The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1893-05-13
HIS WILD BEAST SHOP.
A Talk With Hagenbeck of Ham
burg About Animals.

I propose, in few short articles,
to tell my readers something about
the greatest animal trainer in the
world, says writer in the the San
Francisco Chronicle. His name is
Karl Hagenbeck, he lives in Ham
burg, and he will appear at the
Worlds Fair at Chicago with the
most wonderful show that has ever
been seen on earth.
To hear, therefore, how he cap
lures his wild animals, how he trans
ports them, how he trains them,
and the adventures and escapes he
has undergonein dealing with them,
cannot fail to be of interest to those
of my readers especially who will
so shortly behold for themselves the
marvels be has accomplished.
A few days ago l found myself
in his menagerie at Hamburg.
Very suddenly and almost uneA-
pectedly on opening door | stood
within great shed full of wild
beasts, enraged and excited at my
unexpected appearance, bowling
and roaring around me, for visitors,
except those on business, are never
allowed within those notable pre-
cincts. l stood a moment dazed
and awestruck at the sight that pre-
sented itself to my gaze, until |
was recalled to myself by the sud-
den laying hold of the flaps of my
cloak by the great unsheathed
claws of a Nubian lion. [ leaped
forward and the beast retired, to
the gloomy recesses of its cage.
At that moment Karl Hagenbeck
came forward and gave me hearty
welcome, coupled with word of
warning not to goo to near the cages.
Mr.. Hagenbeck is tall, singularly
pleasant-looking man, with keen,
kind eyes and firm, decisive man.
ner. He took me into his office
and we sat down while he told me
something of the curious and inter
esting life which he had led for SO
many years.
"My father" said he, "started in
life as fish dealer in this town,
and never dreamed that he would
one day be the founder OF the
greatest menagerie in the world.
But it chanced in the year lo4S,
some fishesmen who usually traded
with him brought him some very
fine seals which they had caught In
their sturgeon nets. They were
very fine animals and he was de,
lighted with them. He therefore
made a tour to Berlin, opened a
small exhibition in Kroll's gardens
and showed the seals for money
Then there came a revolution In
the city, business was at stand
still, SO hc disposed of the seals fol
a small sum of money and returned
to his fish dealers shop in Ham
burg. -,
"But he was bitten with the wild
beast fever. Live animals had
more attractions for him than dead
fish. and so he told the fishermen
that he would always be ready to
buy all the wild animals they
might choose to bring him. A short
time after that sailor from whal
ing vessel brought him a polar
bear. This was exhibited here IN
Hamburg. 1t was a great novelty
and the people flocked in crowds te
see it. From that time forward sail
ors from all parts of the worlo
would bring him animals for sale
monkeys, parrots, deer, snakes and
so on. One young lion. And sc
gradually he got together quite
small menagerie. But | am bound
to saw at first there was not mucf
profit in it.
/ "When l left school in 1859, al
the age of Is, he asked me whether
II would be a fish dealer or a wllt
beast collector. I chose the wile
beasts. So he gave me ESQ, which
/ was to spend the best | could II
buyinq animals. Fortune favored
me. | made some capital bargains
I increased the business q hundred
fold. and in 1866 he handed tn
whole business over to me-"
At this moment my eye fell upo'
a large photograph of the cele
brated P. I. Barnum, which huns
upon the wall. Mr.. Hagenbeck
noting the direction of my gaze
said to me. II suppose you kno"
who that is" replied: "Why, lt''
PIT. Barnum." Exactly" said he
II was walking about the menag
erie one day in 1872 when Mr.. Bar
nnm was announced. He said
I've Just come to have lool
around. I've got an hour or two t
spare and thought might as wei
snend it here as anywhere elss.'
well, sir" continued Mr.. Hagen
heck. smiling at the recollection Q
the first momentous interview wit
the great Snowman. "he staid four
teen days and he filled two big not
books before he left me. tie wa
delighted with all he saw and stl
more so with all ! told him. | tol'
him all about ostrich riding, and
suggested to him that it would o
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