Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1893-05-19
VISITING ALTON FARM
HOW WILD ANIMALS ARE REARED
FOR THE MENAGERlES.

rian Lion Kennel Must BE an Interesting
Place For a Man In Armor.
For the last 1000 years the seaports of
northern Africa have been the principal
supply stations of the geological curiosity
market. During the palmy days of the
| Circus Maximus the Roman proconsul
in Hippo Regius had special instructions
20 supervise the weekly shipments OF
wild beasts. and our menagerie owners
still import a large percentage Of then
live stock from Oran and ALgers. The
latter city, especially, has become rem
devious of international pet dealers, and
on my last visit to Antwerp Captain FL
lard, the travelling agent of the famous
Hagenbeck sale menagerie, gave me an
interesting account Of hon kennel IL
the neighborhood 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
tame monkey into the arms Of a possible
purchaser. At a tent near the piazza OF
a French hotel Captain Ellard saw ma
tive Arab wish a dozen young lions, va
rying in price from 10 to 10 francs, but
learning that the trader was merely
salesman of a wild beast farm in the
outskirts sf the Carbah, the hill subur'
| of Algiers, 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 foG
one of the numerous yesiras, or orchard
farms, in the neighborhood Of the Al.
gerian coast towns. But when they en-
tered the gate young balloon leaped
down from the low stone wall and raced
toward his mother, who snatched him mp
in her arms and hurried off with cough
| ing banks Of alarm.
please keep on this side Of the road,
said the guide There's she jackal
with pups under that bush over yonder
and she's very apt to fly at stranger
ANY way you please Is that the
owner of the place.? pointing to an old
Arab, who was busy cleaning ont bar
red den-apparentlya natural cave fitted
up for the purpose of a kennel
Yes, that's the sheikh that's Ben
| Kotfa, said the guide He used to be
chief of a little mountain tribe, bat Nae
war ruined them. Hes all right now
They can't break up his present business
as long rs the people in Franciscan buy
wood devils jshat-el-kam generic
name for carnivorohs animals, or yer
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 and began
| to play with his trousers.
| Some half grown brethren of theyoung
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 thu
| old Arab could kick them out of theway
| Seeing one 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 menacing growl
that sent the 4-hauders scanpering off
with screams of dismay. One Of the Sc
nior balloons then appeared on the scene,
! but vanished like a shot when the shalllh
made a grab for his rake The captain
burst out laughing.
You may believe it keeps me busy to
straighten out this mob Of rascals, said
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 as long and are not SO apt to get
baldheaded with homesichness,
But suppose those young scamps
should run into a gang of your jackals.
would not some Of them be apt to get
badly hurt
Il 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, SO they do not in
| teTfere with each others business. 1t
| would be different with some other lea
lures have cageful OF wildcats from
Mount Atlas, and when one of them got
out 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 leopards and % lions said the
sheikh. They are in the main kennel
on the other side Of the wall, but it's
safer to keep the younger ones near the
! house"
1t must cost you a pretty penny to
feed all those boardarsE
Eyes, 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