The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1894-09-01
A CURIOUS COMBINE.


in wild animals. Fl is but a few weeks
old, but, as it includes every importer
OF international reputation, it will not
have any opposition to overcome. and
practically starts out on its career with
oil the stability and assurance of vet
eran. In order to control the market
and establish values it was only neces-
sary to secure the cooperation Of five
firms, two in Germany, two in England
and one in New York. The four first
named-Hagenbeck, Of Hamburg;
Reiche, of Olfeld; Jamrach, of London.
and Cross, of Liverpool-have enjoyed
the benefits of species of ''modus
vivendi" for years, though this has not
prevented considerable competition for
the American trade, which has varied
to a remarkable extent during the last
quarter of century. When Barnum
was in his prime he ignored these old
fashioned houses, and when he heard
of anything out of the ordinary sent
his own representative after it, and
bought it regardless of price. Such'en-
terprise, gratifying as it often was to
adventurers and pioneers, was a stand
ing menace to the maintenance of
prices, or rather profits, and more than
once, according to the st. Louis Globe
Democrat, the action of the prince of
humbugs disturbed the wild animal
market very seriously. Since the great
showman's death, and indeed, for some
years prior to it, Conkling, of New
York, has practic ally controlled the
heavy American trade, and the friendly
relations just esta bills he'd between him
and his four European competitors,
make the circle complete, and corner
the wild animal market. The firms
named are older than the hills, the
business havi ng descended from father
to son. For merly rival expeditions
were sent out by the different houses,
and when anyone had a great prize to
offer he wired or wrote to all four
houses, relying on the competition to
keep upprices. Now all this is changed,
and there is no more bidding, one
against the other.
An additional economy has been ef-
fected whereby the expeditions will
not clash, and the saving of expense
will be very great. There are now
three animal hunting parties out in
Africa, but their territory is well de-
fined and will not overlap in any par
ticular. One party, under the leader
ship of Herr Menzes, veteran lion
hunter, has been in the southern Sec
tion of the Soudan all spring, and is ex-
pected back at Hamburg in the near
future. The men have travelled over
one thousand miles, and, although
there is no regular mail service in the
section they are covering. word has
been received that nearly 100000
worth Of forest kings will be brought
back by them. Very little has been
paid for the lions and other animals,
ammunition, cast-away arms, clothing
and jewelry forming the principal sub
stitutes for currency. But the expedi-
ton has involved the cost of about $50,
600, and unless times brighten the
profit on the venture will not be enor-
nous. The animals will be distributed
among the members of the trust. An
other expedition is expected back al
most at once from South Africa It
was fitted out by Reiche and is to re-
plenish the depleted stocks of giraffes,
zebras, monkeys and ostriches. The
salable value of the consignment is also
estimated at 800, 900, and the distribu-
ton will be made in a similar manner.
According to the new plan adopted
by the trust, all. competition will be
avoided. All negotiations by a buyer
must be conducted with one house, and
if anything wanted is not on hand the
fact will be telegraphed to the other
members of the trust and profits duly
adjusted. The only difficulty in the
way of keeping up prices beyond fig
ures established by the law Of supply
and demand is the cost of help. A lion
or an elephant cannot be kept in con-
dition, in Europe at any rate, on less
than one dollar Q day, 50 that II one is
kept in stock for six months the pros
pectivc profit has been eaten up, using
the expression in its most literal sense.
The prices at which the European end
of the syndicate are said to propose
holding their stock are about as fol-
lows: Elephants, $1,000 to $5,0o0, ac-
cording to the size and condition, OF
tusks; hippopotami, rhinoceri and gi-
raffes, about the latter figure; lions OF
full growth about the same; leopards
and panthers. $3.50 to $500; bears, graded
from $50 to $500; snakes, from SO to
$500, and tapirs at about $1,000. The
highest price paid for a captive OF the
wild order last year was $l2, 500, which
was given for white ounce, captured
in the Ural mountains. 1t proved .
poor investment, as its keepers could not
provide a sufficiently low temperature,
and it died within few weeks. An
equally large sum is said to be forth
coming for another Russian or Siberian
ounce or wildcat, but the animal is SO
hard to capture alive thatSthe demsnda
may never be supplied. sss sE
Digging Up Ancient Alexandris:
There seems to be likelihood that
the treasures which are supposed to be
f..