Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-01-30
VISITING ALTON FARM
HOW WILD ANIMALS ARE REARED
FOR THE MENAGERIES.

Play Like Dogs and Kittens-An Alge-
rian Lion Kennel Must BE Interesting
Place For a Man In Armor.
For the last 1900 years the seaports of
northern Africa haze been the principal
supply stations of the geological curiosity
market. During the palmy days of the
Circus Maximus the Roman proconsul
in Hippo Regius had special instructions
to supervise the weekly shipments of
wild beasts, and our inenagerie owners
still import q large percentage of their
live stock from Oran and Algiers. The
latter city, especially, has become rem
devious of international pet dealers, and
on my last visit to Antwerp Captain Ell
lard. the travelling agent of the famous
Hagenbeck sale menagerie, gave me an
interesting account of lion kennel in
the neighborhood of the ancient capital
of the Algerian pirates.
In the arcades of the Palace Royale
and all along the steamboat wharves
strangers are troubled by the importu-
mites of beast dealers who bawl out the
merits of their pets, and in the ardor of
competition will not hesitate to thrust a
tame monkey into the arms of Il possible
purchaser. At tent near the piazza of
a French hotel Captain Ellard saw ma
tive Arab with dozen young lions, va
rying in price from 10 to Is francs, but
learning that the trader was merely a
salesman of a wild beast farm in the
outskirts of the Carbah, the hill suburb
of Algiers, he 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 baboon leaped
down from the low stone wall and raced
toward his mother. who snatched him up
in her arms and hurried off with cough
ing barks of alarm.
please keep OH this side of the road
said the guide There's she jackal
with pups under that bush over yonder
and she's very apt to fly at Il stranger"
ANY way you please Is that the
owner of the place." pointing to an old
Arab who was busy cleaning ont bar
red den-apparentlya natural cave fitted
up for the purpose of kennel.
Yes. that's the sheikh; that's Ben
Koffa. 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
loyyilc'' fchof-al X
name for carnivorous animals, or "ver-
mint" as our trappers would call them)
The sheikh dropped his rake and vel
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 the young
baboon had emerged from their hiding
place under the house and at once pro-
ceeded to illustrate their peculiar talent
by upsetting dish of milk before the
old Arab could kick them out 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, but 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 mp with a menacing growl
that sent the Islanders 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 1t keeps me busy to
straighten out 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?"
Il 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 balloons
on berries and roots, so they do not in
terfere with each others business. 1t
would be different with some other crea-
lures. | have 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 leoparas and % lions, said the
sheikh. They are in the main kennel
on the other side of the wall, but it's
safer to keep the younger ones near the
house.
1t must cost you pretty penny to
feed all those. boarders?"
Yes, but scrap meat is cheap in a
place like this. Why, do you know that
you can get some of it for less than moth
ing? The city several times paid me s
francs haul for carting off dead horses
and oxen that had dropped in the street
do it for nokhing now to make sure of
the contract There is chance of that
sort about once week, and after a good
feed my boarders do not say word
about couple of fast days.
Have you any nursing leopardsP
No They do not often breed in cap
tivity. Lions do. and next to jackals
they are about the easiest things to keep
alive" philadelphia Times
Ha Hod off