The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-08-23
BARNUM ON sBAGGING.
STORIES OF THE CAPTURE OF.
WILD ANIMALS.


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Posthumous Article by the Great
American Snowman. Relating Tnrill-
ing Incidents in tho Busiuess of Pro-
curing Menag erie Attractions.
From the CHICAGO Daily Ne,cs.
am often asked how the wild animals
exhibited in our menageries end geological
gardens are obtained, and | usually reply
that they are generally purchased abroad
from some one of those individual son the
continent of Europe whoamake a business
Of dealing in them. One Of the largest of
these repositories for the sale Of wild
animals is located in Amsterdam, that
quaint old city of the Netherlands, famous
for its schnapps and its diamond cutting,
where an American fancies himself con-
stantly profane because The name Of every
thing ends in dam" aud where one has an
opportunity to study and, admire the ster-
ling virtues of the Dutch character. a
ADVENTURES of THE HUNTERS.
It certainly seems an odd business for a
man to deal in live elephants, lions, tigers
leopards. hippopotami and many other ant
mails that 60 to fill up the cages OF a menag-
! erie. 1t Is one, too, which gives rise to
the men who buy and sell tbese living wares
are by no means dull companions If they
can be led to talk of what they have sean
and heard OF their singular avocaton But
| these men are poor company compared with
| those whose life business it is to huat aud
| trap menagerie attractions in their native
| lairs and jungles. The stories these men
| tell of their hair-breath escapes from vio-
| lent death, Of the strange habits Of animals
and of the many moving accidents by food
| and field to which they have been exposed
might well stir fever heat even in the
blood Of age.
GETTING DOWN TO THE STORY.
During my long experience as a public
| entertainer have frequently found it i'm
| possible to obtain from the regular dealers
In animals such attractions as | desired
| This was notably the case with the sacred
white elephant" exhibited by the Barnum
show during the summer of 1854. | have
therefore constantly had agents in all parts
! of the world searching for all that was
strange in nature or that was new to the
amusement-seekers of our country.
Under the charge Of these agents expedi-
lions have often been fitted out and sent to
| capture for me some wild animal which
the dealers were unable to supply The
story OF almost any one of these hunting
parties" would be quite as replete with
| thrilling incidents and of quite as strong
| general interest as that of any ever pub
llshed concerning any African explorations
| or any attempt to reach the north pole
! Some OF these episodes in the great drama
of life l have here noted down as nearly as
| possible as they fell from the lips Of the
narrators who had been the chief actors in
the thrilling scenes they described.
FASCINATION IN SNAKES.
| There is probably no representative of
| the animal Ripp6ntp that al,
strange fascination for spectators as snakes.
| All mankind regard a snake with a strange
| mixture of admiration curiosity, loathiBR
| and hatred. A certain indescribable weird
ness and mystery seem to cling about it,
Ever since old Satan assumed the guise of
his snakeship in the garden OF Eden the
| traveller and the writer of romances have
found in snakes one of their chief means of
inspiring wonder and terror in their read
ers, and from time immemoriel snake stor-
les have had a wonderfully strong hold
upon popular favor. A man who was for a
long time my agent in Ceylon related to
me. many interesting anecdotes of the
snakes OF that country and tho methods by
which he obtained some fine living specf~
mems OF them for my museum in New York.
He said that the two most venenous
snakes OF Ceylon are the cobra and the tic
polonga, between whom there exists &C
deadly hatred that it is a proverbial say
ing concerning two people who have an
luminosity toward each other that they are
like cobra and polonga
| STOPS TO TELL A FABLE.
| Apropos of the enmity of these two scr.
| penis there is told an amusing fable which
also accounts for all polon9as having blunt
Tails 1t is said that very thirsty polonga
met a cobra and inquired of him where he
| could find water. The cobra agreed to give
the desired Information if the polonga would
promise 70 harm no living thing within q
mile of where water was to be found. He
| promised and the cobra then di.
rected him to where. in the rear of a build
ing, child was playing with pan of
wafer. The polonga departed and the
cobra, rejecting upon the treacherous
| nature or the polonga, decided to follow him
and make sure that he kept faith. But, alas
the cobra was too late. When he arrived on
| the scene he found that the polonga, after
drinking the winter, had bitten the child
even then writhinR in its death agony-and
was making off toward the jungle. The
justly incensed cobra rushed upon him and
| a piece or the faithless polonRa's tail Ever
| since then blunt tail has been the badge of
all the polonga tribe
| CHARMED THE SERPENT FROM a TREE.
Being very anxious to obtain for me a
49, SPSSAthOA Va bAC DOIOuE1 my dk6uL
employed two native snake charmers and
| with their aid soon located one In a
tamarind tree. The only weapons with
which the serpent-takers were provided
were two fageolets and long stick The
| power of music over snakes is unquestion-
able IAN excellent thing for all hard drinks
| ers to remember) and the natives walked
back ana forth playing upon their 1ageo>
lets and waiting for the snake to emerge
from his hole in the tree, some six or seven
feet from the ground. Presently the snake
came forth and glided down the tree
and toward one of his would-be cap
tors. Instantly the other drew down his
t1ageolet and rushed at the reptile with his
long stick, which he threw directly across
the snakes body. Then placing a foot upon
each end of the stick, ne held the serpent
tightly to the ground while he seized its tail
with both hands. Presently, with q move
ment like flash of light, he released tho
tail and seized the thin part of the reptiles
neck just behind the jaw, holding it with. a
grip like iron. and thereby rendering it
powerless to harm. His companion then
pried the snakes jaw opeu with a small
stick, and with anotheF broke out the faags
from the upper jaw, thus depriving it COM
pletely OF It's deadly power to bite. ,t,d a