The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1871-11-02
a Caravan wInterInE-BeechenbroOl.
BY o. p. MYERS.

Adjoining the Odd Fellows College and
one mile west Of the city OF Lansing, the
Capital of Michigan, lies BESCHEHBRooR,
the farm home of Joel E. Warner, of
Menagerie fame, and where the Great Pa
cifc Museum, Menagerie and Circus has
gone into its winter quarters. No better
I place could have been selected for their
winters halt. Situated as it is, in the
centre of the great State of Michigan
with its railways diverging to every point
! Of. the oompas easy Of access, and In the
midst Of an abundance, in fact in the very
heart Of one of the greatest producing
States in the Union. When an exhibition
of such magnitude throws aside their hol-
iday attire and pomp and glory of their
summers campaign, preparations of the
most extensive character are usually made
! by the managers 70 receive them for the
winter, requiring dozen of cozy perma-
nent buildings to be erected, most Of
which are provided with heating appara-
tus for the comfort of the animals, and of
which brief description of those at
BEEcHENBRooK will be here gwen.
Fair Beechenbrook cottage wen ever remember
That calm brilliant morning Of early No, ,November'
As ever the sunshine came shimmering through,
The voice cf the brook, as it lapses unseen,-
The laughter OF clHQreQ Nt play on the Breen,-
Insist on picture so cheerful, so fair.
Whoever would dream menagerie therei
BEECHEEBRooK as you approach it from
North Lansing resembles neat little vii
lage, dotted here and there with buildings
many of which are quite large On a
knoll which is skirted by Grand River and
about twelve hundred feet from the fami
ly residence, is the principal baggage and
huI IN of q
Greek cross, is one hundred and sixty feet
in length with two eighty feet wings, a
very handsome building, having central
tower with an ornamented roof and ac-
commodations for one hundred and sixty
horses The hay and feed barn is close by,
is two stories high, one hundred feet long
and sixty feet wide, with side wings. The
wagon warehouses, four in number, twen-
ty-fve feet wide and seVenty-fve feet
long in which are stored the chariots,
cages, wagons, and buggies of the grand
caravan
The animal house is three stories high
facing the north, is built of wood with
heavy stone foundations and is within
few hundred feet of the fancy horse orring
stock barn The basement which is very
solid and warm was gotten up expressly
for the huge Elephant, Empress, the lar
gest animal of its kind ever brought to
the western continent and the peer IN
magnitude of the great American Aasto
dom The Camels, Dromedaries, Sacred
Cattle, Llamas, Egyptian Cowallapus, At
rican Glands, Elks, Zebras, &c, are also
here provided with quarters The second
floor Is entirely devoted to the cat animal
and bird department. Arranged around
the room at convenient intervals and Sc
cured in large strong cages and all under
the watchful care Of Prof. A. ]. Forpaugh
the Lion King and Subduer of wild beasts,
are the var1ous specimens of african and
Striped Hyenas, Bears, Wild Cats, Brazil
liam Tigers, Lynx, Oscelots, Badgers,
Spotted Hyenas, Monkeys, Baboons, Apes,
PARROTS, Ostriches, Australian Cockatoos,
Golden Pheasants, Birds of Paradise, and
the large and varied collection of wild
beasts and rare exotic birds that constitute
the full and comprehensive Menagerie
of ]. E. Warner & Co. This room is hea-
ted with patent self feeding furnaces,
which burn hard oranthracite coal, giving
| a uniform heat, the fires of which are new
er permitted to go out during the entire
winter, precaution very necessary for the
preservation of the rare and expensive
animals. On the third floor is two large
rooms for harness, canvas, seat trappings.
banners and the gilded pharaphanalia Of
of the circus department. Opposite to the
animal house is q beautiful two story nng
barn, eighty feet square designed by Mr..
| Warner, and ia a combination of Grecian,
| Doric and Ionic architecture, elaborately
finished and painted-the central dome or
tower (of which there are fve) is very ap-
propriately surmounted by the four points
of the compass and vane IN the shape Of
a gold horse, emblematic CT the thorough
bred Arabian Ring horses of the Great
Pacific Museum, Menagerie and Circus
On the second floor in this building, are
nicely furnished sleeping apartments for
grooms and assistants on the farm.
Overlooking all, is modest two story
white framed gothic cottage, the resting
place and home Of Joel +. Warner, where,
during the long winter months, he re-
mains directing artists and artizans in re-
pairing, beautifying and improving this
grand triple alliance for its approaching
summers tenting campaign.
The travelling Caravan is the acknowl-
edged Amusement of our country and Is
every year growing to more Importance
The managers of late are recognizing the
Importance of engaging active, intelligent
respectable and sober men IN the transac-
tion of their business, thus making theil
success doubly sure. To winter the ami
mails and stock of Warmers Great Pacific
Museum, Menagerie and Circus will require
twenty-four beeves, each weighing one
thousand pounds, thirteen and half ton:
Of ground oats and corn, Eleven hundred
heads of cabbage. three hundred and sixty
bushels of Irish potatoes, one hundred
gallons of milk, three hundred tons of hay
one hundred and sixty tons of straw aRd
twenty-one hundred bushels of oats, nc
grain being given the horses until twC
weeks before starting time in the spring
thus affording the uninitiated slight ides
Of the magnitude of this grand moving
geological garden, perambulating museum
Il and equestrian organization, and withou
doubt the most gigantic and stupendou