The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1903-04-11
CORNER IN RHINOCEROSES.
NOT ONE OF THIS UGLlEST OF
BEASTS ON THE MARKET.
The Species Nearly Extinct-Word's
Supply Limited to Twelve of Which
New York Has Two--AII Efforts at
Breeding in Captivity Have Failed.

new YORK Has TWo--AII EfoTtS a
Breeding in Captivity Have Failed
The rhinoceros market Is cornered
Not single one of the ugliest of ugly
beasts Is to be had in the open mar
kets of the world. Neither circus
managers nor menagerie owners car
secure one, for the worlds visible sup
ply Of rhinoceroses Cor perhaps il
should be rhinoceri) is limited t
twelve specimens. New York holds
two specimens. one handsome" Ma
lay of the big Indian" variety, now
residing in apparent contentment ir
the New York Geological Park, and
the other, a black African, is in the
Central Park collection.
According to Director w. T. Horna
day. Of the New York Geological Park
the sun of the "rhino" is fast setting
Not only is he an exceptionally scarce
article in captivity, but he has become
SO rare in the wild state as to be al
ready regarded as among the semi
doz may be permitted.
The jungles of India and the wilds OF
Africa, the only habitat of the leath.
ern monsters, have for months been
vainly searched for rhinoceroses, IS
the demand of circus collectors and
menageries is great.
The market value of an able-bodied
rhinoceros has, until the present short
age in supply became known, ranged
from $4,000 to $4,000. Now several
managers of large circuses would be
willing to pay twice or thrice that
sum il price were any object in Sc
curing the beasts.
OF the two rhinoceroses in captiv-
ity in New York only one, the Central
Park specimen is full grown. The lat
ter animal Is regarded as the most re-
markable ever captured. She was
purchased for $4,000 in 1886 from w.
w. Cole, the Snowman, and had been
in captivity since 1873. For thirteen
years she travelled in large cage all
over the world, averaging 10000
miles year. When she entered the
Central Park Zoo she bore the name
Smiles" an ironical cognomen, which
she never changed
Smiles is thirty-three years old, and
bears the unique distinction Of posses
sing two tongues, on above the other,
operating independently, but attached
to the same root. Geological experts
have examined her from time to time.
but no satisfactory explanation of
the double tongue has ever been offer
ed.
Smiles two years ago began to fail
in health, and became SO stiffened
with rheumatism, contracted from con-
tinued residence on a concrete floor
that she refused to eat, and was un-
able to move A block and tackle was
rugged, and after much effort Smiles
vas removed from the lion house to Il
large cage in the elephant house,
where Keeper William Snyder was
given charge of her. Careful nursing
and the board floor cage worked won
ders. and today the animal is regarded
as one Of the healthiest in the collec-
ton.
She receives an oil bath fortnightly,
the keeper applying neatsfoot oil with
q brush after Smiles has been securely
roped down. This is necessary to
keep the hide soft and healthy. Two
enormous horns, one nearly a yard
long, and the other only slightly short
er, project from the animals nose.
Her daily diet consists Of six loaves
of fresh bread and ten quarts of hot
mash, made from bran, oats, carrots.
apples and potatoes. Smiles is fond
Of sweets, and is great pet. eating
peanuts. popcorn or candy from the
hands Of visitors with eagerness and
docility.
Keeper Snyder declares Smiles is
good for many more years of life. He
expects her to reach the age of seven
ty-five years, not unusually long life
for the rhinoceros in the wild state.
Carl Hagenbeck, the wild animal man,
offered $4,000 for Smiles last year,
but the offer was refused
The specimen at the New York Zoo
logical Park is baby, three years old.
secured by Director Hornaday last
year from Sumatra. He is very small.
being scarcely ten feet long. No horn
rs yet adorns his snout, but small
stump has started. Unlike Smiles,
his body is covered with q scraggy
growth of black hair about an inch
long, covering the entire body. The
hairs grow from the pores and are far
apart. The baby rhino has similar
iiet to that of Smiles, but in smaller
quantities. He is located in the rep
Tile house. where he has small water
tank for his exclusive use.. He has 4
never been regularly named, but is
addressed by visitors as
BILL" and by his keepers as the
Kid" His health is good, and Direct
,r Hornaday is exercising great care
n his bringing up.
Several varieties of rhfnoceros are
extinct. Among these are the white
of Africa. The square
rhinoceros is so rare as to
,e considered practically extinct. and
he black African variety, regarded
l0ync vaara ax0 aS fhe most common