The doctor is now about forty years of
age He is a tall, straight, we'll built
man with Brazilian features, having
black hair and mustache. and deep
brown eyes He does not like to talk
about himself, but is enthusiastic about
his work
1 went with him over the lab
oratory and together we examined
the snakes and witnessed some curious
experiments. He gave me some most
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-03

we'll only when it comes from the fam
lily of snakes from which the bite has
come. In other words, If one has been
bitten by rattlesnake, the serum
used as an antidote should be made
from the blood of horse inoculated
with rattlesnake poison only, and If
from a copperhead he should have cop
perhead poison serum as an antidote.
here in Brazil which are especially
troublesome. These are the Crotalus
and the Bothrops. They are found In
the forests, the thickets and in other
as soon as disturbed by a noise, but IL
one touches them or steps upon them
they bite and inject the poison at the
same time. In going through the lab
oratories DR.. Vital Brazil showed me
hundreds of glass jars. each of which
contained a typical snake of Brazil put
UP in alcohol. Some of these jars were
yard high and the snakes in them
were of all sizes and colors. Some
looked like jewels and the coral snakes
were especially beautiful. One table
was devoted to poisonous snakes and
in this was the Brazilian RATHER, which
is especially venomous. 1t is of much
lighter color than our rattlesnake and
Brazil. whereas the director tells me
that there are twelve species of rattle
snakes in the United States.
We next looked at the terrible Lache-
sis lanceolatus. the jararaca of the In
dams. This is deadly poisonous. and
its bite will kill man or animal within
few minutes. We saw numerous 9TH
er poisonous snakes, but they all be-
longed to three or four families and
can be controlled by the scrums made
for those families. In addition to this
there is another serum which is made
stronger than the ordinary serum for
such cases where the family of the
snake is not known.
1t is on account of the fact that the
poison must come from the same fam
lily that a serum prepared in other
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-03

cent of the. people go barefooted and
that the most of the snake bites, come
from their stepping on the snakes with
their bare feet:
Later on we went into the laboratory
and l was shown the famous harmless
snake. known as the mussurama, which
not only does not bite man, but which
lives upon and swallows up all the poi
sonous snakes 1t can get. hold Of This
snake the doc<Qr took from one of the
cages in. the wall of the laboratory 1t
was of stee1-blue color, the scales
being beautifully marked. 1t was as
tall as myself. DIR. Vital Brazil wound
1t around his arms and then handed it
to me. 1 held the squirming snake in
my hands. while 1T darted out its. tongue
in every direction. 1t was as cold as
ice. and felt moist.
l then asked If It was possible to see
some of the terrible reptiles for which
Brazil Is noted wheteupon the doctor
consented to give me an exhibition.
We carried the mussurama with .:us
into the lecture room and laid 1t upon
the large table. a few moments later
an attendant brought in jararaca,
whose bite is deadly poisonous to man.
This was grayish snake: and only
about half as large as. the steel-blue
It was laid down not far
from the latter.
For a moment the two snakes seemed
to take no: notice of each other, Then
all at once the. mussurama made a jump
and grabbed the jararaca by the, neck
just back of the head. At the same time
the terrible jaTaraca darted its fangs
into the body of its enemy and Spat
forth its poison. The mussurama. how
ever, is poison proof, It kept its grip
on the throat of the jararaca, holding
1t as in vice. and twisting it slowly
from one side to the other. 1t kept its
hold, and then slowly began to wind
its coils about the body of the poison
Gus snake. 1t twisted itself around and
around until it held the body Of the
jararaca as in a vice, It then, elevated
its head and began to- pull and twist
until 1t had pulled apart the bones of
the cervical vertebrae and the snake
vas practically dead.
1t did not seem. dead, however Its
coils kept twisting and going through
and this continued after
the good snake, the mussurama, had
taken the head Of, the dying snake in
it's mouth and had begun to swallow 1t.
The head soon disa 2peared., and then.
inch by inch, the body moved slowly
into the mouth and belly of the m:s-
surama. 1t twisted its head this way
and that as it dragged the snake in. the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-03

derstand that the animals thrive upon
the poison. AS the injections go on
they grow fat and their weight in
creases. but if they are stopped they
at once begin to pine away and lose
weight. A horse which has been
gradually loaded with this amount of
poison has. DIR. Brazil says. at the end
of the year enough venom in his blood
to kill 1000 horses that have not been
treated at all. A horse loaded with
poison will furnish serum for a year or
more and if given occasional doses of
poison the immunization will last a
long time.
1t is a curious thing that the poison
used to produce the ant!toxin works
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-03

