The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1893-03-16
VISITING ALTON FARM
HOW WILD ANIMALS ARE REARED
FOR THE MENAGERIEs.


Place For q Man In Armor.
For the last 1900 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
to supervise the weekly shipments Of
wild beasts, and our menagerie owners
still import large percentage OF their
live stock from Gran and Agiers. The
latter city, especially, has becomea ren-i
devious Of international pet dealers, and
on my last visit to Antwerp Captain En-
lard, the travelling agent Of the famous
Hagenbeck sale menagerie, gave me an
interesting account Of lion kennel n
the neighborhood Of the ancient capital
Of the Algerian pirates
In the arcades Of the Palace Royalci
and all along the steamboat wharves
strangers are troubled by the importu-
mites Of beast dealers who bawl out tho.
merits Of their pets, and In the ardor Of
competition viii not hesitate to thrust .
tame monkey into the arms Of Q possible
purchaser. At tent near the piazza Of
a French hotel Captain Ellard saw ma
tive Arab with dozen young Hons, va
rying in price from 10 to 10 francs, but
learning that the trader was merely .
salesman Of wild beast farm m tho
outskirts Of the Carbah, the hill suburb
Of Algiers, he resolved to apply ct head
quarters, knowing from experience thai
stock breeders are apt to keep their bsa
specimens at home.
The captains guide conducted him
through rubbish heaps and brambls
patches to an inclosed garden, which 8
irst look might have been mistaken fue
one of the numerous yesiras, o. orchard
farms, in the neighborhood Of tho Al
gerian coast towns. But when they en-
tered the gate o young baboon leaped
down from the low stone wall and facsd
toward his mother, who matched him -
In her arms and hurried OF With coaek
ing barks Of alarm. sg=-
aPlease keep on this side Of ths rod, !.
said the guide. There's she 5ankAl
with pups under that bush over yondes.
and she's very apt to fly ct . strangss, i
ANY way you please. ID that ~
owner Of the placer pointing 10 IN Oh
Arab, who was busy cleaning out . bar
rod den-apparently natural osvs dttsd
up for tho purpose Of kennel
Eyes, that's the sheikh; that's 60
Koffa," said the guide. He ussd % b
chief Of q little mountain tribe, but the
war ruined them. He's all right now
They can't break up his present business
% long as the people In Frsnkistan buy
wood devils" (shat-el- Kamr-a geneStc
name for carnivorous animals, or ever
mint" as our trappers would cali theml
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 besss
to play with his trousers.
Some half grown brethren of the youna
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 one of the young lions help him
self to the spilled milk, they grabbed
him by the tail and got their face
| scratched for their trouble, but In tn
ensuing scrinmage four pairs of fste
threatened to prevail against two pairs Of
immature claws, when the old lioness h
the cage rose up with menacing grow
that sent the 4-handers scampering Of
with screams of dismay. Ono Of the 30
nior balloons then appeared on the scene
but vanished like shot when the sheikl
made grab for his rake. The captais
burst out laughing. ~ "a 2
"You may believe 1t keeps me busy r
straighten out this mob Of rascals," said
the old Arab, ''but In the long run It..
the cheapest plan to give them as muol
freedom as possible. They live juA
twice as long and are not so apt to 90
baldheaded with inconsistencies.
But suppose those young scamp
should run into gang Of Jour jackala
would not some Of them be apt 30 81
badly hurtT
II don't think they would, said thl
sheikh. "They get along In peace Jus,
the same as out in tho wilderness. Jack
ais, you know, live on meat and baboonl
on berries and roots, 30 they do not In
terfere with each others business. Il
! would be different with some other crea
lures. have cageful Of wildcats from
Mount Atlas. and when one Of them go
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 h
have an idea that small sized cat ha,
got no right to be alive anyhow. About
the big cats, like lions and leopaeda, thsJ
are little more careful"
How many of tho big kind hsvs yos
altogether lsa
Five leopards and % hons, said th,
sheikh. 'They are in the main kenne
on the other side Of the wall, but til
safer to keep the younger ones near ths
house"
ut must cost you . pretty penny b
feed all those boardersr q
"Yes, but scrap meat Is cheap in 1
place like this. Why, do you know thu
you can get some Of 1t for less than moth
ingf The city several times paid me
francs haul for carting off dead horse1
and oxen that had dropped In the street
do it for nothing now to make mre Of
the contract There Is chance Of tina,
sort about once week, and after good
feed my boarders do not say word
about a couple Of fast days."
Have you any nursing leopards7r
mo. They do not often breed In cap
tvity. Lions do, and next to iackals
they are about the easiest things to keer
alive. up Philadelphia Times.
All He Had Left.
Wife significantly That pocketbooa
/ You gave me for present was empty.