Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1902-06-13
TRADE IN WILD BEASTS
LARGE DIMENSIONS TO WHICH The
INDUSTRY HAS GROWN.

handling Exhibits FOR inc ho""S0
and Zoos of the World-A Farm Where
the Animals Are Restored to Health
After Their Ocean Trip.
Out of the vast range of human ID
iustries it would be difficult to select a
calling which at first sight offers less
In the way of remuneration than that
of the man with a literal elephant Oh
his hands to dispose of, writes D. f.
Hebard, in the New York Post. Ihere
are so few people who want an ele,
phant, in the first place, that 1t IS nara
for one not versed in the secrets Oh the
bnsiness TO see how the regular barter
and sale of these huge beasts can De d
source of profit. For all this, the lact
remains that the trade in not only eie-
chants. but ostriches, camels, tigers,
ieonards and any other kind Of wlld
animal, is better to-day than ever De-
fore. and large fortunes are being made
at If by concerns all over the world.
Not far from jersey City, on the road
r. Newark. there is a cluster of rough,
unpainted barns, surrounded by high
hoard fence, which at first glance bears
a close resemblance to the out-houSes
frequently seen on old New England
farms. A closer inspection, however,
reveals the fact that one of the build
ings is of unusual height and built en-
tirely of roughly squared logs, heavily
spiked together. A most unearthly dill,
made up of squeaks, roars, yelps and
bays in every conceivable key. pro-
claims still further the unusual charac'
ter of the place.
This group of shanties off the main
line Of travel from the city is Madden's
animal farm, known to every Snowman
and zoologist in this country and Eu-
rope. Here at different seasons of the
year can be found anything from a
baby elephant fresh from India to a
Manx cat, trained to all the tricks dear
to the heart of the Snowman.
Madden is not himself a collector,
and acts really as agent for a large anil
mai house in Germany. He is sort Of
jobber and stands between the collec-
tor and those in search Of wild beasts.
When a Snowman loses one of the in
mates of his menagerie, or desires to
make an addition to his stock for the
next season, he lets Madden know six
months in advance, anu the animal is
produced, sleek and fat and in prime
condition, to be put upon exhibition.
1t is this matter of condition which
makes Madden a necessary party to
the transaction.
Animals of all kinds, and particularly
wild beasts, unaccustomed to the re-
strictions of life in captivity, are very
DOOR travellers. Camels and lions in
variably suffer torments from seasick-
ness, and, in fact, frequently die from
that and fright during an ocean voy-
age. AS any one who has ever seen
any Of the North German Lloyd ships
discharging their occasional cargoes of
animals at Jersey City can readily be-
lieve, Madden's charges frequently
reach his farm more dead than alive
His is the task of bringing them back
to life, training them to docility in con
finement. and rendering them generally
fit for the show or park as the case
may be.
In addition to his other department
Madden, a year or so ago, started
training school where animals are mol
only cared for and put i'll good physical
condition after their arrival in this
country, but are also trained for the
ring. This is coming to be one of the
most profitable branches of the bust
ness. In speaking of it the proprietor
said:
"When 1 first opened my present
plant we had three small sheds and
lean-to where we kept the cattle and
deer. That was fifteen years ago, and
the demand for animals was so small
that it was all we could do at first Il
exc out living. So many new parks
have been started with geological gar
dens attached, in different cities of the
country, within the last ten years
however, that we always now have al
the ord crs on hand We can attend to.
when q consignment of animals
reaches us from the other side" he con
tinued, "the first thing we have to see
to is that the animals are able to be
moved from the ship. You think that
is strange, don't you! But it's a fact
You have doubtless noticed how diff
cult it is for you to walk when you first
land after long sea voyage. Well,
have seen an elephant that had been
landed too soon after a stormy trip
stagger about the streets for all the
world like q drunken sailor, only on
an alarmingly larger scale. Two days
spent quietly aboard ship in the dock
is usually enough to give them their
land legs.
'The elephants and camels and other
cattle, as We call them, that can walk
OIL their own legs, are taken at night
from the ship to the farm, so as to at
tract just as little attention as possible.
Sometimes, if the animals are in per-
fectly good condition they are re-
shipped in the course of week to the
people who ordered them. If they are
ill, however, we do our best for them
here. That isn't much. There is little
to be done for lion or tiger that is
slowly grieying itself to death, except
to make it as comfortable as possible,
and try by giving it food according to
its palate to win back its interest in
life. There are certain simple rene
dies and stimulants which we mix with
their food which have Il good result
usually, particularly in the case of the
monkeys. Monkeys are remarkably re-
sponsive to drugs, and take to quinine