The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1879-01-28
THE zoo zoo.
The Ark Of the d. 0.-A Lion
Tanners Rsmlniscences-Tacts
Gathered ct Fair orounda

On . delightful summer afternoon
nothing more pleasant can be conceiv-
ed than q visit to the Fair Ground,
and . s:orll through the various de-
partments and the Geological Gar
dens but on an afternoon like that Of
yesterday. when the thermometer was
nesting down in the near proximity
II zero, the pleasure dwindles down to
the merest imaginable iota. as Star
representative realized. The spacious
grounds were carpete.l with snow ard
ice, aud almOs. entirely deserted,
there being only halt dozen sight
seers fastening hither and thither rs
if per.orL. 'ng some self-imposed, un-
pleasant task. A silver quarter
proved the open sesame to the
enclosure, and q call at Secretary
Kalb's residence procured the neces-
sary passport to all of the different
departments where were housed the
beasts and birds of every cline, from
the king Of the former down To the
most innocent tiny gold6nch of the
latter species. Perhaps it would be
is well to state at this juncture that
the o! jec: Of the visit to the grounds
was to ascertain how the ZoUzoO
collection Was passing the present
severe winter.
| THE FIRST CALL
was made at the quarters allotted to
the carnivOrOus or flesh eating animals.
and there William Winner. Barnum'>
old liOn-tamer was found. and under
his escort the afternoon was whiled
away as nicely As could he desired.
The thermometer in the main apart
ment indicated sixty degrees above
zerO and the animals, with the
exception Of the panthers and hyenas,
were all resting costly. Gilsey, the
elephant. put out his trunk with faint
recognition at sight Of the scribe when
the rounds Of the cages was begun,
and halt was made near him he
I hru.t that useful appendsge down
into the visitors overcoat pocket, and
fished out few old notes. The keeper
smiled and Gyp. snorted an acknowl
sdgmen: rs he began chewing up the
hieroglyphics. bnt rs the mOrsel
CHANGED to be the testimony Of a
Four Courts witness, it proved too
strong for an elephant even, and his
snort of pleasure changed to one Of
disgust rs its nature dawned upon
him, and he spit the half chewed mass
out IN high dudgeon. Emperor. the
African lion, and his mistress, were
next visited, and were found in the
best spirits. They have been in the
garden for three years. and were
originally purchased from Cooks
Menagerie.
lis the terror Of timid women. small
boys and strange dogs. although to his
master he is as aaecitonate as one
Of his species ever get to be. The
cage adjoining the lions is occupied by
five fine panthers, two Of which were
caught in Texas, two in California and
one in the Indian Nation. They are
anything but a happy family. and
keep up an almost continuous round
Of quarreling IN their small but secure
cage.
The splendid jaguar, Major. vas in
the best Of health, as were his next
door neighbOrs, the hyenas. one Of
which q few months ago obtained =
slight change Of diet by eating of one
Of Keeper Winners fingers. The
cage next north to that of the
treacherous hyenas is devoted ex'
clusively to the old African lion
George. who is one of the latest
acquisitions to the Garden. The old
fellow is one mass of scars. received
from his ring fights with bulls, he
having fought and killed ffty-four Of
the latter in days gone BY in Mexico
and Texas. He is an old performing
lion. and was purchased from some
weak travelling exhibition at San
Antonio, Texas. during
LAST SEASON.
The African leopards, and the royal
Bengal tigers, the latter a fine male
and female. imported direct from
their native jungles. were next viewed
and then the tiger cats which were
purchased one year ago from Mont
gomery and Queen, and nondescript
animal Of the cat species, known q
the panther cat, and captured in
South America some months ago. I.
is IN animal hitherto unknown, has q
small narrow ferret like head, otter
tail, and q rich red tawny coIored
coat Of fur, and possesses al of the
restlessness Of the panther and hyena
combined.
} FEEDING HOUR
had now arrived and the daily rations
of the above enumerated beasts, with
the exception Of the elephant, consist.
ing Of $50 pounds Of raw beef, were
brought up. At the first scent Of
the meat the Gagged beasts set up IN
en,inOus growing, which was only
hushed when all had been served.
The chunks Of meat, weighing from
three to ten pounds each. were thrown
through the bars and As the animals
settled down to thsir meal Winner,
the superintendent of all the animals
and the keeper Of that one depart
ment, vouchsafed the following
information As to how the animals
were kept:
This" said be, sis the last meal
they will have until Tuesday after
noon, - it 10 . world wide habit to
make Monday q fast day for all meat