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SNAKE CATCHING.
How Prof. Calmette Secured the Ve
nom of Viper* and Cobras.
From the Cornhill Magazine.
The country around Delhi, with its hot
and humid climate, its rocky ridges and
numerous ruins (relics of bygone glory) is
as well fitted perhaps as any in India for
the habitat of Ophidia of all kinds. To
those who know when, where and how to
catch them, like the remarkable man of
whose daring exploits with poisonous
snakes I am about to give some descrip
tion. quite an easy and honest livelihood is
to be made, and it is not surprising that
Delhi should have become the home of
many a professional snake catcher.
With a view to procuring snake venom
for Prof. Calmette, Maj. Dennys employ
ed, at a monthly wage of £l, the master
snake catcher of the district, a low' bred
Mahometan of the name of Kullar. For
this small pay Kullan undertook to supply
the doctor with about 100 living venomous
snakes weekly, and had to extract their
venom from them.
Kulian was a powerfully built little man,
aged about 35 years. His name was well
known in the neighborhood for his skill
and daring in the profession of his adop
tion. Ii was generally supposed that he
possessed some kind of magic powers over
the reptiles he handled daily and from the
capture of which he earned his precarious
livelihood.
A room was specially fitted up at the
hospital for the purpose of these experi
ments. The floor was of polished Port
land cement. This was considered an es
sential. as the polished surface on which
the snakes were placed rendered them ex
traordinarily helpless, and enabled the
snake catcher to handle some of them in
manner that he would not have dared to
do otherwise. Snakes are scarcely able
to make any progress on a polished sur
face.
A Sack Fall of Vipers.
On the particular day when I was first
introduced to Kullan and his methods the
doctor ordered the three snake catchers
to biing their crawling buidens into the
laboratory., Kullan headed the procession
carrying o**er his shoulder an ordinary
canvas sack, which was literally heaving
and swaying about with the movements
of some sixty or eighty vip rs whi h were
confined therein. The two other men car
re! several small “gharas,” or earthen
pots*, their mouths being closed by pieces
of rag tied over them. These * gharas”
neb contained two, three, and sometimes
ns many as four snakes, either cobras or
keraits.
It seemed a most inciedible that the
three men who now sat in the laboratory,
surrounded by about a hundred venomous
snakes, had really been able to catch
thtm all alive during the last week, as
th y stoutly alleged they had done.
Maj. Dennys was anxious to satisfy
himself on this point, and said: “If the
process of catch'ng wild snakes is such
an easy matter, Kullan. would you be
willing to take me or one of these sahibs
with you some ir.orn'ng and show us how
you do it?”
Kul’an hesitated for a moment.
“Your henor thinks we breed these
Miakcs? Sahibs have ofPn charged me
with that before, but your honor is wel
come to come to our home and search the
place, and, if he finds any signs of what
he suspects, put us into prison, snhib. This
humble one assures your honor that
snake® cannot be bred In captivity. In
years gone by this slave kept a number
of cobras ar.d other snakes with a hope
of being able to breed them, but it was a
failure. They ore too timid, and he has
never succ ed and in breeding th*m in cap
tivity. Your slave admits that he has
sometimes taken cobras’ eggs and kept
them till they hatched. He has also, kept
in captivity a female viper who appeared
heavy with young. After a time she pre-
your slave with eleven young ones,
nnd so he got the reward for twelve vi
pers instead of one. But this Is quite a
Different thing from breeding snakes,
sahib.”
But.” said the doctor, in a conciliatory
tone “I have no wish to prevent your
earning your living by catching snakes
if you do not breed them, and are able
to catch them as you assert, you have a
perfect right to the rewards you receive,
und I will help you by making it known
to district officers that there is no doubt
that you do not breed them. But you
must let me satisfy myself first that you
&tch them as you say you do.”
“Very well, sahib.” said Kullan. “if you
are prepared to come with this humble
one some morning he will show your hon
or how he catches snakes.”
A Snake Hunt.
A short time after this Kullan demon
strated In the most unmistakable man
ner his marvelous |iower of finding snakes
in their natural homes. Maj. Dennys told
Kullan to meet him on a given morning
at the hospital and accompany him to a
spot previously unknown to the snake
man. The doctor then took him to the
Delhi jail gardon and set him to work
to try to find venomous snakes.
Kullan smiled a grin of satisfaction when
he realized what was before him. He ad
mitted before he commenced his work that
he had poached this very garden for
snakes some years ago, and that he had
made a great bag; but he had been caught
treepassing by a jail warder and chastised,
hence he had not been there again.
The man set to work, followed by a lit
tle knot of spectators, consisting of jail
officials only. He first approached an or
chard of lime bushes armed, as he al
ways was, with a small stick, tw'o feet
long, with an iron hook at the end. It
must be understood that up to the last
moment Kullan had no idea whither the
doctor was going to take him.
