The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-07-02
TOPEKA'S PET LION.
Tt Is Here and Makes a Noise Like
II Tom Cats.

People living in the vicinity of
Twelfth and Tyler streets were awak-
ened about the midnight hour last night
by an unusual sound. That it ema-
mated from the pulmonary organism of
some animal was at once evident, but
what species of animal, was an I'M
known quantity. 1t was not the
bowling of a dog, and it would have
taken II tom cats to manufacture the
same amount of noise.
The sound continued at intervals i'm
til morning and the majority of the
neighsorhood spent a decidedly unsat-
isfactory night.
When daylight broke the unknown
quantity was discovered. The man
who made the discovery called out his
neighborS, and in few minutes large
crowd of men, and as many women as
had completed their toilettes, Ihronged
the sidewalk at the northwest corner or
Tyler and Twelfth streets. Lariated
by a clothes line attached to- thin lay-h-
er collar about his neck the unknown
quantitl leisurely promenaded.
Its coyote" said one. Simply
Siberian bloodhound pup" said anoth
er. Nothing short of a half brother
to the missing link said the third.
The discussion failed to- affect the
promenade. Suddenly the nondescript
stopped short, raised his head and let
out a roar. 1t was repetition of the
noise that had been heard during the
night, but the people were nearer and
it affected them more. The men iIncon-
sciousIy changed their positions, and
the women screamed. slapped their
hands to their ears and ran.
Neither coyote, bloodhound pup or
missing link, the animal of unds termin-
able species was nothing short of the
noblest of beasts. His was the honor
to be born king of beasts, and the sound
which disturbed the ne:ghbOrhood sleep
was but his infantile lessons in vocal
iaI,
wake the echoes in some dark African
jungle.
In other words, the animal which
aroused the neigh borhood was the six
months old lion cub purchased by three
young men of this city, and the space
in which he took his morning walk was
the yard in the rear of the Foulks resi-
dence at Twelfth and Tyler streets. He
arrived yesterday evening from Wich-
tia, the place of his birth.
Those who have viewed baby lions
can appreciate the appearance of the
cub. Those who are yet to have this
pleasure may work all day on the if i'm
agination, but it will still be impossi-
BILE. Nero" as he was called in Wich-
ita, and Hector as he is to be called
here, looks like nothing in this part of
the world but himself. He could be
taken for almost anything, and then
disgrace the comparison.
A foot high and a foot long, with
enormous ears and big feet, a large
head and a tail with descending
curve at the end, narrow at the shout
ders and wide at the tanks, the cub
lion is an amusing looking creature
But even in his present grotesque form,
a. few moments study Will disclose a
dozen distinctive points of the king of
beasts.
His head is shaped like that of a full
grown lion, and while there is yet no
evidence of the shaggy name, the
wrinkles in the forehead which add so
much to the fierce appearance of the
lion, are there. His big feet hide
claws long anG hard, and when he
opens his mouth to roar, teeth strong
and soIidIy set are seen.
The cub is already the especial pet of
Mrs. Foulks. He is just as gentle as
Kitten said she, only when you go to
feed him. Then he seems to think you
mean to take his food away after you
he Will lie down upon it and growI hor-
ribly. We are now feeding him scraped
meat with some blood and plenty of
milk
Il know I should never be afraid to
stay alone in the house a night as long
as [ had him with me, said Mrs. Foulks.
He isn't afraid of anybody or any
thing. and he will walk right towards
you in such a bold manner that his
very appearance is enough to scare
you. He ran big yellow deg out of
the yard today, and l think in two
months more he will make a very form
liable antagonist.
He and are the best of friends al
ready" said Mrs. Foulks, and she seat
ed herself by the lion cub and stroked
his curly coat. The cub lay down at |
Mrs. Foulks' feet and closed his ewes
in evident content.