The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1893-03-18
VISITING ALIONFARM
HOW WILD ANIMALS ARE REARED
FOR THE M6NAGERIES.

A Place where Young Lions aud Baboons
Play Like Dogs and Kiuen--An AIre-
rinn Lion Kennel Must BE AN interesting
Place Tor a 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 MaNimus the Roman proconsul
in Hippo Reglus had special instructions
TO supervise the weekly shipments Of
wild beasts, and our menagerie owners
still import large percentage of their
live stock from Orn and Algiers. The
latter city, especially, has become a 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 am
interesting account of a lion kennel I'm
the neighborhood Of the ancient capital
of the Algerian pirates
In the arcades of the Palace Royale
and all along the steamboat wharyes
strangers are troubled by the importu-
mites Of beast dealers who bawl out the
merits Of their pets, and in the ardor Of
competition win not hesitate TO thrust a
tame monkey into the arms Of possible
purchaser. At tent near the piazza of
Ia French hotel Captain Ellard saw ma
tive Arab with 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 Of the Carbah, the hill suburb
oi Algiers, lac 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 for
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 bahom leaped
down from the low stone wall and raced
toward his mother, who suatched him up
in her arms and hurried off with cough
ing barks of alarm.
please keep on this side Of the road,
said the guide. There's a she iackal
with pups under that bush over yonder
and she's very apt to fly at a stranger"
ANY way you please Is that the
owner of the place. pointing to an old
Arab, who was busy cleaning out bar
red den-apparentlya natural cave fitted
up for the purpose of kennel
"Yes, that's the sheikh; that's Ben
Kotfa said the guide. He used TO be
chief Of a little mountain tribe, but the
war ruined them, He's all right now
They can't break up his present business
as long as the people in Frankistan buy
wood devils (shat-el- Kamr--a generic
name for carnivurous animals, or "ver-
mint, as our trappers would call 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 began
to play with his trousers.
Some half grown brethren of theyomg
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 ont 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 faces
scratched for their trouble, hut 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-handers scampering off
with screams Of dismay. One of the Sc
nior balloons then appeared on the scene,
but vanished like "A shot when the sheikh
made a grab for his rake. The captain
burst out laughing.
"You may believe it keeps me busy to
straighten ont 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 homesickness.
But suppose those young scamps
should run into gang of your jackals,
would not some of them be apt to get
badly hurt?"
II 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 baboons
} on berries and roots, so they do not in
teTfere with each others business. 1t
would be different with some other crea-
lures. Ihave a cageful of wildcats from
Mount Atlas, and when one of them got
out 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 small sized cat has
got no right to be alive anyhow. About
, the big cats, like lions and leopards, they
are little more careful
"How many of the big kind have you
. altogether"
Five leopards and % lions, said the
, sheikh. "They are in the main kenne
i on the other side OF the wall, but it''
safer to keep the younger ones near the
' house"
"lt must cost you pretty penny tC
h feed all those boardersT'
II Eyes, but scrap meat is cheap in ,
9 place like this. Why, do you know tina
you can get some of it for less than moth
s ing2 The city several times paid me
francs haul for carting off dead horse
and oxen that had dropped in the street
1 do it for nothing now to make sure o
the contract. There is a chance Of tina
s sort about once a week, and after a goo,
IS feed my boarders do not say wor,
IS about a couple of fast days"
Z "Have you any nursing leopards"
= mo. They do not often breed in cap
I. tiyity. Lions do, and next TO jackal
:. they are about the easiest things 10 kee
e alive Philadelphia Times,
P All lie Had Left.