Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1894-07-09
A CURIOUS COMBINE.
Dealers in Wald Animals Form a
 Trust.
By the New Arrangement All Competition Among Circus suppliers VIII Be Avoided-Regular Prices
 on Stock.

One or the youngest or LhS eouH tlcsS trusts in existence deals exclusively in wild animals. It is but few weeks old, but, as it includes every importer of international reputation, 1t will not have any opposition to overcome, and practically starts out on its career with all 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 i've firms, two In Germany, two in England and one in New York The four first named-Hagenbeok, of Hamburgi Reiche, of Olfeld Jamrach, of London, and Cross, of Liverpool--have enjoyed the benefits of species of ''modus vivendip for years, though this has not prevented considerable competition for the American trade, which has varied to 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 1t 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 huDnbugs disturbed the wild animal market very seriously. Since the great showman's death, and indeed, for some years prior to it., Conlxling, of New York, has practic ally controlled the heavy American trade, and the friendly relations 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 desccnded from father to son. Formerly rival expeditions were sent out by the different houses, and when anyone had a great prize to 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 ef- feeted 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 we'll 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 ton of the Soudan all spring. and is ex- pected baek 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 S100,000 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- tion has involved the cost of about S30, GOO, 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 Reiehe and is to re- pienish the depleted stocks of giraf2es, zebras, monkeys and ostriches. The salable value of the consignment is also estimated at s1O0, ,0Q0, and the distribu. tion 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 l.. A., !. ! 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 \ lioI or an elephant cannot be kept in con dition, In Europe at any rate, on lesi than one dollar a day, so that If one ii kept in stock for six months the pros pective profit has been eaten up, using
 the expression in it's most literal sense The prices at which the European enc of the syndicate are said to propose
 holding their stock are about as fol lows: Elephants, $1 900 to s. .000, ac
 cording to the size and condition O.
 tusks; hippopotami, rhinoeeri and gi
 rafes, about the latter figure; lions O
 full growth about the same; leopard,
 and partners. s15o to S20o; bears, graded
 from $50 to Se00; snakes. from Sl0 t
 $500, and tapirs at about g, 0o3. The
 highest price paid for captive of the
 wild order last year was s1a,509 whief
 was given for white ounce, captured
 in the Ural mountains. It proved {
 poor investment, as it's keepers could no
 provide sufficiently low temperature and it died within a few weeks Al
 equally large sum is said to be forth i coming for another Russian or Siberian ounce or wildcat, but the animal is s, hard to capture alive that the deman,
 may never be supplied.
 Queer Fish
 ssrhera is n Sne2ics of fish in the Tn