Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1877-10-27

not get these babies too young to suit
us. One remember, though 1 was not
in the hunt, was captured the very day
it was born, and the hunters and attend.
ants brought it up on the bottle. 1t is
the same animal that Barnum adyer.
tised so extensively as the sBaby Hin
popotamus,' and it is now TRAVELLING
with his show. Ostriches we run down
on horseback, and then catch them with
the lasso. 1t is an exciting chase, but
not particularly dangerous. On these
hunts we are entitled to only the Young
animals we capture. The beautiful
skins of the leopards, lions, and other
animals we kill, the tusks of the ele-
plants, the feathers of the ostriches.
and all other similar spoils 90 to the
native sheiks and chiefs and those old
rascals are as sharp at trade as the
shrewdest 'old clo' merchant YOU have
in Chatham Street.
" In the encampment the natives as
sist in taking care of the animals and do
general work, but the mental duties are
performed by Nubian slaves, who are
very cheap and can 6e bought in num-
bers to suit. Among the natives the
women are looked on as inferior. Wom-
en- never eat with their husbands. The
husband is allowed four wives, and as
many slaves as he can corral"
A sufficient number and variety of
animals having been secured, a caravan
is formed to take them across the desert
to Germany or America. This usually
consists of about 100 camels, each hay
ing its native driver; thirty or forty
horses for the white men and the Arab
hunters and their attendants; flock of
from $50 to 200 goats, for their milk
and also for food, and black slaves to
look out for the goats. The wild ami
mails are scared in strong boxes and
carried on the camels' backs. They are
all young, and are fed principally with
goats milk, although occasionally, to
keep them in good spirits and fine condi-
ton, they are given pieces of raw goats
meat. Horses are very cheap there,
ranging from S15 to $50 each-the ma
tives even cheaper, 81 being thought an
extravagant price per man for the trip.
Milking goats are worth 81 each, and
others about so cents. The journey
usually occupies from so to 40 DAYS, and
all travelling is done between 3 and IL
O'Clock in the morning and 5 and Il in
the evening. During midday the SUMS
rays are SO fiercely hot as to make labor
or travelling hazardous, and none is at
tempted. The route home is much the
same as that taken going out, and in
due time the beasts are landed, usually
with very little loss, on the great stock
wild animal farm of Charles Reiche &
Brother, in Alfeldt, Hanover. There
they remain until needed to fill orders
Of showmen in either Europe or Ameri-
ca, while their hardy captors take three
months of rest and recreation before
starting on another trip.
The Reiche Brothers have nearly
s250.0O0 invested in this enterprise,
which they have successfully conducted
Tor many years. The extravaganza of
The prices paid for some of the beasts is
little known. As high as $4,000 has
been paid for single hippopotamus in
good condition. To-day $50, COO would
hardly buy specimen, as there is not
,ne in the country that is known to be
or sale. A rhinoceros is worth from
1000 to 5000, according to demand
md excellence. Giraffes sell for 81 900
o $4,000. Lions from $500 to $1,000,
eopards from $500 to $500, hyenas
tbout the same, and ostriches from $500
o $500. Elephants vary in price, for,
While some have sold for as low as ST.
40, as high as $4,000 has been paid
without grumbling for fine, big, intel
igent one.