The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-04-25
PRICES OF WILD BEASTS AND BIRDS.
Profits on E1ephants-Sea Lions Too Scarce
To Be Quoted.

Profits on Elephants-sea Lions Too Scarce
To Be Quoted.
New York Tribune.
''Want to know the prices of tn. animals, do
your asked the veteran trainer, George Arsting-
stall, as he came out of the ring at Madison
square Garden after performing his great act,
and pulled off his dresscoat. well, l don't
know that can give you any definite informa-
retail jewelry trade You ask all you think you
get and get the most you en- Some
animals are almost beyond price. 1nat white
elephant, for instance-Vanderbiltc couldn't buy
him. He cost US all of 100000. A we'll trained
elephant will bring from $50, 900 to $40, 000
Five of these together" pointing to the herd
quietly munching their hay behind the ropes,
-"cost $3.50, 900. The average green elephant
costs So 900 TO 81, 900 in this country, after his
passage and the duty at the custom house has
been paid If you go to agent in Ceylon he
will charge you from 500 to 81, 600, while he
pays the natives who capture them about half
that, in all probability. This classification holds
in all cases. First comes the educated or per-
forming animal, which will always bring good
price. Then comes the tame animal, that will
stay i'll cage without tearing itself to pieces and
chewing up everything within its reach. Then
the green specimen, that has just landed, and
which is liable to do all these unpleasant things
and anything else that its ingenuity may sug-
gest Finally, and lowest of all, is the animal in
its native wilds, at the place Of capture. The
figures that l am giving you are for either the
first or second class. We have a fine lioness that
cost $780, but average male lions range in
price from 81, 900 to 3d. CO.,
"a good tiger costs 81 000 while inferior
specimens can be bought as low as $500. The
tiger is q more truly royal beast than the lion,
and does not stand captivity as we'll This, and
the difficulty of catching him keep prices up.
The man who goes out to bag full grown tiger
has large contract on his hands. A good trick
bear will bring ST 800 while the ordinary show
beasts range from $3.50 to $780, A white polar
bear that has become acclimated. and can live
without his two or three tons of ice day. is
worth S., 000 Brazilian and African leopards
range from 81, 600 to $1,000 The giraffe is
delicate subject. The longest lie was ever
known to live in captivity was two years, and it
is rare that one lasts half that time. 1t is diff
eat and drink when in the wild state
they drink from the cup-like leaves
Of the palm tree. A single speci-
men is worth from $1,000 to 0,000. A
herd of fifteen was once sold for 100000 There
are more then sixty varieties of the antelope
family, from the elk and horned horse, or gnu,
down, costing from $1,000 to So, 900 each. The
camel costs from $500 to 81, 600, but we bought
lot once from Spectator who had made an I'M
successful attempt to acclimate them in Texas,
way below those figures. In the desert camel
is worth about as much as horse, and lives TO
the same age. The hippopotamus is rather
certain in price. Ten years ago one would cost
$4,000 They're cheaper now, however The
Monkeys are cheap at $50 each, while large
blue nosed or dog-faced specimen will sell for
81, 900. Any Snowman would gladly give
$4,000 for a live gorilla, but he is
not obtanable at even that price, and we
have TO content ourselves with chimpanzees at
So, 900 each. large ostrich will bring from
81, 900 to So, 600. He is shortlived, vicious
bird, and worries himself to death. The emu
and cassowary cost 5000 81, 900 EACH The
saddle tapir, called, because his skin wrinkles
up like blanket, will sell for 81, 900, or more if
it is fine specimen. Hyenas are catalogued at
from 81 zoo to $1,000, and Alaska seals from
ST., 900 to g. 900. while lions so rare that
it would be difficult to put price on them.
Large snakes, boas and pythons run up to 1000
each, and any specimen of that class which has
learned to feed in captivity, after which they
will live a long time is worth at least So 000."
How much capital is there invested in wild
animals in this countryp
well. that couldn't tell exactly; as much as
81, 900, 000 say. This Egyptian war is
raising the prices too, since most of the African
animals come through Egypt. but there is no
danger of any great scarcity at present, guess"