After a few minutes of searching he
called out: *Tx>ok here, sahib,” and he
pointed out a small viper (echis carinata)
coiled round the twig of a lime bush, ap
parently fast asleep, for it was quite mo
tionless. He told the spectators to stand
aside, and then with a dexterous and
lightning-like movement, he planted the
hook between the snake and the twig on
which it was coiled, ar.d Jerked the reptile
to the ground. The vicious little viper,
about a foot in length. Immediately coiled
Itself into a little knot, and began slowly
rubbing its coils against each other, pro
ducing thereby a hissing noise, not unlike
the hiss of an angry cobra.
Kullan’s method of securing these rep
tile* after he has brought them to boy
on the ground is peouilar, and quite dif
ferent from the way In which he deal*
with other snakes. The echis carinata ! #
e small viper, seldom more than eighteen
inchee in length, and is the most deadly,
aggressive and ferocious of ell venomous
snake* in Upper India, with the exception
of the Russell viper. The latter, however.
Is seldom found In the neighborhood of
IWhi. Owing to the knotlike condition
Into which the echl3 coils itself when on
the defensive, it is quite impossible for
e'en the dexterous Kullan to seize it by
the tail, as he fearlessly does the cobra
end the kerait. Then again, the echis
keep* Its head almost hidden from sight
among ft# coils, and only ahoota it out
when it strikes at its adversary or its
prey. It also has the power, when coiled
the ground, of propelling its whole body
forward to a distance of a foot or more
"ith a sudden Jerk. Kullan. knowing the
habks of this viper so well, begins by
dangling a dirty rag in his left hand. Just
nut of striking distance, and so engross
ing the creature's attention In that direc
tion. In hlg right hand he holds the
hooked slick, hut this time with the hook
reward him He wait* patiently till the
viper exposes hi# head for a moment from
among its coils, and then In an Instant
he pins the head to the ground with the
hutt end of hls stick. firmly, but
sufficiently roughly to injure
the reptile. Then in another half
f°rond he seize# it by the neck
between his thumb and index finger. He
then catches hold of Its tall with the other
and while an assistant holds open
the mouth of the canvas sack he Jerks the
viper to the bottom
Having proved, by finding two more dur-
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ing the next ten minutes in the same lime
orchard, that to him the rinding of vipers
was an easy matter, Kullan proceeded to
search for some other snakes.
Gropina for Snakes iu a Well.
Presenetly he came to an old dry well,
cue of those wide stone masonry struc
tures so commonly found around Delhi,
tvhich were constructed generations ago,
in the time of the Mogul emperors. He
looked into it for a few moments, and then
asked one of the jail officials to take off
his "puggree,” or turban, and let him
down into the well. It was only about
ten or twelve feet deep. At the bottom
Kullan remained for a few minutes, exam
ining the earth most carefully.
He peeped into every crevice and corner,
and pushed his stick into many holes.
Eventually he howled, "Send me down a
ghara, someone, will you?"
The ghara was let down attached to the
end of a turban. Then began a most ex
citing spectacle. Kullan was to be seen
at the bottom of the well, inserting his
hook gently into a hole between two stones
and then Jerking it out again. At last,
with one of the outward jerks, he man
aged to bring out about four or five inches
of the tail end of a dark-colored snake,
which he grasped at with his hand. The
snake was. however, too quick for him,
and withdrew itself before Kullan could
seize it. The contest commenced again,
and eventually Kullan managed to get a
grip on the serpent’s tall, and in another
inslant was dangling a large kerait in his
left hand. Every time the creature tried
lo raise its head to get at the fingers that
gripped Us tail and suspended it the man
gave it a jerk and knocked the head down
again. He. then lowered the head gently
down into the mouth of the ghara, and the
snake, being only too anxious to get out of
sight and harm's way, began to coil itself
up inside the vessel, Kullan meantime
slowly lowering (he tail till the reptile had
vanished. A bit of rag was then tied over
the mouth of tha vessel.
Kullan could no doubt have found many
more snakes that morning in the jail gar
den, but time would not permit.
Let us now return to the laboratory and
witness the process of venom extraction
from the hundred-odd venomous snakes
tile three snake-catchers had brought.
Kullan had taken four large cobras
from their receptacles by gently placing
his hook round the thickest part of their
bodies, and drawing them slowly out. He
threw them on the ground in front of him.
Each snake Immediately raised its head
to its utmost hight, spread out its hood
and, facing the intrepid snake-catcher, be
gan to hiss furiously, Its beady eyes flash
ing and Its forked tongue darting inces
santly in and out of its mouth.
Pettlngr Cobras.
