Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-07-07

A Remarkable Animal, and, of Course
Chicago Has One.


Chicago Has One.
Chicago Nsass
Lincoln Park has new curiosity.
We regard 1t as the most remarkable
specimen OF animal life in the geologic
al quartet. 1t is rackaboar, the GIT
of Edward G. Mason, the historian,
who, at great expense, has brought
the rare and strange creature from
Egypt and presented it to our North
Side Park.
This curious beast was captured In
the wild mountainous country ABOUT
400 miles above Cairo and snort
distance back from the Nile. 1t has
somewhat the appearance OF goat;
except that its fleece is very curly ana
of a blueish- black color, and Its neck Is
of extraordinary length. lts
eyes are surprisingly large and
beautiful, and its small head IS sur
mounted by two slender cork-screw
horns, perhaps four inches In length.
The rackaboar lives altogether upon the
shelf mountains Of its native district.
These mountains are composed, as their
name indicates, of a mighty series OF
rocky shelves or steps, of so regular
formation that one might fancy that
these same shelves or steps had been
hewed out by artisans instead OF being
simply a beautiful caprice OF nature.
Upon these shelves or steps does the
rackaboar abide, subsisting on the hardy
heritage there Astounding, and, to en-
able 1t to move swiftly and securely
over this unusual surface, nature has
provided the beast with two short ana
two longer legs, thus enabling the rack
aboar to career at full speed upon the
rocky shelves. The legs upon the right
side OF the beast are from three to seven
inches longer than those on the left side,
consequently the racka0oar pursues his
way, easily, gracefully and swiftly, one
set of feet resting on lower shelf OF the
mountain and the other resting on the
superadjacent shelf.
When pursued by lions, jackals, n.y.
enas, or other foes the rackaboar easily
escapes, for he is exceedingly fleet, and
has this advantage, viz, that whereas
he is formed TO run upon a side hill, the
others are not, and so he quickly van
ishes and his adversaries, footsore and
embarrassed, deSiSt from the chase.
When, as frequently happens beasts OF
prey come face to face with this harm
less creature, the rackaboar instructive
ly doubles It's long neck back under It's
belly, thrusts its head up between It's
hind legs, and, thus reversed, makes
good its flight in the opposite direction.
The only way whereby the rackaboar
can be captured Is to station bands OF
hunters both before and behind it, and
then the beast may betaken with lassoes.
Barnum once had q rackaboar In his
menagerie, but the poor creature soon
died of surfeit of peanuts and popcorn
fed to him by children when the keeper
was not looking. This specimen which
Mr.. Mason has dor ated TO Lincoln Park
is the second which has been taken out
of Egypt. He is now provided with
quarters near the aviary, and seems TO
be contented enough on the rough pile
of stone steps hastily constructed for
his accommodation.
Mr.. Edbrooke, the architect, says
that rackaboarS used to abound in the
Rocky Mountains when he first went to
Colorado, but that the harmless crea-
lures were soon eXterminated by sports
men. In Africa the species are rapidly
becoming extinct BY the writers of
antiquity the rackaboar was frequently
mentioned. Pliny confoundS him with
the unicorn; Herodotus gives lively
description; Aristotle calls him the
mountain sheep; Marco Polo declares
that be is to be found in Tartary, and
Sir John Vaudeville praises his flesh as
being Full swete for We eatinge and for
ye removing of allie curst distempers
and mischievous rheums that prey in We
livre and We reins of name and goe
about toilling We sowle with horrid con-
temptations"