Iuka reporter. (Iuka, Miss.) 1888-1894, 1892-03-10
ABOUT A FAMOUS MAN.
Charles Jamracb, OF London, and His
Wild Beasts and CurIosities.

WIN anu CuflOSitIeSv
Charles Jamrach, whose death was
recently announced from London,
was hardly less generally known in
the world of showmen than Barnum
himself, says the New York Sun. He
Fad collected in his London shop for
nearly fifty years wild birds and
beasts from all parts of the globe,
and had distributed them among the
geological gardens and travelling me-
nageries of every civilized country.
His place of business in Ratclif1 high
way, East London, was the Mecca of
the sailor from the South Seas, who
found there ready sale for any
curious fowl, reptile, or savage brute
that he had taken in the tropics.
Jamrach was omniyorous. A rat
tlesnake or an elephant, a monkey or
tiger. a parrot or panther, were
alike welcome at his door. He would
buy polar bear as readily as he
would buy a spring chicken, for he
was wealthy. always had a large sup
ply of money at hand, and had such
widespread relations with the ami
NAL dealers of the world that he was
sure in due time to find a market for
every rare specimen. He had, more
over, establishments in Antwerp and
Hamburg and to keep all the places
well stocked he was obliged to buy
freely.
The power of Jamrach in the cap
tive animal world was we'll Illus
trated in 1865, when Barnum's me-
nageric was destroyed. He received
most of the orders to duplicate the
lost animals, and in remarkably
short period had landed in London by
his numerous agents the collection of
wild beasts which Barnum suisse
quently exhibited in the "biggest
show on earth"
= As befitted man named Jamrach
in an English city, the curious old
man of Ratcliff highway was some
thing Ola universal genius. Late in
his life he did not confine himself to
collecting animals, but opened his
shop to all kinds ofcurios. Porcelain
from China, carvings from Japan,
weapons from the South Seas, cloths
from Asia Minor, and ornaments
from the dark continent were gath
cred by him with careful choice yet
in large quantities. Anybody in
London who wished something Dad
went to Jamrach's, and few persons
left the shop empty handed.
Despite its many attractions for
the curious it is remarkable that
wealth and fashion found its way to
Jamrach's place, for the shop was
not free from dangers and was in a
very disreputable neighborhood. The
wild beasts of jungle and plain were
In only temporary cages and had not
been broken by confinement. Acct
dents We're frequent, and Jamrach,
who never felt fear, had many life
and-death combats in his dingy place.
Once leopard burst his bars while
some twenty children stood before the
cage. Jamrach sprang forward with
a switch in his hand, and by little
whipping and audacity drove the
beast back to it's place.
Jamrach had the Germans knack
of living at peace with quarrelsome
and abandoned neighbors, yet the
sight of his establishment was in 8
sink of a great city's iniquity. Scan.
dinavian, Slay, German, Portuguese,
Arabian, Chinese, and Jap, We're his
visitors, agents, and neighbors. The
surrounding shops bear signs for al
wares and all languages. Here is
"Posada para Manilos y Chinos, :
there s'Danske Skomager, and neal
by a studio where anchors, birds OF
paradise, ships, and woman's heads
are tattooed on sailors arms at the
lowest market rates. Opium joints
abound near Jamrach's, and fights
are as thick as thistles i'm meadows.
Some woman is usually cursing and
staggering along the gutter and
about everybody is after a chance to
rob somebody else. Yet Jamracf
lived in all this riif-raif and hurry
burly without even killing his man.
The last of Jamrach's seventy-siA
years were not his best from trades
mans point of view. The. decline OF
country fairs with their travelling
shows and the abating of the fancy
for pet parrots and monkeys and i'm
ported cats and dogs reduced the ac
tlvity of his business notably, and
Jamrach often mourned for the days
when he could afford losses through
illness and other causes to the eX
tent of $4,000 or more annually
Still Jamrach never complained bit
terly and died as he had lived, a
peace with the world.
Graft A nninsl sciancn