The creatures were on the defensive, but
not one of them attempted to strike at
the master who sat so serenely in front
of them so long as he did nothing to an
noy them. He talked to them as if they
were hts dearest friends. After a time
one or another of them would lower its
head, collapse its hood and begin to try
and wriggle away, whereupon Kullan
would give it a smart little rap on the tail
with his stick and bring it instantly to
attention again. Whether this man pos
sessed any special magic spell over these
cobras, or whether the description given
below of how he could handle and play
with them was simply due to his method,
I cannot say. He himself repudiated the
idea of magic, and asserted positively that
any one who had the necessary nerve and
dexterity could do exactly the same. He
used no Teed instruments or music of any
kind to propitiate the reptiles. He would
simply squat on his haunches in front
of them, and after they.had been hissing
and swaying their uplifted heads back
ward end forward for a few minutes he
raised hie hands above their heads and
slowly made them descend till they rested
on the snakes’ heads. He then stroked
them gently on the back of their necks,
speaking all the time in the most endear
ing of Hindustani terms. The serpents
appeared spellbound. They made no ef
fort to resent the liberty, but remained
quite still with their heads uplift, and, and
sepmed to rather enjoy it. Presently his
hnnds would descend down the necks,
about three Inches below the heads, hJs
Angers would close loosely around the
necks, and he would lift them off the
ground and place them on his shoulders.
The looseness of the grip appeared to be
the main secret. The snakes, bekig In nt
way hurt, would then slowly craw!
through his fingers and wind themselves
round his neck, his shoulders, and his
arms. They appeared to realize that no
harm was to be done them, and made no
further effort to resent the handling. He
would pick them gently oft one arm and
place them on the other, and, In fact,
streke them and pet them as if tlr y had
been a pair of harmless worms.
On one occasion he made the onlockr’s
blood curdle by taking up a large black
cobra by the neck and placing its heed
toward bis epen mouth. The inclination
of thtse snakes Is to trawl quietly out
of sight into the first hole they can find
and so the reptile began to crawl into his
mouth. He waited his opportunity, and
then suddenly closed his teeth firmly on
the serpent s head. This, it is needless
to say, was violently resented by the
snak. but It was powerless for harm,
aed could only show in Indignation by
denerate wriggling of its body, while the
man maintained a firm grip of Its head
between his teeth, at the same time let
ting both hands drop to his side. After
a few seconds he r-’zed the snake firmly
by the neck and released its head from
between his teeth.
He never had the smallest difficulty or
hesitation In seizing any cobra by the
tall.
Extracting the lenora.
A cobra when thoroughly roused to anger
Is by no means the same gentle creature
as those I have Just described, which al
lowed the man to handle them with Impu
nity He Is now a most formidable beast
to approach, etrlking out desperately at
every moving thing within and even out of
hi reach. But even in this condition Kul
lan had no difficulty in seizing the largest
of cobras. He would hold up and shake
a rage In his left hand. On this the In
furiated reptile would rivet Its gaze.
With his right hand from behind, the man
would then suddenly seize it round the
neck, about three inches below the head,
and an assistant would fasten firmly onto
Its tali to prevent it winding round Kill
ian's arm. Hl right hand would then
elide forward till he had fastened hie fin
gers round the neck. Just echlnd the Jaw.
THE MORNING NEWS. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 15. 1900.
He would (hen insert the rim of a watch
glass between the jaws, the grip on the
neck would be slightly relaxed, and the
serpent would viciously close its jaws on
the watch glass, and in doing so squirt
the whole of its venom through the tiny
holes of its fangs into the concavity of
the glass.
In this manner snake after snake was
made to part with its venom into a watch
glass. Often between sixty and a hundred
snakes were so dealt with in the course of
a morning.
The watch glasses were then placed on
small glass stands in a plate swimm.ng
with melted beeswax. Large glass bell
jars were then heated so as to drive out
most of the air in them, and these were in
verted over the plate on to the wax. The
entire plate was then placed on a shelf, and
the venom allowed to dry in vacuo for sev
en days. At the end of that time the
dried venom (a flaky yellow powder) was
scraped off the glass with a sterilized
knife, the pow'der was hermetically sealed
up in small glass tubes, the tubes labeled,
showing the species of snake and date on
which the venom was extracted, and the
whole supply forwarded weekly to Prof.
Calmette. In this condition the desiccated
venom maintains its virulence for months.
Bitten by a Viper.
It must not be supposed that even in the
dexterous hands of a man like Kullan
the manipulating of snakes and collecting
of venom were unattended by consider
able danger. The man nearly lost his life
on two occasions during the above opera
tions. On the first occasion I was present
when the cunning of his hand was outdone
by the agility of a particularly ferocious
echis. I shall never forget my horror
when I realized that the man had been
outwitted and had been fairly bitten on
the tip of his finger, nor con 1 express
my admiration of the ctalm fortitude that
he showed on that occasion. Whether
it be that he really had no fear or wheth
er he was ashamed to show it l know not.
It happened thus; He had placed a large,
active and very aggressive viper on the
l*>lished floor, and was proceeding to pin
ion It in the usual way. The snake seem
ed to comprehend his tactics, and for a
considerable lime Kalian’s efforts were
foiled. The little creature made many fu
tile attempts to attack its aggressor by
springing forward at Kullan’s naked feet.
