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[Entkbsd at thk PonT-ornci, IN Atlanta. Qa., fob Transportation through thb Pump StatmMAuT^icowD^A^imS?
■. V
PUBLISHED
twice a month.
YOL. m. ATLANTA. GA.. SEPTEMBER 1. 1884. NO. 21.
Snake Cliarminjt.
Showman and snake charmer, James
Beilly» became careless while exhibiting
his three Diamond-back rattlesnakes at
High Bridge, Upper New York, a few
days since, and was stung by one of
them. He died in the New York Hos
pital, repeated large doses of whisky
proving unavailing. Very frequently,
irom Pike county, and other portions of
Pennsylvania, cures of rattlesnake bites
by whisky are reported, and it is gen
erally supposed to have been regarded
as an antidote for rattlesnake poison,
when taken in time. The death of Reil
ly shows, however, that it cannot be re
lied upon. The common treatment in
Australia and India for the rattlesnake is
the injection of ammonia into the veins
of the arm. While we are unable to as
sure our readers that this
is an antidote and cure,
it is believed to be so in
the countries named.
We present herewith an
engraving of the snake
charmers who are fre
quently seen in India.
The snakes shown in
the illustration aTe very
different from any found
in this country. The
Portugese gave to the
species the name Cobra
de Capello,” a snake
with a hood, or hooded
snake. The creature, a
native of the East Indies,
is able to stretch out that
portion of its body just
below its head in the
manner seen in the en
graving; it does this
when attacked or excited
in any way, and can
raise itself to a more or
less erect position, sup
porting its body by
means of the tail. Its
appearance is then
threatening, and it is not
surprising that the na
tives have a great fear of
the serpent, especially
^ben its bite is often fatal ? The snake
is between three and four feet long; its
genera) color is brownish yellow. The
bood.has various markings of white and
black; these are said to sometimes re
semble spectacles, as seen in the central
Teptile in the picture. But what are
the snakes doing in the baskets, and
J^at have the men to do with them?
The jugglers in India claim that they
we able to charm the reptiles, and ren-
er them harmless, and snake charming,
** it is called, is a popular exhibition,
he jugglers go in parties from place to
P we, carrying the snakes in baskets,
hen they are charmed by the music,
e reptiles are bandied without at-
«mpti D g to bite. All this is very won-
^ to those who do not know that
e Cobras have had their poison fangs
**tra<:ted. The many books of travel
ln India give accounts of these exhibi
tions of the snake charmers. Some
writers state that the performers, by
skill in handling the reptiles and agility
in avoiding their attacks, escape injury.
Others, on the other hand, assert that
the jugglers admit that the fangs are re
moved. The serpents are trained to
move in time with the music, and per
form a sort of rude dance. The snake
feeds upon frogs, toads, and other small
animals, and often enters houses in
search of rats.
Falls of Nabculola.
[Mrs. I. M. P. Hknry, ln Greenville (Ala.) Ad
vocate.]
Three miles northwest from Gadsden
is a gorge half mile long. Black creek
meanders over the mountain top until it
reaches this spot and makes a wild and
where dewy mosses and lichens seem
made for her feet and the long green
strands of maiden’s hair were surely
made to wreathe her brow. Henceforth,
let that pure spring of ice cold dews
that thrill the veins with healthful ex
hilaration be known unto man as Hy-
geia’s Fount. Five or six others are
there, but our lady of health holds the
sweetest beaker of all. Beautiful wild
geraniums and exquisite ferns cluster
under the waves of rock that are carved
with many a name of those who came
and went and come and go, bearing the
memory of this awfully beautiful spot
away like the memory of a sweet but
solemn dream—and as we slowly passed
around behind the fall, the aged rocks
seemed to lean tenderly over like loved
faces grown old and scarred by time and
A GROUP OF EAST INDIA SNAKE CHARMERS
abrupt leap of about 98 feet into the
basin below. The grand amphitheatre
measures 600 feet and in 300 feet across.
When the stream is full the width of
the falling water is 100 feet; in the sum
mer season it parts company and falls
in three snowy streams with thundering
grandeur over the chasm. Descending
by steps, we pass from the sunlight un
der the mighty dome that arches in
grey waves overhead. On thejignt is a
Stag fountain ol
.ode—aye, J«*» hraiMlf. “ nd •-“* “
the dews of Hebe'e lip! ” "T
der that the eacred legend is told of the
spring which i. called “Onr Udyo
Lourdes,” for on. long, deep dranght at
thisnatnralfonntain in lb. «•-»►
ing presence of the grey old rocks in
the sound Of the falling water, anil al
ways bring to the poetic mind, a itopaa
of HygeiaberaeU in the dark nit- -
care but beautiful forever and forever.
Again we climbed their grand old knees
and laid loving hands on the spruce and
mountain laurel that were outspread
like friendly arms to help us in onr
search for every spot we knew in Auld
Lang Byne. Again we found and sat
down on the Giant’s Lounge at the en
trance of the Lover’s Retreat and read
the initials carved in the rocks by msny
a lover who is dead, or gone, or married
to his boyhood’s love or sweet matron
of maturer dream. Again we looked up
the Indian’s Ladder where the poor In
dian girl sped on her perilous way.
Once more, as one in a sweet glad dream,
we find ourself above the chasm, and a
kind hand leads us over the stream,
stepping from rock to rock and leaning
far over, we look down int > the boiling
cauldron and see the rainbow, aye, the
beantiful rainbow lies on the white bosom
of Nahculola as it lay in days of old 1
And over there is the Lover’s Leap.
Have you not heard the story? Ones
upon a time—an Indian girl did love
her lover true and he did love that
maiden just the same. At a grand Ball*
play which took place near Centre, Ala.,
this brave lover was defeated in the
game by his rival and the father would
fain have wedded his child to the victor.
But now that he was vanquished, she
who had loved him dearly, loved him
best of all the world and would not wed
another. Bhe dared to rebel against her
proud parent, and for the crime was pur
sued like a poor fawn of the mountains,
far into the forest, adown the winding
Coosa, even to the mountains and when
thus hotly pressed by her pursuers the
poor young thing sped up the Indian’s
Ladder. Her light feet
sprang from rock
to rock until yonder jut
ting crag, in sight of
those who would have
forced her to unfaithful
ness, she cast herself
down into the abyss be
low. True? Aye, as
true as woman is true,
and as love is true, and
as beautiful as the Falls
of Nahculola, which tell
her sad story over and
over to the pale moon
and the listening stars
and the loving sun—and
the rainbow on yonder
white veil of water is the
beaded girdle of the fair
ghost of Nahculola who
died for pure, true love.
o
A great many men
boast that they were
4 ’brought up between
the plow handles,” but
there is just now a genu
ine case of this kind be
fore, the. public. Report
says the most faithful
baby farmer is a,, Western
widower who nailed a
box to his plow beam,
put .the.little fellow in it, and thus car
ries him during the day’s work. This
looks like rather a rough treatment for
a child, but it is better than placing it
in charge of heartless and irresponsible
hirelings. Years hence, if it lives to be
a man, this baby can truthfully claim to
have been ” brought up between the
plow handles.”
Widows and widowers are like broken
furniture—they need re-pair-ing.
,»»♦. ...—
Bings the cook—” I’ll see that your
gravy’s kept clean.”
Ice companies naturally oppose arctic
explorations.
»»««■ —
Smoking bams is a good substitute for
tobacco.
Arkansaa baa gathered
wheat crop.