Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1864-01-09
How to Keep a Menagerie.
( From the New York Evening Post.

From the New York Evening Post.
We have taken pains to acquant our.
selves with some part of the history and
management Of the Van Amburgh colec-
ton, which is the oldest, and we believe,
the only complete mcnagerie in the coun-
try The capital invested in this estab-
lshmont, which many of our citizens have
visited, is not less than Sl50,OO0. 1t con.
taius 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
day, and on summer tour makes a
circuit OF not less than three thousand
miles. The daily expenses when travel
ing are not under 5000.
Few people know the care and energy
required to keep such collection in order.
The animals are subject to variou. dis.
eases they die, and that at such rate
that in the present collection there are but
six animals which were in it ak years
ago. With some few exceptions, the men,
agerie is entirely renewed once in every
five years, The propriotors are constant.
ly purchasing new animals; they have
agent: in various parts OF the world and
the expense Of such renewals may be
guessed, when we say that the beasts adj
ded to the nenagerie now on Broadway
since last spring, cost $4,000. To spend
such sums iudiciously, to buy only healthy
animals, likely to 1--we, and to keep them
in good condition, requires experience
only gained in many years.
The price Of a lion or any other anima
varies greatly. Sometimes the lion mar
kot is glutted. A fine Bengal tiger ha
been sold in London for $500, but tn,
common price for healthy pair Of young
lions is $500. The three polar bear
now in the Broadway collection cost tn
proprietor $4,000. Most of the animal
caught for mcnageries are Grst taken t
England. In London there arc two O
three animal brokers, who make it thei
business 10 receive and sell on commissio
anything from an elephant to ring tailc
monkey, The finest giraBe ever brougL
10 this country was caught by a ma
named Clayton, an American, who wen
to Africa for the purpose, and was gon
eighteen months on that business. HaE
nibal, the largest elephant ever exhibited
has been in this country thirty-throe year
When he was first bought by an entej
prsing butcher iu the Bowery, who kel
him in a horse stable Tor a year before /
was exhibited, He was bought on specu
lation, and we have heard that the unluci
butcher lost by him. He was afterward
purchased by Van Amburgh, and ha
been in this collection many years, W
may add here that several pairs of buffa!
and some ne elks are now on the wa
here from the West, and will be adde
shortly to the Broadway collection.
Lions and all other animals Of the CT
kind suffer, when imported into this coul
try, from a kind of consumption. The
wheeac, lose flesh, their lungs become di
eased, and they finally waste away an
die, When one Of these great beasts die
! he is submitted to the faculty, and it is
pleasant evidence that the propretors a,
not merely "showmen," but have an inte
ligent interest in these wonders of natur
@ ,bat they have for many years contrib
ted their detuuct specimens to the cole