The Portland daily press., 1901-02-06

Since his boyhood Arthur Spencer, one
OF the bravest wild animal trappers IN
the world, has been battling with the
ferocious beasts and lives TO tell the tale
Through stratngem he has always sue
cessfully overcome brute force, although
he has passed through experiences
which OF themselves were enough TO
Kill man OF ordinary nerve.
"Yes, / am in an interesting profes-
sion, which Is not generally understood
by the people," said Mr.. Spencer. They
crowd and joStle into the tents during
the season 20 look at the wild animals
but they never realize what patience il
requires and the hardships gone through
to catch the beasts IN their native lands
and bring them to America.
"A wild animal catcher has to study
the Ways Of living and the characters
tics of the animals be IL after. For in
stance. a monkey can never be captured
unless you know how 90 90 about il. A
man can't scramble through the tops OF
a tall tree and get within hundred
feet OF a nimble monkey. The way we
take them is TO carry into the jungle a
big gourd OF fermented rice juice. When
we reach tree which is filed with chat
tering monkeys, we open the gourd and
tire to safe distance, and the monkeys,
in their initiative way. come down the
tree and all freely drink of the liquor.
A half hour later we can come back and
pick the little fellows up as they lie about
under the trees in a drunken stupor.
"A baboon is taken in n similar man
ner, but have never known one to live
through the trip TO Europe or America.
They generally died on my hands before
we got 100 miles away from the coast.
They either died from seasickness or
from the effects OF a change in climate.
81 consider a gorilla the fiercest Of
African wild animal life. In efforts 10
get him we are compelled to pierce into
the heart of jungles where in midday it
is dusk. When we suddenly come upon
the gorilla family, the mother sends her
young one scampering up tree. while
she STAYS 10 defend him. The old man,
standing on his rear legs, beats his chest
and gives n roar louder and more terrible
than that OF the lion. He then comes at
you like fash of lightning. The only
thing to do is to wait until he is about
on you, then shoot him with an explosive
shell. If your shot misses, it is all over
with you.
I'VE take all large animals in pits. II
a man is careful, there is not much dan
ger A deep pit is dug in the path OF an
elephant tank, which in this country Is
known as deer lick. In the pit Is plass-
ed heavy net. the top OF which is fas-
tened with rubber. When a rope which
is attached is pulled, it closes and forms
strong bag. The net is stretched and
the pit covered with bamboo, earth and
grasses. The rope which closes the net
is run little to the windward OF the pit
to n second pit. where the animal catcher
is hidden. When he sees the beast break
through the covering OF the pit. he pulls
the rope, and the animal IL securely held
until help arrives and he can be lifted in
10 his cage with the net still about him.
The net is only pulled away after the lion
or whatever animal he happens to be -
securely locked in his cage.
"The only danger to the catcher is from
the changing Of the wind. After his pit
has been dug and he has taken his place
in it, often through the changing of the
air currents through the jungles, the man
is not on the windward side OF the big
pit. Then the beast scents him, and the
chase turns to be a man hunt. The only
safety of the animal catcher lies in his
using his rifle at the proper time. There
is an odd and unearthly feeling 10 shoot
ing a lion with a highly explosive shell
such as we use. We watch the lion
bounding toward MS with his mouth open
and his eyes like Goals OF fire. Suddenly
the report of a gun echoes, and there is
no lion in sight. The nitroglycerin in the
bullet blows him to pieces, and there is
not even enough hide left to cover the
seat OF chair.
~ have had both my legs broken, my
ribs caved in and my skull laid bare by
attacks from wild beasts. The most try
ing circumstances occurred when / was q
boy in 1870. | was in Africa, and par
ty of 20 OF us started out on hunt. /
was a boy and tired easier than the rest.
l soon stopped beneath a tree, expecting
to hurry aud catch up with the party
later. fell asleep, however, and when l
did awake it was late in the afternoon. l
heard harsh laugh and thought it was
some of the party who had returned u
find me. The laugh came to my ears,
and looking across a short veldt, | saw a
pack of hyenas coming toward me. 1t
was useless TO shoot, for they were too
many Ii was also useless to climb a
tree, for they would wait until + fell to
the ground from exhaustion. | pretend
ed to be dead These hyenas only eat de-
composed bodies. Soon the animals were
shifting about my face and body. They
pulled and mauled me. but ] lay perfect
ly still. Suddenly they seized me in then
teeth and started across rolling country
and dragged me thus for miles. dropping
me at the mouth Of cave from which
came the awful odors of such dens. They
mauled me about some more and finally
dragged me into the cave, where l re-
mained that night. The next day the
pack again went out on a hunt, and
escaped a short distance. only to fall ex-
hausted and suffering intense agony. A
passing caravan picked me up and car
ried me to small town, where soon re-
covered. ."-Cleveland Leader.