The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-07-04
WILD BEASTS TO RENT.
a Novel Industry Which Has It's Gem
ter in New York.
From the New York New.


One needn't be capitalist to control
menagerie nowadays, neither need he
know the first thing about natural his
tory to direct a geological garden. He can
rent his wild beasts and their keepers in
New York at so much a head per month,
as if they were farm hands. baseball
players or actors. This is great animal
center, and now is the distributing sea
son. This week will see the largest exc
gus of wild animals ever known since
the memorable one from Mount Ararat.
More than 500 beasts, birds and creeping
things have been shipped or are waiting
to be sent away to various small summer
resorts, where they will be kept on eXhi-
bitiOn until fail, when their owners will
send for them and rent them over again.
The dealers III small animals, birds and
snakes rent some of their stock, but as a
rule they sell outright because it hardly
pays to rent beasts that are only worth
from S. to $50 a piece. and which cannot
be told one from another without tagging
them like express parcels. The rental
business was begun by Reiche, and is
carried on almost exclusively by his sue
CessOr DR.. w. A. COnklin, the American
member Of the Wild Animal Trust, which
was described in the Sunday News last
winter
Among the towns which have rented
lentown, Pa, Haverhill. Brockton and
Lawrence, Mass. Lincoln, Neb., and Nor
| folk, Va The last named is a winter
menagerle town, and its geological garden
has been stripped to supply specimens to
the summer towns. In some of these
places the town authorities have part
in the amusement plan. The enterprise
is made free and the citizens foot the bill
In others the show is private enterprise.
For instance, in the Massachusetts ham
let the parks in which the collections are
exhibited belong to local electric railroads
and they are thrown open to all patrons
of the roads for nothing. They are used
to stimulate travel. Family parties are
induced by this free menagerle to go into
the groves and picnic there, play games
and ride back and forth over the electric
trOlleys
In addition to these suburban exhibits,
one of the largest that is shown in or
near the metropolis is from DR.. COnklin.
Glen island is and has been supplied by
the doctor for years past. Every wild
animal on the island except the men who
take tickets on the dock is rented from
the ex-superintendent of the Central
park menagerie. IL costs almost as
much to rent a menagerie complete as it
does to buy one outright, but the SUISSE
quent outlay is less, and there is no risk
connected with the venture. The owner
of the animals as a rule supplies the
keepers and buys the provender for the
animals For this he gets a lump sum
| that in the Majority of cases would be
sufficient To almost purchase the animals.
In other cases the lesses furnishes the
attendants and food. This is done on
Glen island But when the season IS over
the expense to the amusement man ceases.
He informs the animal man that he is
through with the beasts, and the latter
l. 1I=
winter a menagerie. Since the time of
the ark it has been a matter of great con-
Germ with the eastern potentates who had
a monopoly of the menagerie business in
early times to properly keep wild animals
during the dull season Hence the eX-
preston to have "a white elephant on
ones hands has long been a synonym for
heavy financial burden, the white ele-
plant being, of all beasts, the least useful
and most expensive in its tastes.
In modern times the winter is season
of depression with all menagerle owners.
During The cold and unproductive months
the living curios eat their heads oil, and
until the renting system was invented II
has been impossible for man to support
menagerie all the year round without
having a fortune at his command.
The renting system was not invented
bp a menagerie man, but by some one who
supplied menageries with their exhibits.
Upon him the troubles of the dull season
fell with particular heayiness. He de
ponds wholly upon his sales for his prof
its. and does not keep an animal any
longer Ithan it is positively necessary.
When DR. Conklin was in charge OF the
Central Park collection he frequently re-
ceived consignments of wild animals from
their owners which he placed on exhibit
ton. the city paying for their food.
AT the present time a large number Of
cages in the park are filled with loaned