The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1897-08-14
RAISING WILD ANIMALS.
A TWO THOUSAND ACRE MENAG'
ERIE IN SOUTH FLORIDA.

Into Sections LOT tuc DiOS - | II
Beasts for Exhibition and Commerciai
Purposes-An Interesting Experiment
Fatima. the female hippopotamus r
sent to Chicago from the Central Park f
| Zoo, is to have a permanent nome III J
| Southern Florida, where the breeding
of wild animals for exhibition and COM
mercial purposes is to be attempted on
a novel plan by the Ringing Brothers I
| of circus fame. Two thousands acres
of land bordering on the st. John
River. in the everglades district, have
been secured by purchase and lease,
and a force of workmen will be sent
there in few days to prepare 1t for the
strangest use to which land has ever
been put in this country. The site Sc
lected lies in the tract north OF Lake
Okeechobee, and between the K1sslm-
mere and st. Johns rivers, many miles
from railway stations and settlements.
It is part of the primeval forests, as
wild and untouched by the hand OF
man as it was thousands of years ago.
Possession of comparatively few acres
of high, sandy soil just back OF the nv
,, err gives control of practically limit,
, less expanse of heavily timbered
swamps and iungles, in which it IS pro-
posed to raise for the market such AMI
r mails as lions, tigers, panthers, ele-
. plants, hippopotami, tapirs, bears and
r zebus. with ostriches and huge snakes
. of the python and similar species as
side feature.
2 Around the home ranch stout
Q blockade of heavy timbers is to be
S erected, and from this will project IN
'' ward formidable screen-work OF
grating to prevent the clawed creatures
! from climbing it. The interior OF the
Il stockade will be sub-divided into quar-
tiers for the animals, SO arranged as to
d give each colony widerange OF ground
and free access to running water, With
l ont chance for escape. In one corner
of the tract, where the land is high and
at sandy, a square of two hundred acres
i is to be reserved for houses for the
lie keepers and their aids and for barns
and stables.
70, William H. Winner, known in circus
b annals as successful trainer and hand
Ter of wild animals, will be the director
e. and superintendent of the queer farm,
he and he expects to pass the most OF his
SO time there when not on the road with
Ill the show. In the summer season Mi
JUS Winners brother will be in charge
III Roth of these men have studied the
T matter closely, and are free with thu
on prediction that the scheme will be
lot great financial and geological success
art The only thing approaching this eve,
It's attempted in this country is ostricl
'as farming in Southern California, which
Wv for some unknown reason is said to b
10y diving out. Ostriches seem unable t
veg survive the care given them at tn
Ike farms. and after eight or nine years
ing captivity, even with wide range
left country to roam over, pine away an
die. Thousands of dollars have bee
' uo lost in efforts to make business
be raising the birds to secure revenu
from the sale of their plumes, but the
are expected to thrive and become PR
fitable under the changed condition
which will be inaugurated at the Soutl
Cou ern Florida farm.
! For a number of years the Ringlir
nv y brothers have been experimenting
'sst the breeding of wild animals at Bar
can boo. Wis, and have been so success
OOO full that their travelling menagerie
can now kept supplied by drafts from II
wo home stock instead of by expensl
onr purchases from importers, as is T.
leap usual practice. ineeo "a ~ 49, NO;
at have hltherto oeen cohAne" W vn0 =:
and ing of animals of the cat trlbe-l
will lions and tigers-and the purpose
n of transferring the breeding plant
con. Florida is to see what can be done WI
RING pachyderms and all carnivorous q
cam herbivorous beasts. 1t is assert
title that the climate and surroundings
,ern the everglades country are similar
y no. those of the lands in which animals
30. this kind have their natural habit
2 he and that they can be placed there
600 der conditions which will leave tn
the largely free to live natural lives. Fo
be a will be provided when necessary, a
Il be q watchful eye will be kept ON the
Ger. but beyond this they will be left
will mate and rear their young unmolest
The The transfer of the animals will
wing begun as soon as the stockade
rope shelters are erected, and. at the cl
e re- of the road season q number OF bef
need now with the show will also be
the there. WI. Rouse, the press ag
DEM for the Ringlings, says the total
of the experiment, including the 1
chase of land, building of fences
,und. shelters, and transportation OF
q was mails, will be about $780, 600. One
Id he the heaviest items of expense will
oitat. the construction of rough spur Il
of an the nearest railroad, which is twe
ar an five miles from the farm. The &C
fortu- try is level, however, and the ralll
that company has agreed to furnish
lwavs and rails for the branch free.
y up. Old Badly, a monster Asiatic
mber- plant, and couple OF COW pa
rat no derms will constitute the first
eakest ment. Following these Prince
ecame Alice, the parents of the young
trunks bian lions, Big Rose and Gee
are SO which, with an elephant, were tr'
diff by the Ringlings for Fatima, WI
l GRO