The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-11-04
A Dealer In 1Ienay srles.

"A &NOW ii1 = Otk iGllSL ttl0 AIlAQtC
(Ga.l Constitution says: One day I was
walking down Chatham street, New
York, when my steps were arrested by @
queer sound. proceeding from q store. II
was q sort Of chirping tumult, as if all
the birds in the world had met ia a de-
batting society. j had little difficulty liz
finding the door from whence the chirped
volume OF music issued. It was, / be-.
believe. No. 55, o handsome front aud o
large afore. sauntered to tho door, and
looked In and saw eight that / do not
think can be duplicated in America. On
each side Of the atore the walls were lined
with bird cages, from top to bottom.
The ground work was of canaries. and
there must have been thousands Of these
yellow tufts of fuss and feather. Under
meath the swasg,iug tiers of canaries were
large compartments, in which were
pheasants, cranes, and every rare bird
sacred or profane- That l ever heard
OF. On the higher shelyes were smaller
song aud show birds, from Insane love
birds, or Whaling finches, up to the
hoariest aud hoarsest of parrots.
In this wilderness of cages, shortish
walking leisureIy. AS he saw me he
tothS'k anu O1tu0 2Ol Naih WILL Ludt EHSJ,
pleasant grace common TO, well-bred city
the best type of Germans-he-vty. self.
poised, intelligent and cordial. His face
was clear, thoughtful and strong-the
face OF a man who has seen tho world.
has fought it and whipped it. am thus
special in describing him because /
found him one of the most agreeable and
entertaining men ever met, engaged in
the most unique business, and the Napo.
leon Of his profession.
/ don't know how I came to know 80
much of him so soon, except that he
displayed that engaging frankness that
the travelled man shows to the iuquisi.
tive provincial. At any rate, I discover
ed after all hours chat that + was talk
ing to Henry Reiche, of the firp: of
Reiche & Bro, dealers in birds and wild
animals., This firm is famous the world
over, and stands without competitors.
In the name of this firm there are organ.
lied bands Of hunters in all parts of
Asia and Africa, engaged in capturing
elephants, lions, tigers, etc., for shipment
to the branch house in Hamburg. From
this point the animals are supplied to
England and the Continert.and shipped
TO America. All the wild animals that
fill the me' 'geries and parks of this con-
tinent came through the bright.eyed
German with whom spent that delight
full day. His history is full of interest.
In 1874 or 1916 Charles and Henry
Reiche, two young Germaus, having iit-
tie less than the practical education that
seems to be natural to young Germans,
were bird petitlers in New York. They
went about from street to street, selling
birds from stands. Their trade was
principally in canaries, which they had
sent over from Germany, where they
only cost te. or tn elve cents each. They
did pretty fair business up to 1852,
when they made daring stroke that
made them fortune and established the
enormous business they now control. =, At
that time California was in the flush of
gold finding. Gold was plentiful there,
but luxuries few. There was no trans
continental road, and the Isthmus route
was tedious and costly. Young Reiche.
knowing that canaries were unknown
there, and believing they would become
the rage when once seen, determined to
carry over. cargo. He therefore, got
5000 Of the yellow fellows together, aud
packing them in little cages, started for
the Isthmns. Arriving at Cartenage, he
had his birds carried across the Panama
bay, by natives, and caught o ship there
and. soon reached San Francisco. He
was late in reaching the ship, and the
captain WINS about to sail without him
but, seeing his boats filled with covered
boxes, thought it was beated mail mat.
ter. When Reiche drew near, the cap.
ain hailed him and asked him what be
had.
Canary birds,n replied Reiche.
"Canary birds !" shouted the Captain
eff I'd known it was birds, I'd ha' left
you long ago."
Reiche's first idea of the flush tide he
was to ride was caught from homesick
Englishman, who, hearing the whistle oi
q bull finch that had been accidentally
put in with the canaries., offered to pay
the expenses of the entire cargo for thn
finch. AS this amounted to 1888 Reicht
saw that he had strucka rich lead, ant
be put the price of canaries at $25 eacf
They did become the rage. Hotels, sa
looms, private residences, all must have 6
canary. The little yellow birds made G
craze like The tulip mania. The price
soon went up to $50, and the cargo wal
soon sold. Reiche returned to New Yorl
o rich man.
About this time the menagerie becam,
an. American institution. The gmoral'
show went abroad through the ls id, apt
there was o demand for Asiatic and Af
rican animals. For years Hamburg il
Germany had beeRsa sort of depot q
which such animals were gathering b,
| incoming ships from the tropics. Reich,
conceived the idea os establishing /,
house there, and supplying it steadiI,
with all sorts of beasts, TO be captured b,
bands of hunters, working under hi
direction in the deserts and jungles. UI
| to that time tho. supply OF Hamburg hat
been casual, depending on what sailor
| or ship captains might hiring oyer. NJ:
Reiche weht into Africa and Asia, an,
found that bis best method was 10 de
pend upon native hunters, acting unde
order of their sheikh and directed by
few white men of courage and addres,
| His system was soon SO organized tina
hiB beast depot ut Hamburg became th
largest in the world. It was aupplie
constantly with all sorts of captures
from tiny antelopes up to to elephanti
| running through all the gamut from leo
] pard to, rhinocelos. From Hamburg h
now supplies the most Of the parks an
| gardens of Europe, and ships heavily t
| America. he imports every wild ami
NAL sold in this country, and keeps
"large and assorted atock on hand.
Ninetenths Of the animals in Centra
park, New York, and q large propnrtio
of thosein other parks are his property
\ When hA renaives n cnnsiDnment of linn