The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-08-31
One Reptile Brought Home This Com.
binatlon Load

snake, sir. We have one live monkey /
and two parrots left, and lucky some
of the crew are not buried along with
the dead ones" says the New York !
Herald.
This Capt. Charlie of the Polly Ann,
hailing from New Bedford, explained /
to the custom house officer.
Seated in the cabin Of the Polly |
Ann, the captain reeled off the follow
ing yarn:
II warned We the last time we tied
ut at Pete's retreat that I was going
to Para for load Of rubber and a
consignment of monkeys and parrots,
but / didn't tell We that I was going
to get any snakes.
1--WE stored the rubber cargo and
some odd merchandise and battened
down all the matches except the sor-
ward hatch, and we had made hulk
head across the hold aft of the hatch,
so that in case of a bad spell ofweath-
er we could store the monks and birds
in that part of the hold.
We only had to wait three days
for the live cargo-100 monkeys, $50
parrots and ten boa constrictors-and
big ones at that. We also took on
dot of cocoanut, chickens and other
truck to fed the menagerie and cast
off for Moo York with decks looking
like a zoo garden. The swearing and
cussin' of some of the parrots ran
good second to political rally, while
the screams of the rest of them would
have made a colored camp meeting
seem tame.
"Ten days later we struck a calm,
and it was nothing to do but sweat
and whistle for breeze, and moth
ing in sight but drift of, seaweed.
The agent at Para said the snakes
had been fed and were good for two
weeks before they needed a meal. But
the monkeys and parrots were regu-
lar every day and wanted to drink all
the time. We had them all on deck
in cages and under the tarpaulin
shades and had no trouble until the
second day Of the calm.
About eight bells at night, as near
as the watch could make out, by some
carelessness monkey, Diablo, got out
and inside of no time he had all the
other cages opened, as they were onl,
fastened with cord and not witt
hasps and locks. He must have beer
possessed of devil, as his name was
Devil, for he and the other monkey,
let all the parrots out, too, and SURE
enough, there was a monkey and mar
rot time, for some of the parrots 90
their necks pulled and some of tn,
monkeys lost a part Of tail or a,
ear.
The watch tried to catch a monke,
or two and put them back in thei,
cages but few sharp bites put then
wise to the fact that it was no use g,
ne called the mate and myself and W,
mad the whole crew on deck.
When morning came we sure III,
look like a bird shop and an Italia,
settlement We tried to coax then
into their cages with food. and the,
we could pull the string and close tn,
door, No, stree, they were all too wise
ana the fun of being out was NOR.
tnan hunger, and they had been to,
wen fed to be hungry. About a hun
ured OF the parrots got together q,
the bowsprit and after some fast tou
tney all took flight somewhere,
don't know where.
The big snakes were in stron,
Dox with Stats nailed in front and ,
trap door in the top to drop a l,v.
chicken in to them when thew wor.
hungry That night they conclude,
tney were hungry, and they buste,
tnose boxes open like paper hove,
anu 20 monkeys and about so parrot,
disappeared. Did the snakes col, =,
ana doze off for a weeks sleen9 NJ
much. They coiled upon the fornou,
ueck and we started to find some wa,
% throw them overheard or to 90
~ INTO the forward hatch and clos,
.nem up The next night they tool
IN another banquet of about 20 NOR
Keys and few odd parrots. The,
'ney settled down for a Mox,co,
sleota, The next day about Is \ ,rrot
lei' IN a body for shore leave and :
near as could figure there were onI