The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-06-18
CAPTURING ANIMALS.
How the Monarchs Of the Jungle
Are Made Prisoners.
The Australian Savages and How They
Suffered From the Sudden Plunge Into
Ciyilization-Story of the Purchase
Of the Famous White Elephant.
lCOPYRIGHT, 1897


became collector of wild animals
;through my connection with circus en-
terprises, with the Barnum < Bailey
show, the managers of which employed
me to procure both savage beasts and
human beings scarcely less savage.
One of the most interesting exhibits
] brought to this country was the col
lection of cannibals from Australia,
the first ever brought here. These Gu
,aous creat lures are quite plentifully
found in Queensland, in the northern
part of Australia. l went to the coun-
TRY near where they were, and induced
the captain of one of the coasters, or
aittle sloops. to obtain them for me,
paying twenty pounds a head. We
sould not give the savage any idea of
,-7here they were going, but we knew
Shey would be perfectly satisfied with
sheir condition so long as they had
Dlenty to eat and drink, and all the to-
oacco they wanted
They are very fond of rum. and. at
the outset, we supplied them quite lib-
orally with that beverage. Ten were
brought over and only three lived TO
return. The seven died literally from
being treated too well, in proof of
which statement / may mention the
circumstance that every time ! go to
Australia / receive message from one
of the three who returned saying how
much he would like to come back to
the United States.
When we got the savages on the
steamer l instructed the steward to
feed them generously, and the conse-
Guence was that in two days they were
all taken sick. In their native land
shey were accustomed to xiii and cat q
Kangaroo, maybe. one day. and then,
for three or four days. go without eat
ing anything. On the steamer they
would eat two pounds of beef every
day, and consequently suffered from
dyspepsia until we were obliged to
serve their food in rations as is done
in the army. They naturally attempted
to convey to Us by gestures and signs
the impression that they didn't get
enough to eat, hut we knew better,
land certainly under this arrangement
they ceased to be sick.
While or one of my far eastern trips
received telegram from Barnum
& Bailey to go to Sam and procure
d white elephant, regardless of cost
In this connection let me explain why
the white elephant is so much thought
Of in the east.
There were five monarchs, up to a
few years ago. who could possess
white elcphants-tbem ikado Of Japan,
the emperor of China. the king of
Siam, the king of Burmah and the king
of Ceylon.
The inhabitants of all these cOun-
tries are Buddhists, and the island of
Ceylon is the head center of Buddhism.
According to this religion, man lives
twelve times on earth. his soul return
ing after each demise to some animal,
beginning with some of the lower va
rieties like a reptile. a crocodile or
wolf, and then each time he dies after
wards returning to some animal of a
higher type. IN this way there is
gradual progression of the soul until it
reaches the animal representing the
highest type of all, which is the white
elephant
They claim that the founder of their
religion came back to earth twelve
times, and is the only one who eventu-
ally succeeded in getting 10 Heaven.
The last SIX times he WAS ON earth his
arit was incarcerated in one of these