Dut owing to the slippery floor it was un
able to make good Its attack. At length,
after repeated failures, the man succeed
ed in pinning the viper's head to the floor,
and his left hand seized the neck. The
moment he did this the snake coiled itself
vigorously around his hand, and before
the assistant Oould get a grip of the tail
it had slipped through Kullan’s fingers,
and in doing so drove one fang (fortunate
ly there was only one fang prick) into the
fleshy part of the man’s middle finger,
just helow r the nail. In a second he had
dashed the reptile to the ground and was
sucking with all his might at the bitten
finger. The doctor in another instant had
placed a ligature around the base of the
finger and another just above the ell>ow.
The doctor then pulled out a scalpel
and was about to amputate the last bone
of the finger, but Kullan would have none
of it.
He smiled placidly and said: “Do not
frighten yourself, sahib. T shall be all
right. There’s no necessity to prevent
my earning my living by cutting off my
finger. I have been bitten many times be
fore and am still alive, and I’nt not going
to die this time, either. Just take that
knife end cut my finger open, deeply, right
down to the bone, over the spot where the
fang entered,” and he held out his finger
to the doctor, who promptly did as he was
bid. while Kullnn stood there and scarcely
winced at the operation.
“Now, sahib, kindly tell them to bring
me a leech,” said Kulian, all the time
sucking hard at his finger.
In a few minutes a leech was made to
fasten firmly on the bottom of the wound
“Enough!” ejaculated Kullan. “Now 1
will ask but one more favor, sahib, and
that Is to excuse your slave doing any
more work with the snakes to-day. I
will return next Wednesday as usual, with
plenty more snakee.”
On the following Wednesday Kullan.
true to his boasting promise, turned up
as usual with his two assistants, and
(hough his hag was not as large as usual,
he had brought with him enough snakes
to kill a whole regiment. His hand was
in a sling; he had removed the ligatures
and the arm was much swollen, but he
was otherwise well and only complained
of feeling rather weak. He said that
three or four hours after the bite he felt
very ill and thought he was going to die.
His friend sent for a fakir (a holy man>.
who fumigated him with a strong incense
of sorts and repeated incantations, and
in a short time he began to feel better.
The next clay he was out catching snakes,
again.
On another occasion, about a month
later, Kullan, having extracted the venom
from a large number of vipers at the
laboratory, took the creatures to the dis
trict magistrate to receive the usual head
money. The custom was for him to de
capitate all the snakes he brought and
then to count the heads in the presence
of an official. The heads were all lying
about, and Kullan was placing them in
little heaps according to the different
species. While he was doing this one of
the heads (which retain mobility for some
time after being severed from the trunk)
fastened its two fangs into the loose skin
of Kullan’s hand between the thumb and
index finger. The official present imme
diately placed a ligature on the arm above
the bite, and with a pockeiknife freely in
cised the skin over the punctures. What
Kullan did after this I know not, but he
w'as apparently little the worse for the
bite, nnd turned up the following week
with a good supply of snakes. It is possi
ble, of course, that the decapitated viper
on this occasion was not very virulent,
for it had had all its venom extracted the
day previous, and even if more venom
had meantime been secreted, it ia a ques
tion how far a decapitated head of a
snake would be capable of Injecting ven
om through its poison fangs. It is more
than probable also that ihe man Kullan,
who had survived the bites of so many
snakes, had by this time become more or
less immunized, like Prof. Calmette’s
horses.
CHILD LIFE IN CHINA.
Amusements nnd Education of the
Young Orientals.
From the New York Tribune.
When a Chinese boy reaches his sixth
birthday it is considered time for him to
go to school.
The occasion is looked upon as on© of
such importance that a fortune teller is
usually consulted, and on a lucky day,
fixed upon by the wLe man, the little
Chinaman vnsk's his first appeiranSe at
school.
He looks very fresh and tidy; his hair
has been neatly shaved from his fore
head. and the rest of it is pirated up ln'o
a long black queue-a “pi n-tsz,” he rails
it—which hangs down brhind. Whpn ajiy
of his school Ml ws want to tormtnt him
they will tie his pigtail to the earae ap
pendage on another boy’s head, which is
vary uncomfortah e for them both.
If it is summer tme the b y wears
nothing upon his head, and is only cloth
ed In a Jacket or vest of loose cotton or
grass cloth, with small, baggy trouse s
of the same material. But If tho weather
Is cold he wears half dozen vests ar.d
coats, one above another, and some of
them are padded with cotton wool. Upjn
his head he wears a small skull cap of
CASTOR IA
For Infants and Children.
The Kind You Have Always Bought
black or blue silk, with a 1 tt’e scarlet
twist at the top, and very likely a thick
tasfol of ii'km ttreads falling dewn be
ll nd.
His .-hors have thick, white so’e#, and
eften the toes are. embroidered with fan
ciful little designs of flowers or butter
flies by his proud mother.
Sometimes he wears in hi? girdle a little
purse, which has a’so been embroidered
by his mother.
His Public Offices.
Having reached the schoolhouse. the boy
enters, carrying in his band some small
present for the grave looking, elderly por
i son who. is to be his teacher, und his first
act is to do reverence and burn incense
before the tablet which has the name of
the aged J£onfudus written upon it.
