The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1881-06-23
Sunday in n Menagerie.

The scene within the tents of the
menagerie, now here, was more pictur-
esque on Sunday than on workdays,
and was one lew of the uninitiated have
ever witnessed. For Sunday is general
cleaning up day for the animals, many
of whom require as much tender care as
a delicate child Around the first tent
were ranged the numerous camels and
the twenty elephants, big and little,
contentedly munchiDg hay after their
morning bath, while workmen and per-
formers were grouped about, and dogs
and various little animals of the great
family apparently were nibbling the
grass or trotting about enjoying their
only liberty for a week. Poor things,
they need it." said Mr.. Bailey; " 1T has
been hard week for them with the
rain and the travel, and they need the
exercise as much as the wagons do the
washing they are receiving. You can't
tell how trying the life IS to some of
them. Why we have had to take the
little Shetland ponies out of the tent be-
cause they can't lie down on the trains,
and when the crowds come into the
show they keep them constantly on
their feet for the children to see. The
giant horse yonder has hardly lain
down since we started. Once he did, i
lnow. That is when he fell down
while asleep. We have had to turn the
big OK out to pasture for the same rea-
SON." A shrill believing turned atten-
tion to the elephants, just as one was
pulled to the ground and his side by q
sharp jab with hook in his ear.
The PROSTATE animal was soon reach
ing out for hay with his trunk, while
the trainer was pairing his hoofs with q
huge drawing knife. This is thing
which has to be done three or four
times year, because the feet are but
little tougher than calloused skin, and
the quick flesh is so near the surface
that the animals are liable to be
troubled by the dirt and stones gath
cred in the folds. 1t is a hard job, and
the trainer perspired freely yesterday
after performing the Office for seven OF
the elephants.
In the next tent where the cages are
the sight was still more interesting.
The llama and like quadrupeds were
stretching their legs on the grass, q
huge pelican was Tapping his broad
wings and swapping his huge bills, ev-
identity in extreme enjoyment of his
liberty the adjutant was hopping about
with long jumps of his ungainly legs, a
1
clown can hope to be, the two giraffes
| protruded their delicate heads from the
top of their wagons, and stretched
their necks from side to side; the lum-
bering hippopotamus was being chased
up and down the turf to give him the
exercise he sadly needed; while the
carnivorous animals were receiving
their exercise inside from the switches
of their trainers. Occasionally leop-
ard would crouch threatening and
snarling behind his keepers back; when
as quick as thought he would be lashed
to the other side of his cage, and be
made to jump over a stick three or four
times.
The poor giraffes were pitiful looking
spectators OF the freedom of their neigh
bors. They are delicate animals; a
cold would be fatal to them, and the
poor things have hardly stretched their
necks until yesterday during the wet
spell. Beds of straw were carefully
spread for them in the grass yesterday,
but it was fiually decided that the
ground was too damp, and their long
legs were doomed to be cramped 0
while longer. Even the big snakes
were more fortunate. Their own glass
cages were being cleaned, and they
were bundled into an empty wagon.
There were fifteen or twenty of them,
but they were SO intertwined that the
number might as well have been called
fifty. They were ugly, too, for they
have not been fed for month or two.
1--WE put in live pigeons and guinea
pigs or rabbits" said their Keeper;
"they won't eat anything dead. When
they once gorge themselves they doL't
need anything more for two or three
months. Now they are ugly and hun
cry; but they won't hur, me "---Spring.
Held (Aass.) Republican,