Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-05-16

Animals Are Fed and Lodged Cor On. sun
mer.
IS A T THIS SEASON OF THE YEAR
"A keep boarding house for pets, said .
fancier TO . writer for TIE srAR 1T n q
profitable business, because there are great
many people in Washington Who want the
birds and beasts they make companions a
cared for through the summer while they
are away in the country. So during
the heated term this establishment 10 q
sort of hotel for feathered and furry crca-
lures whose names are entered on q register
used exclusively for that purpose. Rooms are
provided for their accommodation. always with
board, at somuch a week. These partitioned
apartments with wire fronts are constructed
expressly for their occupancy. A chamber
maid-my boy assistant-attends 10 them every
morning. seeing that they are clean and max
ing up the beds for such Of the boarders - do
not perch"
What sort Of animals do you accept -
boarders?"
''All sorts. I accommodate cansries. mock
ing BIRDS. parrots. rabbits. guinea pigs. SPUR
reis, dogs. cats and monkeys. But there IL no
sort OF beast or bird that I am not willing 10
entertain at schedule rates The accom-
modations i offer are first class, guests
are given every attention, the food 10
unex ceptionable, all modern improvements Of
a sanitary nature are supplied and the prices
charge are correspondingly high. Twenty-Five
week for any larger bird. such as a mocking
bird or parrot The price for squirrels 10 %
cents a week and the same for kittens but full
grown cats must pay IS cents and
small dogs 81 each. Big dog 1 ask more
for in proportion TO their size. They are more
trouble TO take care of than any other creatures
because they have TO be taken out doors for
exercise. Besides. they eat more. and that ID
an Item. Cenaries are my most numerous
customers; probably shall have 200 Of them 70
look oct for this summer. Twenty-Five cents
each is not much to ask for taking
care OF them, because they have 10 be
looked out for very sharply, and, inasmuch a.
the warm season is their moulting time, their
owners are very apt 20 kick when they come
back in the fall and find them out OF condition
and not in song. Sometimes they will not
recognize their own birds. and will think that
inferior ones are being palmed of on them in
exchange. With fish IL doesn't make any differ
ence."
FISH As PARLoR BoARprRs
'Do Won board fsh2"
Certainly. Lots of people have pet gold fish,
They fetch them he re when they go away, but
they don't expect TO get the same ones when
they come back. put them into the tanks
with the rest Of the stock and give a card in ex-
change that Is good for so many gold fish in the
fan. This L do for customers without any
charge; 1t is very little trouble. Folks don't
get fond of individual gold fish. You see. do
pretty much the same with rabbits and guinea
pigs Small boys bring them to me TO take
care of during the summer and / give them
others as nearly like rs possible in the autumn
They think they are the same ones. because
one rabbit is pretty much like another and 90
1t is also with guinea pigs. Boys are the best
customers we fanciers have"
Indeed"
''Yes; if it wasn't for them our business
would soon go to smash Not only do thew
buy most OF what we sell, but they supply the
| greater part OF our stock in trade. What they
don raise they collect They bring in from
their rural explorations turtles. frogs tad
poles and snakes. all Of which are ss.leable.
What do people want snakes for, you ask2
For many purposes. young man
bought a snake from me yesterday after
noon, which he said he was going
TO take to a party that evening for q joke.
Folks have different ideas of jokes. you know.
other snakes sell 10 professors and doctors
who want TO make experiments with them.
Mosto OF our rabbits and guinea pigs get from
boys also, who raise them. Doctors buy them,
too, for cutting up and inocculating with all
| sorts OF poisons. Those animals are the chosen
| victims of science.
THE CHICKENS
| sell are bought from breeders around about
Washington who keep pure stock. There are
ever so many fancy breeds of fowls nowadavs
but If You want to buy for usefulness get brown
or white Leghorns, that lay an egg a day apiece
per hen, or speckled Plymouth Rocks that are
| fine layers and excellent for meat also.
L keep in communication with the breeders
SO that can get any stock i want at q few
hours notice. and on Sundays am apt 10 20
on excursions In my buggy and make seleo-
| uons from farm TO farm. Common pigeons
buy from the boys but choice ones, finely
bred OF different neutrality-suspicious. fantails.
| carriers, tumblers and the rest-I purchase
from men who devote attention TO breeding
them for the market There is always
MARKET FOR FANCY CATS,
which come mostly from Ohio, as do also The
exceptional strains Of rabbits, guinea pigs and
| ferrets. Farmers in that state make quite a
business of raising such sorts of stock But
| Angora cats come from Maine. where they are
likewise bred on farms and improved, and 80.
| too, with the "coon-cats," Of which We never
see any down in this region. The popular
notion is that 'coon-cats are q cross
coon but Of connss ana ab.a ss ss
cause you might well talk Of crossing the cat
and the dog. don't know myself how the
coon-cat is produced, but il has very long hair
big fluffy tail and is undoubtedly Of Angora
parentage on one side. May be the other side
is tortoise shell, but at all events il is the most
| weird specimen of the pussy tribe that know
of, without exception. Fine Angora cats sell
for $50 apiece; have known coon-csts up
| north that weren't for sale for $500"
FROM THE LAND OF MoSKEYs
"Where do you get your monkeys?"
"They are brought from tropical chimes by
sailors, and importers Of animals in New York
send agents TO the vessels to buy them from
the Jack Tars. i have regular dealings with
| the metropolitan merchants and through their
hands 1 get marmosets and other kinds Of
monkeys that are saleable for pets. They
are SO human-liks that no one can be
otherwise than interested by them.
You ought to see the female one in that
corner cage handle q guinea pig just as il il
were baby. To the guinea pig the perform
ance is not agreeable, because il Is apt not
to be held upside down, but the sight 10 most
entertaining"
MocKISG BIRDS.
''whence do mocking birds Gomez"
'From Texas chiefly. Albany in that state ID
the headquarters for them. One trappsr there
| sends me from fifty to one hundred mockinR
birds every week In crates. forward nearly
all Of them TO New York, exchanging them for
other stock. The system Of exchange is car
ried on to . great extent in the fanciers
business Most Of the stock that we get
from boys is negotiated for on that
plan; 90 many rabbits make Q squirrel,
and SO on. do q considerable trade In pea
cocks, which customers who have country
places buy for ornamental purposes. Farmers
raise them in Maryland and Virginia Gold
fish are propagated by regular breeders in
Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania, who send
them TO me in cana but the fancy GOLD 6sh