Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1893-05-06
MANY WILD BEASTS.
A HAMBURG FIRM THAT is READ!
10 SUPPLY ANY ANIMAL.

A City to Which Merchants All over tbs
World Go for Wild Animal Supplies
and Rowing seamcn Hiring Their Strange
Captures Hunting Expeditions.
The animal importers have their head.
quarters in that part Of Hamburg known
TO tourists and others "a ''St. pauls," an
Nl reputed suburb Of the old Hansa town
where sailors Of all countries meet Here
the big building Is situated. and from the
exterior one gets the view OF structure
which looks more like n storehouse for cot
ton, oil and general merchandise than Il
does like anything else. II isa plain build.
ing, but within there Is enough To occupy
ones attention for months, that - IL lac be
possessed 81 animal instincts. Within the
four walls is a mammoth yard or garden
and this is divided into Geo or 100 smaller
yards or pens. which are occupied by ami
mal- from all zones and countries, crowded
together. The stroug, ferucious gorilla
from the primcval wood OF Africa, the
''cottoD tails" from San Gabriel valley,
California, as well "a the bold, soaring con-
dor from the highest mountain peaks of
the Andes are represented by many speci-
mems.
Ordinarily only purchasers known or in.
troduced to the firm are allowed TO inspect
the garden, but "a limited number Of cards
of admission are ISSUED every month and
presented Ia those who wish them On
entering one passes the office, where are
employed forty clerks or more, Of whom
several are occupied in keeping account
OF the arrival and departure Of animals, as
these only stay there few days before
L. T.. H.. 4
garden there is an energetic corps Of men
who, armed with sharp knives and pistols,
are willing 10 dare most any danger. Many
of the keepers have been there ten years or
more. and are accordingly acquainted with
all the peculiarities OF the profession. They
are. or ought 10 be- for their own safety. ex-
cellcnt marksmen, acquainted with the life
of an explorer, they being sent as assist
ants in the searches for animals in all parts
of the world. Not "a few Of these men have
been 30 South America, where they have
been sent To capture ostriches. There they
were compelled so spend days and some
times weeks upon the llanos, the hottest
places on earth. and on horseback chase
the fleet monsters and throw the bola at
their necks.
Six, seven and eight expeditions are sent
ont every year but these are not made up
wholly Of experienced men. They general.
ly consist Of few OF the old hands, few
apprentices and volunteers, mostly anna
teur sportsmcn, under the direction Of a
staff officer They start out maybe for
the plains OF America jungles OF Africa
Tasmania or Alaska, and when they ar
rive at their destination they employ as
many natives rs they think necessary and
plan the work of capturing certain ami
mails in that district. There is some diff
ference between catching tigers and ele
phants alive and shooting quail or squir-
rels and il naturalist wants To have fun
and thrilling experience he should send
In his application 10 accompany the next
expedition In search OF gorillas or grizzly
bears or some other animal known To be
no respecter OF persons or anything else.
Through the large menagerie Of the
house Of Hagcnheck are long rows OF
cages, which vary from small wooden ones,
built one above the other, for birds and
other small animals, to high cages formed
of heavy bars OF iron, some of the bars of
which are twoinchcs thick, running at the
top and bottom on small wheel or ball
bearings Every cage or pen II marked in
Latin. The keeper said il was eat
sight To behold some wild qundrupeds ac
custOmed To unlimited freedom confined
In cages or dens in which they could not
stretch their legs, much more turn around
A few months seems To break many OF
their savage habits, but they are never too
good to claw at piece of human flesh
when within rraUh of their cages, and the
majority of the keepers there can exhibit
marks of claws as well a. those of teeth
upon their hands and arms made by a
feroCious tiger perhaps Tasmauian wolf
or some other species Of the cat family
The tanner animals are merely fenced in,
as il were, in small yards and here and
there are groups of Japanese chamois,
Chilian alpacas, antelopes deer, zebras
and the like,
The firm has no little difficulty in get
ting Asiatic elephants since the govern.
ment passed bill for their protection. But
there are their African brothers ON hand
all the time, and occasionally visitor
there may see "A herd If "A score or more of
well cared for elephants. Tue expeditions
fnd il no easy matter chasing these mon
sters in the jangles, and IT only by sharp
games aud traps that elephants are cap
tured. They can fight a. no other animal
can, and one blow 1f an elephants trunk
has laid many a sportsman low. The same
hardships are experienced IN getting croco
diles from tie Amazon and upper Nile
The firms expedition sent out for them
knows Of no such word rs impossible, +" and
when 10 returns To the garden II carries
crocodiles some thirty feet long with IL.
IL cannot be said that all Of the animals
are secured by such expeditions, for in.
stance, the dromcdarics are simply ordered
from Crimen, while large number of
other animals fall into the concerns hands
by chance Everything in the line OF rare
and peculiarly formed creatures Of the for
est, field and Seas il bought by the Hagen.
bocks, and people who devote time TO trap
ping are aware Of this fact. The German
city is good place for bargains, as nearly
every deep sea vessel carries something 10
that port which the firm j. anxious to get
and for which il is willing TO pay good
prices. Every sailor il armed with some
fine specimen from the tropics or arctic re
gions. and from these rare and unlocked
for quadrupeds are sometimes secured
Providence Journal.