The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1893-03-24

How WILD ANIMALS ARE REARED
FCR TIE M1NAaERlES.

Place Scr u Ff9u IN .rniur-
For ths last loco years fle seaports q
northern Africa ia,e been tht ,5I..e. IL
sandy stations 81 he zoo,oSicalcuri7slt NY
market. Daring the FalEay days Of the
circus NdAi1Glls lie Roman p~roconslll
n Hippo begias had special instructions
Ia supervise the weekly shipments Of
wild beasts. and cur ~ileHa-eric owners
still lu4iori Il large percentage Of their
live stock from Dram and Airiers The
latter city, especially, has hecoine ii ret.
devious OF international pet dealers. and
on my last visit 10 Antwerp Captain FL
lard the travelling agent of the famous
H~agenbeck sale m~enagerie. gave me all
interesting account of "A lion kennel in
the neighbcrlood Of the ancient capital
of the Algerian pirates.
In the arcades of the Palace Royale
and all along the steamboat wharves
strangers are troubled by the importu-
mites of beast dealers who bawl out the
merits of their pets. and in the ardor Of
competition will not hesitate to thrust a
tame monkey into the arms of a possible
purchaser. AT a tent near the piazza of
ii FRENCH hotel Captain Ellard saw a ma
tive Arab with a dozen .oung lions, va
rying in price from 10 to 10 francs, but
learning that the trader was merely a
salesman OF "a wild beast farm in the
outskirts of the Carbah. the hill suburb
Of Aigiers, he resolved to apply at head
quarters. knowing from experience that
stock breeders are apt to keep their best
specimens at home.
The captains guide conducted him
through rubbish heaps and bramble
patches to an inclosed garden. which at
first look might have been mistaken for
n of the numerous yesiras, or orchard
farms, in the neighborhood of the Al
gerian coast towns. But when they en-
tered the gate a young baboon leaped
down from the low stone wall and raced
toward his mother. who snatched him up
in her arms and hurried off with cough
ing barks of alarm.
Please keep on this side OF the road
said the guide. There's a she jackal
with pups under that bush over yonder
and she's very apt to fly at a stranger"
Any way You please. Is that the
owner of the placer" pointing to an old
Arab, who was busy cleaning out a bar
red den-apparentlya natural ave fitted
up for the purpose of a kennel.
Yes, that's the sheikh. that's Ben
Koffa." said the guide. He used to be
chief OF u little mountain tribe, but the
war ruined them He's all right now
They can't break mp his present business
rs long as the people in Franciscan buy
wood devils" tshat-eI-kamr-a generic
name for carnivorous animals, OF ..ver-
mint, as our trappers would call them
The sheikh dropped his rake and wei
coined the captain, who stepped back to
save his clothes from two baby lions that
had squeezed out of their cage aud began
to play with his trousers.
Some half grown brethren of the young
baboon had emerged from their hiding
place under the house and at once pro-
ceeded to illustrate their peculiar talent
by upsetting "A dish OF milk before the
old Arab could kick them out Of the way
Seeing n Of the young lions help him
self to the spilled milk. they grabbed
him by the tail and got their faces
scratched for their trouble. but in the
ensuing scrimmage four pairs of fists
threatened to prevail against two pairs Of
immature claws. when the old lioness in
the cage rose up with a menacing growl
that sent the Islanders scampering of
with screams of dismay. One of the Sc
Nor balloons then appeared on the scene,
but vanished like a shot when the sheikh
made a grab for his rake. The captain
burst out laughing. :
You may believe it keeps Inc busy to
AtrapsrlHoy, .,,,f fl. NIL, - n.1n1, - .a.l
the old Arab. but in the long run it's
the cheapest plan to give them as much
freedom as possible. They live just
twice IS long and are not SO apt to get
baldheaded with inconsistencies"
But suppose those young scamps
should run into . gang of your jackals,
would not some of them be apt to get
badly hurt:'
i don't think they would" said the
sheikh. They get along in peace just
the same as out in the wilderness. Jack
ais, you know, live on meat and balloons
on berries and roots, 80 they do not in
terfere with each others business. It
would be different with some other crea-
lures. have a cageful Of wildcats from
Mount Atlas. and when one Of them got
. a few weeks ago you could hear my
dogs and jackals howl all over the town
ship. A dog and all his cousins seem to
have an idea that a small sized cat has
got no right to be alive anyhow. About
the big cats, like lions and leopards. they
are a little more careful"
How many Of the big kind have you
altogether"
Five leoparas and &c lions. said the
sheikh. They are ia the main kennel
o. the other side Of the wall, but it's
safer to keep the younger ones neal the
house
1T must cost you a pretty penny to
feed all those boardersg"
Yes, but scrap meat Is cheap in a
place like this. Why. do you know that
you can get some of it for less than moth
ing? The city several times paid me )