The furniture of the room consists of a
number of little d<vks or tables, with
high stools behind them, which are fre
quently provided by the parents. Before
the master stands a large tnble. nnd upon
it are lying not only books and papers,
but the indispensable pipe. Upon each lit
tle desk one wlil see not pens and ink
such as we use. but Inkstones, upon
which the boys rub the cake of India,
or rather Chinese, ink, dipping it in a lit
tle water.
For his pen he has a brush, not unlike
our large paint brushes of camel’s hair.
He holds It perpendicularly in his hand,
poiniing to the ceiling, ns he traces on the
thin, soft paper the queer looking char
acters on the copy slip.-. •
There is no alphabet of the Chinese lan
guage for him to learn, but instead 214 rad
icals or rcot words, which enter into the
formation of nil the other characters. The
words are all one syllable, and are writ
ten down, one beneath the other, in col
umns, instead of across the page, and the
beginning of the books is at the end of
ours.
The first book of all to be studied is tho
“San-Tza-King," or “Trimetrlcal Clas
sic.” because, to moke it more easily re
membered. it is written in lines of three
words each. The teacher re peats the first
few line*, and the scholars, holding their
hooks in their hands and swinging their
small bodies backward and forward, fol
low his pronunciation of the words. They
then return to their seats and commit the
words to memory.
In order to he sure each small boy is
attending to his lessons he is expected to
shout o*ut the passage he is learning at
the top of his voice. The continual din
caused by the arrangement can be better
imagined than described, and to pass a
schoolhouse in China one is more likely to
suspect the existence of Bedlam than o
place of learning. The importance of
study is enlarged upon, and a sentence
occurs to the effect that “to educate with
out severity shows a teacher's indolence.’’
The sight of the bamboo rod, which is
found in every chool room close to the
master’s hand, end in very constant use.
is a proof that this maxim of the sage
of old commends itself to the teachers of
the present day.
Chinese boys are taught that there are
three great powers—heaven, earth and
man; that there are three lights—the sun.
moon and stars. They are further inform
ed that rice, millet, pulse, wheat, rye and
barley are the six kinds of grain on which
men sibsist. Various other matters of a
similar kind are touched upon, followed
by a summary of Chinese history.
Chinese boys know something of arith
metic. nnd calculate rapidly, but they do
this with their little abacus, or counting
board.
Among other books studied the classic
of "Filial Piety” is largely used as a read
ing book, and gives graphic glimpses of
Chinese life and exemplary character. A
favorite Chinese proverb teaches that “of
the hundred virtues the chief is filial
piety, end no other duty is so carefully
and constantly instated into the children’s
minds as this.
Kite Flying.
Kite flying Is -the great delight of the
Chinese boys, though not of boys alone,
but a ibo of their fathers and grandfath
ers. And what famous kites they have,
too! Some are in the form of beautiful
birds, or butterflies, with wings cleaving
the air; others are in the shape of men,
or various animals, dragons und centi
pedes.
Occasionally a tiny paper lan’ern is fas
tenel to the tall of a kite. and. being
lighted, it has a pretty effect as it rises,
shining like a star in the twilight. Somo
times a number of bird kltrs are fastened
by short ’ines to the principal cord, and
v hen flying in the air look like a flight
of birds clustering round one common
center.
When Chinese children want more ao
the amusements, they play battledore,
and shuttlecock, only the battledore is
usually the thick sole of the shoe or the
instep of the foot. They manage it so
• ■loverly that it is quite common to see
the shuttlecock struck some two or three
hurdrel tinva without a single miss.
* Ta chiau,” or “hitting the ball,” is an
other favorite game Mo t boys wculd no
doubt, consider It rather monotonous,
since It is simply played by striking the
ball to the ground with the hand as ma- y
times as possible.
‘ Ta-teh-lo ’ is whipping the top.” A
Chimse top is made of bamboo with a
piece fo wood going through it, ar.d a
large hole is cut in the side, which makes
it have a fine humming s und as it spins.
“Hldi g from the cat ’ is not unlike our
familiar “blind man's buff;” one child
having h s eyes blinded, and trying to
catch the o’ters, who e cape from him
in all direc ions
Other Amusements.
Catching shrimps is another game, In
which all the boys have their eyes, cov
ered, and tiy to calch each other
”Ta Pan” is not unlike hopscotch. Every
child has a small, flat stone or copp-r can
and standing on a marked line, tries to
strike the stone which has been thrown
by the first boy.
"Turning the dragon” is the favorite
amuoecnent of Chinese hoys in the spring
time, and. like most of their pleasures, it
has a religious or superstitious signifi
cance The pannage-of this fabulous ani
mal through the str ats* of thfir cities Is
belkved to be very effectual in dispelling
all evil influences, especially a tendency
to various sicknesses thought to exist in
the first month of the year. The body of
the dragon is composed of a large number
of lant ms fastened tog thr, and cov
ered with colored paper and cloth, (t <s
frequently thirty or forty feet long. As
the many Jointed cr-jature Is carried
through the streets, turning and twisting
In all dir ctior.s, rearing its 111-favor <d
head and gaping mouth, it is pursued by
immense crowds of people. The proces
sion, accompanying makes a mo3t unearth
ly din, healing gongs and letting off a juib<
and crackers, to the great amazement of
the stranger who for the first time looks
up n the singular spectacle.
