Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-07-06
MEErlNG THE BUFFALo's FATE.
Elephants Being Wantonly slaughtered to
supply the Demand for Ivory.

Elephants Being WantOnly Slaughtered to
supply the Demand for Ivory.
Among the arrivals at San Francisco
on the Gaelic from the Orient recently
was quiet, blonde man in middle life,
whose achievements in 6arbaric lands
have been talked OF around the globe.
Few knew him, yet he has been received
by kings, and for some years his deeds
have been heralded everywhere by
lightning. The distinguished man was
Lieutenant Otto Z. Ehlers, the famous
German explorer, who first climbed
the lofty mountain of Kilimanjaro,
and who saved all that part Of
East Africa 70 the German Empire.
He is just returning after some
years In the strange wild countries be-
yond the Pacific, and what he has 10
say is OF extraordinary interest. He
went 70 India after his arrival in Ger
many from Africa primarily 20 get a
number Of tame elephants with which
to subjugate the wild ones of the dark
continent, but this led him into many
other explorations. il was in 1855, 1t
will be remembered, that he went out
to Africa. IL was the time that fierce
wars were raging. He explored Kill
manjarO, 10, 500 feet high, being the
first white man TO set foot upon its
crest. He also accom- panied Major
Wissman, the German Commissioner in
Africa, against the Arabs, and was with
him on several other expeditions. In
these exploits Lieutenant Ehlers had
many narrow escapes and to-day his
face is Scared by conflicts on battle
fields aud ia jungles.
Lieutenant EhlerS spent some time in
the Garrow hills Ia Assam with NJ. Saw
hunting elephants. In this be took
great interest, because IL involves a
great ivory hunting and carrying prof.
ect which he has 10 view in East Africa.
His object Is TO form keddahS, or great
cOrrals made OF troes and roots, in the
German territory in eastern Africa,
where the difficulties in connection
with transport animals are very great.
Mules, ponies and camels die off quick
ly In the African jungles, but there
are thousands of wild elephants
waiting 10 be caught in the forests.
On the slopes Of Kilimanjaro
many herds are to be met with.
Trained Indian elephants, mahouts, and
q few native Indian elephant catcherS
are to be introduced there, and large
catches will be made every year. II
will cost about two thousand rupees
head TO transport elephants from India
90 Zanzbr, but the Germans can easily
stand the cost OF what is needed. In
few years, therefore, the African ele
plant will become something more than
mere iyOrY-bearing animal, TO be
slaughtered wholesale. This plan, il is
conceded, will benefit Englishmen and
Germans alike in East Africa. The
lieutenant says he would have gladly
seen the English and German govern
ments joining hands 10 such a project,
and he dwelt upon the fact that some
10000 elephants are killed yearly In
Africa for their ivory.
"In Zanzibar alone" said he to a
Chronicle man, "some 10000 pounds
OF ivory are brought every sea-
son TO the market. There
are tusks among them weighing from
$50 TO 100 pounds, and even more, but,
OF course, the tuSks are mostly small,
for IL is much easier TO trap or kill a
young elephant than an old one. Let US
say that on au average every tusk
weighs from twenty 10 twenty-five
pounds. The tusks Of 5000 elephants
are brouget annually to Zanzibar. Ele-
plants in Africa are mostly killed with
poisoned arrows. Perhaps so per cent
break away 10 die in the jungle. where
their tuSks are never found. So, per-
haps, 10000 elephants have been sacri-
feed to get the ivory for the Zanzibar
market alone. Besides this lot OF