Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-01-09
How 10 Keen n nLennRerIs.

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selves with some part Of the history snt
management Of the Van Amburgh oolleo
tion, which is the oldest and we believe
the only complete mensgerie in this ooun.
try The capital invested in this estsb.
lishment which many of our citizens have
visited, is not less than S150,000. 1t CON.
taips two hundred animals. 1t employs
when on its travels through the country,
not less than ninety four men, and one
hundred and thirty-four horses. When
in travelling order the whole collection can
move at an average rate Of eighteen miles
a day, and on a summer tour makes q cir
cult Of not less than three thousand miles.
The daily expenses when travelling are
not under $500.
Few people know the care and energy
required 10 keep such a collection in order.
The animals are subject to various dis
eases; they die and that at such a rate
that in the present collection there are but
six animals which were in it six years
ago. With some few exceptions, the me-
nagerie is entirely renewed once in FIVE
years. The proprietors are constantly
purchasing new ami mails; they have agents
in various paris Of the world and the
expense Of such renewals may be guessed,
-rLe. We soy tlat The LeAsts aAdaa 40 tho
menagerie now in Broadway, since last
spring, cost thirty thousand dollars. To
spend such sums judiciously, to buy only
healthy snimals, likely to live, and to
keep them in good condition, requires ex-
perisnce only gained in many years.
The price Of lion, or any other animal,
varies greatly. Sometimes the lion mar
L = L
been sold in London for $1,000, but the
common price for healthy pair Of young
lions is So, 500. The three polar bears
now in the Broadway collection cost the
proprietor $4,000. Nest of the animals
caught for mensgeries are first taken to
England. In London there are two or
three animal brokers, who make it their
business to receive and sell on commission
anything from an elephant to q ring-tailed
monkey. The finest giraffe ever brought
to this country was caught by man
named Clayton, an American, who went
to Africa for the purpose, and was gone
eighteen months on that business. Han
pibsl, the largest elephant ever exhibited,
has been in this country thirty-three
years. When he was first brought hither
he WAS bought by an enterprising butcher
in the Bowery, who kept him in horse
stable for year before he was exhibited.
He was bought on speculation, and we
have heard that the unluoky butcher lost
by him. He was afterwards purchased by
Van Amburgh, and has been in this colleo-
ton many years. We may add here that
several pairs of buffalo and some fine elks
are now on the way here from the West,
and will be added shortly to the Broadway
collection.
Lions and all other animals Of the cat
kind suffer, when imported into this coun-
try, from kind Of consumption. They
Wheeze, lose flesh, their lungs become dis
essed, and they finally waste away aud
die. When one of these great beasts dies,
he is submitted to the Faculty, and it il a
pleasant evidence that the proprietors are
merely "shoWmeD," but have an intelli-
gent interest in these wonders of nature,
that they have for many years contributed
their defunct specimens to the collection
Of the Philadelphia Academy Of Natural
Sciences, in whose halls may be found at
this day some skeletons Of lions, tigers
and other animals famous in their day.
In the subdivision Of labor one man
takes charge Of four cages, to clean, feed
and attend upon the wants Of the oceu-
pants. The flesh. eating animals are fed
but once day, and not at all on Sundays.
The monkeys and other small animals are
fed twice day. The elephants seem to
browse all the day long. None but good
beef is fed, and it must not have the
slightest grain Of salt upon it Water is
given four or five times a day. A full
grown lion eats from fifteen to eighteen
pounds Of meat per day. An elephants
rstions are three hundred pounds Of hsy
and two bushels Of oats per day when he |
is travelling; when standing still he gets |
no oats, but al additional hundred weight |
Of hay. The elephants lie down when |
they go to sleep. Two barrels of water |
mOistens each elephants daily hay.
When an animal falls i'll it is doctored. |
The mysteries Of lions physic must be
sacred here. They belong to his faithful |
master and attendant, who knows, by the |
experience Of more than seventeen years,
what will best restore his rounded form, |
his glossy coat and his easy breathing.
Net unfrequently animals bring forth /
young. Some dozen Of lions have been |
horn in this country, but only a very few
live to cut their second set Of teeth. There
is now in cage Of the right-hsnd side, a
lion Of good size born three or four years
ago in Georgia. He is a very savage and
beast, who submits to but one
master, Mr.. Frost, who nursed him tender
ly when young, and whose voice to this
day will quell him even when he is most
furious. Lions generally produce three or
four at litter. Two cunning little leop-
ards, on the left, are natives Of Wisconsin.
They are not bigger than cats, but already
scratch and fight as tis their nature to-
they even quarrel with their mother for