The* performance of the Punch find Judy
shows are much appreciated by Chinese
children, and many people nre inclined to
believe they were introduced into England
from China. In any case they were well
known in that empire many hundreds tf
years ago.
As for the peta kept by the Chinese boys
some of them are Identical with those
which are prized by children here, such
as rabbits, kittens and goldfish. Cricketr
nre alao largely kept by boys, as well or
older people.
They have many favorite birds, among
others ha canary and lark, and one much
prized Is a sort of thrush, called the “bird
with tho flower)' eyebrow'.” Often one
may see the boys walking on the city
walls or other open space#, carrying their
caged birds out for an airing. Txxiuks,
hedgehogs and tortoises nr# also kept as
pets. The tortoise I* believed to attain
a great age, and is used, with the stork,
as an emblem of longevity.
Few Chinese toys are of a dqjrable na
ture. There ar# not many toy shop*, but
cheap playthings nre sold by an itinerant
vender of small ware*, whose nppronch is I
announced by 4he beating of a gong,
which calls the children it* quickly hh the
music of the Pled Piper of Hamelln I*
said to have done. Figure# of genii an-l
idol# abound, and now and then an extra
ordinary figure is seen, whose llgh.j col-
ored locks, tight-fitting clothing, and the
stick carried in the hand proclaim it to
be intended for a "foreign barbarian."
Most Chinese children are possessed of
the proverbial “sweet tooth," and the de
mand for sugar candy tnd sweetmeats
i most liberally- supplied. Some are of
various bright colors nnd curious shapes,
and many contain morsels of ground nuts
or walnuts. #
Some Chinese Riddles.
Chinese hoys are very fond of asking
riddles, ar.d some of ihe juvenile prodigies
of ancient days are represented as having
been very clever in composing the>e enig
mas. A few. sonicwhut similar in form
to many popular English riddles, are the
following:
“What is the fire that has no smoke
and the water that has no fish?"
“A glow worm’s fire has no smoke, and
well water has no fish.”
“Mention the name of an object with
two mouths, which travels by night and
not by day?”
“A lantern.”
‘What arc the eyes of Heaven, the bone
of water und the looking glass of the
sky?’’
"Stars, ice and the sea.”
“What is it that has a gaping mouth
and marches on like an Invading army,
devouring nt every step?”
“A pair of scissors cutting cloth."
If one were to ask a Chinaman how
many children lie had in his family, he
woyld reply by tellbf; y-ou the number of
his sons. The girls among them are not
courted. He considers that “a boy is
worth ten times as much ns a girl.”
Girls in China are married or taken into
the families of the little boy# to whom
they nre betrothed at such an early age
that their parent# see very little of them
after the years of childhood are past.
If a girl is blind or lame her chances
of life are small.
Carious Customs.
Many Chinese girls have bright, at
tractive faces, nnd all have black or very
dark eyes. They wear the raven locks
dressed in very different ways, according
to the province in which they live. In
most part# the hair is drawn back and
twisted into one heavy strand, which
hangs down the back and is tiofi wiih
scarlet cord. Frequently the front hair Is
cut in a fringe. Sometimes two plaits are
made and bunched up at either side of
the he id. being decorated with gay flow
ers. At other times, especially in the win
ter season, they wear a strange little
headdress, consisting of a silken em
broidered bard, with a thick black silk
fringe hanging down ever the forehead
and ears.
When a girl is about thirteen years ot
age her hair is put up in womanly style.
It is twisted around curious wire frames
of various shapes. Some are like butter
files’ wings, others resemble n teapot han
dle. Again, girls wear enormous chignons,
and Manchu girls have their hair tied In
a large bow upon the top of their heads.
Until their marriage, most girls wear the
hair in front dressed round, keeping the
natural oppea ranee of the forehead. After
the wedding it is dressed square. This
appearance is obtained by pulling out the
hair® round the forehead, making it look
broad and high. Even little girls frequent
ly wear heavy earrings, bracelets and
rings if they belong to a rich family.
After the age of eight or ten the daugh
ter# of the wealthier classes are kept
within the walls of their own homes. It
is thought improper for them to be een
out of doors.
They have few amusements, and though
they have not to endure the hard, grind
ing poverty of the poorer classes, their
lives are much more cramped, and they
have little variety ini them. Some girls
me taught to play on musical instruments
and to sing songs or selections from the
classics in a high, unnatural key, by no
means attractive to the ear.
They spend much time in working em
broidery. The paper patterns for these
wonderful birds, flowers and figures which
are used In the ornamentation of Chinese
clothing can be purchased at embroiderer#*
shops, but the girls frequently originate
their own designs.
Many women have helped to make the
history of China, and stories are related
of the various virtues possessed by he
roines of past nge-s.
