Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1896-09-11
A CURIOUS COMBINE.
Dealers In Wild Animals Form q
Trust.
~ ths New Arrangsment All Conpseatsan
Among Circus supplicrs WIN -
Av0ided-Regular Prices
on Stock.


on Stock.
One Of the youngest of the countless |
trusts in existence deals exclusively |
In wild animals. 1t is but 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
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 five
drms, 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 a species of ''modus
vivendi" for years, though this has not
prevented considerable competition for
the American trade, which has varied
to remarkable extent during the last
quarter of a 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 stand
ing menace to the maintenance Of
prices, or rather profits, and more than
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 establish 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 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 eff
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, a veteran lion
hunter, has been in the southern Sec
| - 1a a11 10
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. Il
was fitted out by Reiche and is to re
plenish the depleted stocks of giraffes
zebras, monkeys and ostriches. TIL,
salable value of the consignment is alst
estimated at $780, 200, and the distribu
ton will be made in a similar manner
According to the new plan adopted
by the trust, all competition will b.
avoided. All negotiations by buye
must be conducted with one house, an,
if anything wanted is not on hand tn
fact will be telegraphed to the othe
members of the trust and profits dull,
adjusted. The only difficulty in tn
way of keeping up prices beyond fig
ures established by the law of suppl
and demand is the cost of help. A io
or an elephant cannot be kept in cor
dition, in Europe at any rate, on les
than one dollar a day, SO that if one
kept in stock for six months the pro.
\ pective profit has been eaten up, usin
the expression in its most literal sense
The prices at which the European en-
of the syndicate are said to propos
holding their stock are about as TO
lows: Elephants, 81 600 to IS, 600 a,
cording to the size and condition {
tusxs; hippopotami, rhinoceri and g
RATES., about the latter figure; lions {
full growth about the same; leopard
and panthers, $50 to 500; bears, grade
,. from $50 to $500; snakes, from $40 I
$500, and tapirs at about So, 900. TIL
highest price paid for a captive OF tn
wild order last year was S12, 500, whic
was given for q white ounce, capture
in the Ural mountains. 1t proved
:, poor investment, as its keepers could NJ
rs provide sufficiently low Temperature
n and it died within a few weeks. A
equally large sum is said to be fort
= coming for another Russian or Siberia
ounce or wildcat but the animal is
e hard to capture alive that the demar
may never be supplied.