man is thinking machine, and the
odds are with him so long as he doesn't
lose his head.
X
my greatest scare occurred on that
morning at Bridgeport. though in real
ity I was not in any danger. The next
experience which caused my hair to
stand up happened midway between
two towns in northern New York. We
showed in one of the towns and paraded
in both. A terrific storm came up. The
thunder doomed like whole batteries
of artillery, and the lightning filled the
black sky with long. crooked streaks
and flashes.
my wagon companions were three
healthy lions, one of which was I'M
commonly large and active. It had
seemed that he had been cycling me
rather gluttonously all season. Often
he would strike at me as he passed
back and forth in the cage On the
usual, high boots. tights and plaid
kits After particularly loud crash
of thunder. the big lion ran right up
to me and hid his head under my kits.
1 hurriedly moved sideways on my stool
to get away. but the farther 1 moved,
the harder he bored into me with his
nose. My last hour had come. so
thought.
II stood up. the head of the lion still
under my Scottish skirts, and backed
to the center of the cage. where an iron
partition was strapped to the roof. 1t
was hours. it seemed to me, before I
got the partition loose.
X
'In the meantime the lions nose was
hard against my stomach. and he was
breathing horribly. but not saying
word Well. escaped by quick turn
and slammed the partition down into
the lions face. The old fellow. trem-
bling with terror, looked at me re-
proachfully, and then began to roar.
Lions are always dangerous. having,
as they do, good days and bad days.
exactly like human beings. But they
are more to be trusted than are tigers.
A lion that will stand up and below
and walk his cage savagely 10 easier to
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-03

l have developed my own list of rem
euies and might set up as lion ana
tiger doctor if prospective patients
were more numerous. l can likewise
treat birds and snakes
But moose, caribou, the prong horn
ed antelope, mountain sheep and goats
and the Columbia black-tailed deer. all
native Americans, by the way, soon
sicken and die when brought down from
the high attitudes in which they are ac-
customed to live. Some animals, too.
have strange appetites and fail in
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-03

stitution makes not only serums which
are antidotes for the various kinds of
snake bites, but those for diphtheria,
lockjaw, bubonic plague and even Of
tuberculosis. 1t is one of the three
great places in the world where this
work is done, another being situated in
India, and a third in Japan. A fourth,
devoted to the investigation of snake
bite. is connected with the Rockefeller
Institute of the United States, but so
far that has been doing experimental
and research work only, and it has not
given the results of its operations to
the people at large.
TIE institute at Butantan has been in
operation for a doZen-odd years. and It
has saved hundreds. and I might say
thousands of lives 1t has sent out
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-03

latter keeping up its coiling and twist
ing, This went on for fully ten minutes
before the jararaca had disappeared. The
latter was. judge. more than four feet
: in length, and it went in a quarter OF
an inch at a bite, writing and turning
with the skin unbroken until all was
in but the tail. This still wiggled as
the nfussurama gave: a final suck and
"a gulp. after which IL again darted out
it's tongue as though to. ask for more. I
could see no perceptible difference in
the size Of the good snake. after it had
swallowed the bad one. and am told
that after long fast. they will eat three
of their poisonous brothers before they
are satisfied to stop.
...,k r.. go.
Before leaving the lecture room, the
doctor had an attendant bring in an
6her poisonous snake, the head of
which was held over glass 50 that II
bit at the glass and its mouth was 80
opened that the venom could be ex-
tracted. He showed me this venom.
1t consisted of about two or three drops
of a yellowish. gum-like fluid. and I
was told, there was enough there to
cause the death of several men. Later
on / saw some of this venom turned to
crystal 1t looked like sulphur. being
yellow in color. This is the color Of the
venom of all the poisonous snakes Of
Brazil! with the exec ptiou of the rat.
tier. whose venom. is white.
Leaving the laboratory. we went out
to see the snake cities. and to be in
troduced to their inmates. We first
visited the town Of good snakes. I
mean. the non-poisonous ones. As
have said they; are kept for research
and experiment only. Only the mus
surama is being bred with the idea
of scattering it over the country, SO
that 1t may go out on the farms and
eat up the poisonous snakes. The good
snakes live in little dome-like houses
similar to those l have described In tho
beginning of the letter and in a similar
city. They have a wall and moat about
the town and also a tree up which
they can climb and play in its branches.
They fight as we'll as play and we saw
a great snake of one species trying to
swallow a smaller one of another. He
succeeded in getting the little fellow
inside his body to depth % six inches,
when the latter sunk his teeth in and
tried to bite his way through. keeping
at it until the larger SNAKE was glad
to let him come forth.
FRANK G. CARPENTER.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-03

health if they can't get what they
want. The reindeer in Alaska eat moss,
in which there is little nourishment.
and the leaves and young bark of will
low trees, but they will not touch hay
or grain. Experiments are now being
made to teach young reindeer to eat
oatmeal, but l am told the chances of
success are not very promising"
Thousands of men and women in mid
die life, from Maine to California, have
often seen Mr.. Blackburn. but they did
not know his name and would not
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-03