—“The most prominent citizen of Sher
idan. Wyoming,’’ says a correspondent of
the Chicago Record, "is the future Duke
of Portsmouth, whose mother was a Mi*s
Walker of Chicago, and whose father is
Oliver H. Wallop, son of the late Duke
of Portsmouth, and brother of the pres
ent Duke, tvho is childless. The Wallop
youngster, who Is still in kilts, is there
fore the hcir-nppftrent to the dukedom,
and his father took him over to England
last summer to havo him ‘registered,' as
he soys, among the nobility. Mr. Wal
lop, who in well known in Chicago, his
a ranch of 160 acres on Goose creek, near
this city."
Men’s 24-inch Fall
Dress Sait Cases, leath
er corners, brass lock,
brass catches, $1.50, at
THE BEE HIVE,
St. Julian and Whitaker Sts.
COMFORT
For your stock. The fly seawon Is now on
us and the time to use
Tough on Flies,
a lotion when applied will prevent your
hor*e* and cattle from being pestered. Try
it and be convinced.
HAY. GRAIN. BRAN, COW FEED,
CHICKEN FEED. etc.
T. J. D/Wlfe.
Phone 22L ltf Bay street, west
Ofe CHICHESTER'S ENGLISH
Pennyroyal pills
I OrlftTusl •"<* Only Oenulne.
WJ /•li>N v ftAFE. Aly r*lia,b)B Ladle*. *• Dr igrlrt
V 4( fr <H It Jf ESTKK’K KNGLfrH
1,1 MK Gold metallic t in Mated
w,tb b,u * r * bbo * Take no other, it* fnae
th w; Daufteroue HuUdltulloe* aad Jinlta-
I / W Oene. Buy of ytur DrogfiK. or Mod 4. lo
1 W Jr inii>e for Particular*. Trattnoatalr
\*B D end ‘‘Relief for Ladle*,**in Utter, by r
' P Ism Mall. 10,<M0 Trail mental- Sold *y
all firugflei* Cblcbenter Che mical Cn.,
SaatloL thle paper Madlaoa Square. Pill LA.. 1a!
pold by L. N. Brubiwlf k Cos., Whole. bragcteU, Sow Orlear.e.
UNION HOTEL,
Wezi Broad and Haris streets,
opposite Central Depot.
Modern appointment. Convenient to all
(treat car lines. Rates $1.25 and f1.50 and
12.00 per day. Single meal 25c.
M. 3. PATERSON. Manager.
OPIUM
Morphine and Cocaine habite cured pain
lrssly in X 0 to 20 days. The only guaran.
teed palnleaz cure. No cure no pay.
Addresa. DR. J. H. HEFLIN,
Locust Grove, Oa.
J. D. WEED * CO
•XVASIAU, 04.
Leather Belting, Steam Packing & Hose.
Agenta (or NEW YORK RUBBER
BELTING AND PACKINO COMPANY.
PRINTING
THE Lithograph ami Printing Department of the
Morning News is one of the largest in the Mouth.
It is equipped to do the best work in all branch
es of printing. its plant is modern and is operated
by skilled people . . .
BANK BOOKS-
Bank Books of nil kinds is our specialty.
Checks. Deposi* Slips and general bank
stationery the Morning News does In a
superior style. And no bank, it matters
not how small, should be without our
lithograph checks and books.
MANUFACTURING PLANTS-
We make a specialty of doing cut work
a* well as lithograph work for all manu
facturing plants, not only in Georgia, but
In Alabama. Florida and the Carolina*.
Under this head is embraced Guano Fac
tories. Plow Worke. Turpentine Plants.
Saw Mills, Foundries. Breweries. Machine
Shops, in fact all kinds of enterprises of
this character.
COMMERCIAL WORK—
A business man, no matter where he doe#
business, cau’i afford to tie without neat
stationery. If he does nothing but sell
egg# he ought to hive it. The Morning
New* make# a specialty of doing neat loba
for count! y merchant. And it takes
pleasure in sending samples with prices
from which selections may be made.
COUNTY RECORDS-
Record Hooks for counties. Tax Books,
Official Stationery for towns and cities,
Blank# and forms of every descrip
tion we are equipped to do quickly and
cheap anil well.
WAREHOUSE BOOKS—
Warehouse Receipts, Books, Warehouse
Stationery of .ill kind# we ore especially
prepared to do. We make them strong, of
good p ip* r, and print then) well. We
cheerfully furnish estimates and submit
sample# to warehousemen.
When writing lo us address the Morning News
Joh Department. Do not think that you are consttm*
ing our time by asking us questions and writing for
estimates. Whether we get your order or not, we
shall be glad to offer the best we have
Morning News Job Department,
SAVANNAH, CA.
HEAR HER!
If i A WOMAN'S STORY.
]1 , y, Thin Is to certify that I liave been afflicted
with Scrofula or Blood Poison for a number of
) £*s£ year*. The best physicians of Mobile and thia
hfflJgEfrp —J HpBV city aald nothing could be done for me. I took
HSr large quantities * • • but 1-juud no relief.
