The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-10-23

town is the fact that There ARE uul1
a Few human beings counted among
iu population Of thousands and that
very tow OF these speak English
SnakeNillc, Texas, is the town and
the man who founded IT, William A.
King. is popularity known as tn,
Snake KlnE
Here Is the story of how the mu.
nicipality uf Snakoylllc sprang from
a borrowed so bill
Time to Settle Down.
Twonty years ago william King.
having wandered three times around
the globe IN various capacities from
able seaman and stcyadoro to com
mon lahorcr, decided that u was
time to settle down and take a more
serious outlook upon lifc
BEING moro or less of u naturalist
by Instinct, aud his world wander
ings having further developed this
tendency, he decided on the fob Of
supplyiug cirCufcs and zoos with
wild animals as profession.
with 10 cents In his pocket he
borrowed a SO bill FOR one month at
tho rate Of 81 interest and began
his career with the borrowed
money I'm his pocket hc sauntorcd
down tho sleepy main street OF
lit uwncsyillc and purchased fine
specimen Of a bun snake from a
Mcxicau pcon who had Just captured
70 I'm the foothills back of Matamdras.
Mexico. lie sold II almost immcdi.
ptely TO an eastern ZOO and the 8nnkC
king was launched upon his bust
ness career.
$4,000 Reptiles.
From the bull snake purchased
from the Mexican poon kings coli
lection has grown until now the
town of Snakevllie boasts Of pupu-
lntiop OF Is 900 reptiles 10 say moth
Ing 81 the Narlous species OF parrots,
monkeys, lizards, lions and other
beasts Sooner or iator every known
species become inhabitants Of Snake.
Vile and remain residents Of the VA
rIous concrete houses ana runways
until sold.
Al the present time the business
has grown 50 that king has seven
teen hnimAl-buying stations through
out Mexico and South America.
Los ANGELES Noel LOWS.
famous In the Antipodes as a reptile
collector. has arrived In Los An
gelos straight from "A wild isle IN the
Tweed river between Tweed river
between Tweed heads and MurwiI-
lumbal In the bush country OF Aus
tralia, whore orchids bloom In fields
OF ferns, where Tyre birds and birds
Of paradise flutter. and where the
coast IL guarded by wri,hing, hiss
ing pythons.
Prohibition means nothing TO me
i carry my own snakes with me"
said Lcwp as he shook o. an eight
rcn-fOOt python AT hlu apartment
And then no revealed that his ward
-obe trunks were bulging with boa
constructors, whip snakes, green tree
snakes, tiger cObras and hugie hoglc
'crpeuts
Yes, Bon ana ! have been collect !
ng for sixteen months on my lat |
hat expedition" explained the rcpiti- |
ian authdrlty who. for eighteen |
Years has been supplying the Regent |
park ZOO, ~ New YORK city. the !
,thcr notable zoos with rare speCi-
uenta
Shlmmying Lizard.
Lewis dumped a shimmying lizard
m the floor with the remark That's
he mixer. He's an Australian water
ragon lizard and direct descend
mt Of the prehistoric dinosaur
first tTrre the species ever entered
he United States
During his career the collector has
ad dramatic fights with all sorts
4 scrpentH, having bocn bitten AT
arious times by denth adders, cob
as, tiger snakes and minor varieties
Il brought back 500 rare birds and
90 reptiles altogether. Ben won't
ave anything 10 do with any OF
hem, by the way"
suddenly Lewis peorod across tho
athor dimly lighted room, fixing
Us gaze somewhere near the cCiling
Why, tho clever old chap, fIe'a
douccd,y funny old boy" said the
"Ben'H been up there on
be picture moulding above your
cad while we've been talking And
"H coming down the wall 10 greet
ou."
The correspondent took one look
was a short look al that, but 30
as discovered that Ben, the dcuccd-
Z funny old boy" was u large py-
/