Copyright. 1915. by Frank G. Ca-pcnt"r.)
SAC PAULO, Brazil.
q TOOK forty horsepower auto
mobile this morning and rode out
over the red clay roads of Sao
~ Paulo to visit Butantan and it's
city of snakes. Yes, a city of snakes.
a live flesh-and- blood city. whose only
inha bitants are venomous reptiles. 1t
Is a city built for the snakes, and for
those only that have bags of deadly
poison under their tongues. 1t is a
city surrounded by thick walls of con-
crete and fences of iron, and about
which inside the walls runs a deep
moat of fresh flowing spring water. in
which the citizens swim back and forth
1T their pleasure. 1t is a city of snake
houses, each made in the shape of
dome. and divided up into rooms. 1t is
a city where every snake lives on the
ground floor and has his own door to go
ia. 1t is said that every snake knows its
own home and will fight for his rights
and to keep intruders out.
This snake city has its walks of white
ctmcrete and it's green lawns surrounding
the dwellings, The snakes play on the
lawns and crawl through the streets,
and they live here at their pleasure.
oajoying the rays of the semi-tropical
III
who now and then enter the city, their
hands covered with gloves and their
feet clad in thick boots that reach to
the knees.
~ Il X
But this city of poisonous snakes is
only one of the features ofthe great
anti-venom. therapeutic institution of
this state of Sac Paulo. Another is the
snake city, occupied by non-venomous
reptiles. which are kept here for re-
search and study. A third is the
stables filed with young horses, whose
blood has been SO loaded with snake
poison that IL can be made into serum
which, when injected into the veins of
o human being who has been snake
bitten, acts as an antidote which saves
the life of the victim. Each of these
horyes has it's injection day after day
and week after week, until it is loaded
with poison. Other features are the
laboratories where the serum is treated,
and the whole makes up an institution
which has become famous throughout
the world. 1t has been in existence for
. number of years. 1t has a farm
which covers $50 acres. and il has just
completed new buildings and their
equipment at a cost of 100000.
This institution is sometimes called
the snake farm of Butantan. Its right
name is 20 Institute Serum Therapico,"
and 1t 10 one of the establishments of
the state of Sac Paulo for benefiting
and taking care of its people. The in
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-03

recognize him now if they were to meet
him face to face. For twelve seasons
he was in Barnum's street parade every
morning. The writer asked If any Of
the animals with which he rode ever
tried to devour him.
WELL" he replied, "all of them, 1 sup
pose, privately longed to sample me,
and several of them tried to do so. but
here l am, whole of limb and body,
with only the scars of a few scratches
accidentally or purposely inflicted.
have been in. some tight corners, but
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-03
eeper Cares for 1900 Animals From Woods and Jungle

streets from early in the evening until
IL o'clock at night.
Red fire was burned on the top Of
my wagon and the animals became
greatly excited. The tiger bounced on
the lion, but I stopped the fight with
the stool on which I was sitting. Later
the battle was renewed. the lion knock
ing the tiger down five times. The
Hon. in my opinion, can whip anything
that walks.
Monkeys are the smartest of all ami
mails; pouch animals are the stupidest.
l taught kangaroo the use of boxing
gloves. but never could break him of
trying to kick me in the stomach or
neck with his hind foot. Monkeys Of
the pouch variety are just as active and
mischievous. however. as are the other
members of their tribe.
+ =
"All moving and living creatures are
governed by their instincts-first. to
protect themselves; second. to get food
for themselves, and third. to reproduce
themselves. And there they stop
Il don't humanize animals. / have
lived too long among them to give
them attributes they don't possess.
They can't be raised up, or uplifted, as
some good persons phrase it. A leopard
will always be leopard. Centuries
can't change him. A wild man, how
ever. may be caught in the woods.
taught to eat with knife and fork
and to read and write. His generations
will constantly improve, The American
Indian is an illustration in point. Many
Indians have become artists. engineers
and poets.
The war in Europe has cut off the
supply of animals coming from Africa
and the orient. Practically the Ger
mans have a monopoly of the business.
and Hamburg is the greatest of all
wild animal markets. In normal times
81 900, an ordinary adult lion for $500
up to $3.50 anu IA lioness for $3.50. A
two-year-old Bengal tiger Is worth
$3.50 and an adult $1,000.
"A good eiephant eight or ten wears
of age, will bring $500. and SO will .
hippopotamus. GiraI.es were quoted
early this year at $4,000. A double
horned rhinoceros will sell readily for
$1,000 and a single-horned one for any
price that may be asked. but never for
less than $500.
I'll say this about animals" Mr..
Blackburn observed at the end of the
interview: They know their friends.
a dog, as every one understands, will
instantly sense or smell the man or
woman who is an enemy OF the dog
family One Of the 750>pound Alaskan
bears always comes to the fence Of his
Enclosure when l am around 30 as to
shake hands with me-. A certain lion,
though eating dinner. will postpone
his meal to put his paw. claws drawn
in, through the bars and on my arm
and will gently stroke me from Shout
der to wrist, his face agiow with a..
lection"
Copyright 1915. By James B. Mouswl