The Portland daily press., 1894-05-28
A GEOLOGICAL TRUST.
Combination Between Wild Animal Deal.
ers of America and Europe.

One of the youngest of the countless
Trusts in existence deals exclusively in
wild animals. 1t is but few weeks old,
but, assit includes every importer of
international reputation, it will not have
any opposition to overcome, and prac-
tically starts out on Its career with all
the stability and assurance of veteran.
In order to control the market and es-
tablish values, it was only necessary to
secure the coop Grafton of five firms.
two in Germany, two in England and
one in New York. The four first named
-Hagenbeck, of Hamb burg; Reiche, of
Oldfeld; Jarach, of London, and Cross,
of Liverpool-have enjoyed the benefits
of a species of "modus vivendi" for
years. though this has not prevented
considerable competition for the Ameri-
can trade, which has varied to remark
able extent during the last quarter of a
century. When Barnum was in his prime.
he ignored these old-established houses
and when he heard of anything out of
he ordinary sent his own representa-
tive after it and bought it regardless of
price. Such enterprise gratifying as it
often was to Adventures and pioneers
was standing menace to the mainten-
ance of prices, or rather of profits, and
more than once 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 1t, Conkling, of New York
has Draptica1lv contrO11ed the haavv
American trade, and the friendly rela7
tons just established 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 having descended
from father to son. Formerly rival ex-
houses, and when anyone had great
prize to offer, he wired or wrote to all
four houses, relying on the competition
to keep up prices. Now all this is
changed, and there is no more bidding,
one against the other. An additional
economy has been effected whereby the
expeditions will not clash, and the saw
ing of expense will be very great. There
are now three animal hunting parties
out in Africa, but their territory is well
defined, and will not overlap in .any
particular. One party under the lead
ership of Herr Menzes, veteran lion
hunter, has been, in the southern Sec
tion of the Sondan all the spring, and is
expected back at Hamburg this month
or next The men have Travelled over
1 900 miles, and, although there is no
are covering, word has been received
that nearly S100, 600 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
princi-~ substitutes for cur ency. But
the expedition has involved a 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 TSust next
uonth.
Another expedition is expected back
almost at once from South Africa. 1t
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 500, 900, and the distribu-
ton will be made in similar manner.
"A third expedition is on it's way back
from British India with monkeys, ele-
plants, pythons and other curiosities,
and there will be an ample stock from
which travelling menagerles and more Sc
lecG ZOOlOg1cal gardens Will be able to
make selections. According to the new
plan adopted by the trust, all COMPETE
tion 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 autographed to the
other members of the trust, and the
profits duly adjusted. The only difficult
ty in the way of keeping up prices
beyond figures established by the law of
supply and demand is the cost of help.
A lion or an elephant cannot be kept in
condition, in Europe at any rate, on less
than 81 day, SO that if one is kept in
stock for six months the prospective
profit has been eaten up, using the ex-
preston in it's most literal sense.
The prices at which the European end
of the syndicate are said to propose hold
ing their stock are about as follows:
Elephants, $1,000 to $4,000. according to
size and condition of tusks; hippotami,
rhinoceri and CRATES, about the latter
figures; lions of full growth about the
same: leopards and panthers, $15U to 5000:
bears, graded from $50 to 5000, snakes,
from $40 to $500, and tapirs at about
So, 200. The highest price paid for cap.
tive Of the wild order last year was S12,-
500, which was given for white ounce,
captured in the Ural Mountains. It
proved poor investment, as it's keepers