Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1872-12-19

CIV, but who took the sea risk on him.
self, lost them all on the voyage. He
could notnow get four equally good
specimens under $25,OOO, But when a
cargo does come safely across, the
profits to the importer are very large.
1t is great mistake to suppose that
any Of these animals are captured when
full grown. A full grown lion, could
he be trapped and put in a cage, would
soon pine away and die. A full grown,
wild elephant is the most savagely
treacherous Of animals Even when
captured young and trained in circus,
the ephant betrays these inborne quail
tiles more and more as he grows older.
1t is only of late years that elephants
have been imported from Africa, Many
persons will recoilect> P. T. Barpum' 8
advertisement ofthe first one-a dwarf
which was to apEeaG in his menage
lric The ANNA, 10 newell died on the
voyage, and consequent y never
seen in this country Our monopolist
! dealer in wild beasts soon after obtain
ed four young elephants from Africa
and retailed them here to different
Snowman at $4,000 apiece. They were
babies. The elephant is an animal
Of very slow growth. When FIVE years
old it does not stand more than three
feet high; and one out of the four allu
ded to above, was only thirty
inches high. They were howev-
er perfect God-send to Snowman in
the way of start ing novelties. One.
thirty inch one, was cody exhibited as
a dwarf. Another was shown as an
offspring of an old female elephant,
which had been in this country years
before the youngster first saw the light
in his native African jungle Three OF
these young elephants are still alive in
this country, but they have grown out
of all knowledge, especially the dwarf
The Snowman who exhibited the young
calf asserted to have been born here
made great hit, as it is pretty general
Iy known that elephants will not breed
in this country. Lions breed freely.
In fact there are few menageries which
do not have litter of cubs every year.
But the mothers always destroy Or de-
sert them, and they are obliged to be
brought up on. milk given to them in a
bottle, similar'to that used, in. rearing
babies by hand. The hippopotamus has
been known to breed in the Geological
Gardens in London. Like the lioness,
she destroys her young as soon as they
are born;but the attendants did once sue
coed in rescuing young one from its
mother, and in bringing it up by hand.
But the animals brought up in this way,
and born in confined cage, never
grow up to be such fine specimens as
those born in state of nature
AS a general thing all animals are
captured when young by the natives,
acting: under instructions from the white
agents. If lions are wanted the natives
sally up the country, and either kill the
track the lioness to her den, and then
waiting till she goes hunting for food,
size the opportunity ofstealing the cubs.
In capturing elephants they drive them,
old and young, into an inclosure, ham,
string the old ones so as to disable
them from protecting their calves, and
then easily secure the young ones. IAN
African lion commands the higher
price in the market than an Asiatic lion
on account of his more command
ing appearance. His name is much
thicker and longer than that of his Ash
attic brother, and is black The quaint
ty and length of the name is the test of
the value Of lions. An African lion
sells for $4,000; an Asiatic only $4,000
The same with tigers. Royal Bengal
Tigers will command $4,000 pair
Brazilian only $4,000 pair. Camels
and dromedaries bring about $1,000
apiece, but white camels have been sold
at $500 each. A good ostrich can be
bought for about $500; elephants from
$4,000 to $4,000; horned horses ESQ
called. though they are really only a
variety of antelope,) about 81, 500.
The importation OF animals is only q
of the business; but it is in this case
very extensive, for the last fifteen years
the value Of animals imported having
averaged over 100000 a year. Of
course, needs of every menagerie are
known; and when one wants to sell sur
plus animal or two, or to replace them
with finer specimens, they are almost
invariably sold direct to this gentleman
or through him, on commission, to the
proprietors Of other menageries. A
very fair menagerie may be. stocked for
$4,000: but some few giant. shows val
ue their stock of animals at two and
three times that figure. The aggregate
value of all the wild animals in the diff
ferent caravans in this country, must
approximate s2,5oo,ooo. In no 9th
er country in the ~~world are there SO
many kept in confinement. The show
business is essentially American, and
as general thing is very profitable
one