•fbtn *l^n||, HJjja My limbs were n mass of ulcers, and when X
MoKf' *|J2| Ha was Sf tit to a physician in Mobile my entire
fonts, hody whs a muss of sores. I had given up all
ffißu'lrif' firaffl hope, end as a lust resort tried P. P. P., and
WZ
\r L \ have entirely disappeared, and mv !
MLffUfa. s\] is. 5 hedlth was never better than at ♦ prese
a&MSuW fW.IT aUl> * ! ! knti'fe time, and people that know me thit .lnwoa-
WWdfy derftal cure. KLI2A TODD, Milton, Fla.
* R@4T' / l\\ JPMt What can be worse forJ
rci®® awotnanthaum other- I) 11 1* 1
gfcS* | I™** wise beautiful skin cov- g* w*
(W “ - ered with oorcs and I A . I
-* 7 eruptions? Can you A A ®
,■• vy / k; ■ Bam blame people for avoid- (Lippman 1 # •
'T T iw fl]? ° rcat Remedy.) <
if/ / I HIT pitied; but what woman wants pity ? Besides
// 7 / \ivWk the humiliation of disfigurement, the Itching
// 7 and burning of skin disease ire almost uses*
All women ought to know that all facial and
WfmE' bodily blemishes arc caused by impure blood.
“i are curable. P. P. P. will purify th*
~T blood, and when the blood becomes pure all
skin diseases vanish.
P. P. P. is a harmless vegetable compound,
and never fails to eradicate from the system
all traces of Blood Poison, Scrof* Rheumatism, Neuralgia, Dyapepsiu and Catarrhal
affections.
FROM ONE OF SAVANNAH'S PROMINENT MERCHANTS.
TO THE PUBLICS
I herewith recommend to the sufferers of Rheumatism and rheumatic pains,
Uppman’a P. P. P., as I have carefully tested it and fougd permanent relief. Also my
Son, who, for years, has nnffered from Rheumatism, bus used It for the last year with
Rood results, and has not suffered since, and is still ueiug it. Would not do without it
it cost double, or at soy price. Yours truly, CIIAS. SEILER.
Lippman Brothers, Proprietors,
Druggist i ■ niock. Savannah, Ga
KIMCATION %L.
Emor\> Collcoc^-^
® Forty miles .nut of Atlanta. Sltnstlon high and healthy.
No liquors so dln county. Intercollegiate games pro
hibited. Foil college courses offered lending to A. H., B.
f'li.nndH.K Degrees, Entire necessary expenses with
in gjot). tllrd .nnnal session begins sept. IS, IDAti. For
cntnlogne ami full Information, address
C. E. 2)ovcnian, prestoent.
U/JCUIUOTniI OruiUlDV • Hsra*Wl 4ttwn, fc-aool tor Olr
U Aufl nb IUN 0L1?' 1 H fi n I Twenty three teachers, graduutes of Wellesley,
linwitiiiuiun vkitiiun" i Harvar(l Kandolph Macon and Baltimore Womans
College. Primary Academic, Music. Art. Elocution and Bualneas courses. Small <lasses. In
dividual v/ork New building Home life. Pupils enter Vassar. Wellesley and Randolph-Ma
ion on certificate*. Next b“*aion begins Sept. 0. For illuntrated catalogue address
Mrs W. T. CHANDLER. Principal. LLEWELLYN U SOOTT, Associate Principal.
LIPPMAN BROS.. Proprietors,
InigglMf. Uppman’s Block. SAVANNAH. QL
BRRNNAN BROS.,
WHOLESALB
Fruit, Produce, Grain, Etc.
*22 BAY STREET. WhL
letcpboaeOOS.
JOHN C. BUTLER,
-PklALan **
Palnto, Oil* ana Ulsoa. *aah. Doors, Blinds,
and Builders’ Buppltas. Plain and Decora
tive Wall Paper, Foreign and Dorawf-
Cements. Lima. Plaster and Hair How
Agent for A tie.tin. Cold Water Paint.
10 Congrtos street, nest, and U W. JuUao
-treat, wsab
B H. Nka r„ F. P. Millard,
President Vice President
Heniit Huts. Jr Sec'y and Treat
NEAL-lIILLARD CO.
Builders’ Material.
Sasb, Doors and Blinds,
Paints, Oils, Varnishes,
Class and Broshes,
EUILDERS’ HARDWARE,
Lime, Cement and Plaster.
'V aid Wkiukn lUMIk
UTilldß •*.
LADIES REMEDY
A safe and powerful remedy for functional I
troubles, delay, pain, and irregularities, is I
APIO LINE
(CHAP OTE MIT)
SucceMfiill? prescribed by Specialist* tor DU
eases of Women. Price SI.OO of all Druggists,
or by mail. P. O. Box soSi, S. Y.
Good Goods—Close Prices.
Heikl ua your outers. Soaps. Patent
Medicine*, L>ru*s, Kubber Goods, Per
fumery, Toilet Powder, Combe. Brushes,
etc.
DONNEJLLT DRUG CO..
.Phone CZS. ’.lberty and Price sta.
7