The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-12-07
lord OF BEASTS
Title Given to Carl Hagenbeck, Of
Hamburg.
HIS EXCITING EXPERIENCES
And Thrilling Adventures as Rela-
ted to an English Interviewer.
aapid Disappearance Of Many sps-
cies From the wanton Destruction
Of Females and Young.

London NeW9s dAmpufB u city OF
strange industries, but perhaps there
I, none more interesting than that Of
Mr.. carl Hagenbeck. Serving, as he
does, as the collector Of wild beasts.
for almost every menagerie in the
world, he has dealings with every rav-
sge land. His agents are to-day
searching Tartary and Siberia, explor-
ing Central America, entering the
newly opened soudan, working in even
,he rebelllous Philippines. Just now he
is busy organizing an expedition to
Thlbet. In his great garden you ind
crowds Of wild beasts Of every Kind.
Here are eighteen polar bears, and not
far off is a string Of dozen elephants,
newly arrived from India. Half a hum
bred condors, fresh from South Ameri.
ca, are waiting to be unpacked; scores
of alllgators are playing together. as
though In their native Florida; while
lions and tigers and panthsFs are stored
away in almost countless numbers.
Here is baby tiger, which you can
play with like q kitten; not far on is a
fierce Bengal brute, striving 80 tear
down It's bars and set 1t you.
You must have had some strange
adventures with your animals, Mr.,
Hagenbeck?"
Naturally in dealing with large
numbers of wild creatures one some
times has moments when 1t requires all
ones presence of mind and skill to es-
cape with whole skin. Animals have
their moods, like human beings, and
they have to be watched. One OF my
narroWest escapes was from q young
elephant. We were diBpatchlng some
beasts in a vessel, and was down at
the dock experimenting their enbarka-
ton, A young elephant had evidently
been worried on Its Journey down. It
was tied up with a chain long enough
to permit It's moving somewhat about,
and was standing with my back to
the beast, near the wooden side of the
compartment. Suddenly, without
warning. It turned around and rushed
at me. and pinned me to the wall, It's
tusks going each side Of me. My men
ran up and dragged me from between
the tuslSs and / tainted away In a
moment l opened my eyes and MUIR
INJURED to them to lift me on my feet
and see II could stand, for / was
afraid my back was broken. They
found could stand, and i was helped
home. The elephants tusks had Just
ftted me, grazing my skin on each side,
but not even tearing the flesh.
But / had. perhaps. more uncom-
Portable time with giraffe. We were
putting II on board at Suez, and several
natives. my brother, and myself had
hold OF II with ropes. Suddenly IL bolt
ed Tho others dropped their ropes.
but had mine around me and could
rot let go. The giraffe tore along,
pulling me after It, and its quick loco
motion made mo go with giants
strides, twelve or thirteen feet each.
TIRE was a great pile Of broken bot
alGs on our way and over 1t went the
giraffe. tearing my face and clothes
with the glass. Then II turned around
and rushed back through SueZ again.
At last breathless bruised. torn,
managed to drop of. For few min
utss ] lay still, trying to recover my
wind. When ! opened my eyes saw
the giraffe standing quietly by me, Sc
curely tied. 1t had come to standstill
when dropped of, and little. naked
black boy. who was Just by, had got
hold OF the loose rope and tangled It
round the telegraph pole. so that the
beast was properly caught.
There was one adventure with
snake that still makes me hot and cold
when / recall II. AScase Of rattlesnakes
came to me. and. noticing an unpleas-
ant smell. put my arms over my face
for shade and peered into the cnse. l
saw that there was dead snake there.
Just then one OF the rattlers jumped up
and threw itself against the Iron bars
in an endeavor to get at me, splitting In
Its rage. took no more notice OF II at
the time, but next morning my wife
drew my attention to the sleeve OF my
coat. The sleeve was covered with
great patch of greenish stain, the green
crystals gllstening on IT, II was hot
summer, and my face wns covered with
a heat eruption. Had little OF this
poison gone on my face must iuevita-
bly, have died the most horrible Of all
deaths"
While talking, we were walking about
the garden, Mr.. Hagenbeck showing me
his treasures. Here was q twenty-f0ot
snake, with All enormously thick body,
lying asleep. On the previous day It
had had a quarrel with fourteen-foot
snake. The Rourteen-fOOt snake was
eating chicken, which the twenty
fOOter coveted. The fOurteen-tooter
"OllAA AlVA HuAANuhNl AkH alANfA'i
bigger snake calmly swallowed the
smaller and the chicken too. Now II
was lying still, dIgestlng Its fourteen
foot meal 1t was curious to learn that
Of all animals there is none which
stands the extreme heRt so well AS the
polar bear. The bear delights to sun IT.
self all day in the hottest corner Of Its
yard, and comes to no harm. Elephants
on the other hand, n exposed to too great
heat. such as in the Red Sea, often
sicken and die. Near lake of sea
lions was special lake devoted to the
only wnlrus In captivity. In show mo-
nagerles the sea lion Is usually passed
on as n walrus. and none bat an eX-
pert can tell the difference. Jenny,
the walrus, is Mr.. Hagenbecl especial
pet. She comes clumslly uul OF the
water when he calls her. and wAddleS
UP to him. She performs on bells, and
can summon attendants to give her
her meals. Her food, by the way. Is a
costly item. She requires LIS. worth OF
the best fish each day. with no skin or
bones A walrup IL too valuable to De
denied any dainty.
You must find II more difficult To
get your supplies Of wild animals as
civilization extends2" suggested.
II do. for Wild animals are decreas-
ing very rapidly, indeed. Variety atteT
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