The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-05-24
A QUEER INDUSTRY.
Trading in the Beasts That Live
in Menageries.
Hunting Parties Sent Every
where in Search of Curiosities.

The expenditure OF hundreds of thou
sands OF dollars each year in the pro-
curcment of wild beasts, birds and rep
tiles seems like the wicked extrava-
garce OF some magnificent potentate,
but when it is incurred in the course of
trade it furnishes food for thought by
the philosopher, talk by the moralist
and amusement and instruction for the
multitude. Mr.. Reiche, a New York
dealer in wild animals, has been inter-
viewed on this subject by Graphic re-
porter.
eve send out some half a dozen
expeditions every year." hc said, to
different parts of the world. There are
three points in Africa to which we send.
One goes to the north of Africa and
thence to tn, Interior as far a, circum-
stances may DICT Ate. Another goes to
Cape Town and thence northerly by OK
teams into the interior as far towards
Rider Haggards land of story as may
be. The third goes to the west coast
and through Liberia. Then we send
one to Para and that goes to any point
in South America that seems most de-
sirable. Another goes to Australia and
New Zealand. Then we send parties
out for walrusses and sea lions towards
The South Pole. They sometimes catch
polar bear, but not often.
SIT would be almost impossible to say
what is expended ia the pursuit. The
nitro capital invested is turned over
as frequently as possible. Sometimes
we have money lying idle for time,
and sometimes it is all invested in the
different consignments that are coming
home. 1t would be equally hard to es-
innate the profits, for, of course, the
business is full of accidents. We are
liza BILE to lose the beasts that have cost
Is the most, and we may get very high
prices for some that have cost COM
paratively little. There was one hippo
potamus that our hunter, Lohse
bought for $50 from some natives on
:he Settle River in Africa. The ami
nal was only few days old when he
bought it and it was kept for some time
ceiore it was sold for $40, 900. OF
course the differcnnA hAtwaau the .~se
iums was not all or nearly all profit, but
they are illustrative.
Necessarily our hunters run into all
Iorts of dangers, not only from the wild
beasts themselves, but from the natives
n some of the wild countries they have
o explore. They are trained men,
hough, and seldom como to utter grief
hough some of the men they employ
re frequently killed. In Africa they
will have sometimes party of 200 or !,
700, or even 500 natives employed in
luntlng the big game. Their stories of
dvcnture are as thrilling as those in
ny book OF travel, but the professional
lunter is not often professional story
cller, and the stories that you find in
looks are generally told second hand.
"What do we do with our goods
shcn wc get thema They are, the
most of them, taken to Germany, to our
at Alfcld. There they are
ept for timo if they ara
ut of condition in any way,
r if they havo to be accli-
lated. From Alfcld they are shipped
0 one of our distributing depots. We
ave several places in different parts of
ne world similar to this one. You may
all them salesrooms. Then we send
ircct to our customers.
"Who buy them' Oh, circus people,
ity governments aud private collectors.
If course, the circus people are the
'rgest buyers. They use up a great
lany animals. That is, their curiosi-
es die faster than they would if it were
OF for the constant travel. They are
lred for as well as possible, but of
curse the life is hard ON them. Then
here are public and private geological
ardens which we supply and multi
ldes of people buy all sorts of pets.
[ere, for instance, is pet that would
e appreciated by great many"
And he reached down into the barrel.
le bottom of which was covered with
Dung alligators, which were squirmlng
nd straddling around In two or three
lches OF dirty water. Picking one of
lesc up by the head he held it in his
and and poked it to show that it was
'ft, being newly Matched. Then he
led to see If it would bite him. and
lding it would not put it carefully
ack among its brethren.