The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1899-12-23
SAVE THE ANIMALS.

duced to it's readers r. A. Parlette,
of the University Herald, Ada, o.,
who writes over the nom de plume
of "Honest John" Mr.. Parlette was
a boyhood chum of the editor of this
paper and to borrow his own quaint
language, together we ensnared the
wary muskrat, and chased the elus-
i've watermelon to her lair" He is
now lecturing over the central states,
dispensing sunshine and soul wher-
ever the vulgus can furnish dough in
return. This winter, besides writing
for his paper, he will deliver about
fifty humorous lectures in that pop
ulous country. Here is sample of
his fun, appearing in a recent issue
of the University Herald
SAVE THE ANIMALS.
Various species of ANIMALS are
constantly disappearing from the
earth. The squirrels and small
birds are falling before civilization,
the wild animals are being crowded
back by civilization; there is a pros
pect that the horse will have to fol-
low the wild beasts and after while
no animal will be known among civ
ilized men except such as can be
used for food. Fifty years ago the
whale catching industry was one of
the great Industries of New Eng
land, but the discovery of mineral
oils killed the business. However,
ship, the first for dozen years,
sailed from New London, Conn, last
June, for cruise in northern waters
for whales. A letter from the cap
tain, dated in September, said that
up to that time not catch had been
made. Is the whale disappearing
from the sea?
The Neihart, Montana, HERALD
sounds the above timely note of
warning. 1t would indeed seem as
if the day was not far distant when
the last of our wild animals will bid
farewell to the forest and go into the
circus business. And, by the way,
the trust octopus has gobbled up the
circuses until there aren't half
enough now exhibiting to supply
the popular demand. What we
want is not more money in circula-
ton, but more competition in the
circus business to bring down the
tariff.
| [ have noticed with dire forebod-
ing that our present stock of wild
animals is always shrinking up in
size. What father has not studied
the large oil painting of monster
snakes on the circus canvas, and af-
ter rushing inside to show his boy
the great reptile aggregation, has
not trembled for the future as he
saw the one shriveled invalid snake
on exhibition? And who of us has
not observed that the lion of the
show is four sizes smaller than the
lion on the show-bill?
So year by year our show animals
shrivel up and disappear before the
onward sweep of the bicycle and the
battle ship. The mastodon and the
pterodactyl once roamed merrily ov-
er Hardin county, but one by one
they are passing away. Our hunters
rarely ever see them now. A third
ward citizen says he saw a flock of
them pass through Ada the other
night. But since he has sobered up
he gets tangled up on cross examin
alton. The last mastodon | saw was
but shadow of his former self.
The noble creature had pined away
until he had lost all flesh and had
taken refuge in museum at Co
lumbus. A maiden lady near me
burst into tears. "Oh," she sobbed,
che was one of my pets in youth. "
/ turned away to hide the tears in
my own eyes.
The large fish l used TO pull out
of the brook with derrick when |
was boy have disappeared. And
now when / go fishing with my
friends, as we catch small mullet
heads and immature crawdads and |
arise to speak of the monsters | used
to catch, those who know me best
ring small bell.
The elephant has disappeared and
no longer gambols DER the sun-kiss-
ed green. Our citizens now have to
go to Chicago to see the elephant
and gamble DER the green. If this
thing keeps up wherewithal shall
the female hat be feathered, and
with what manner of fur shall she he