The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-07-29

| than the other Is likely to be a little long
Ell and heavier. Thus, as among human
| beings there are right-handed and left
| handed men, so there are many elephants
that give q larger part of work or ex-
ercise to the right or the left tusk.
The tusks of the domestic elephant are
likely TO be longer, more slender. sharper.
and also more curved than are those OF
the wild animals. There also exists
species of elephant that has no tusks.
They have been found in the delta of the
Russia river and in certain parts of the
Mobangi river basin.
The fact Is not generally known that
there exists in the tropical forests race
of dwarf elephants which are exactly ike
others except in stature and weight. Thus
elephants as well as antelopes and human
being, have their pygmies.
The tire great ivory markets of the
world are Antwerp, London and Liver
pool For the past six or seven years
Antwerp has forged 9head Of London. for
II controls most of the great new field of
the Congo. Since 1895 its ivory receipts
have invariably exceeded those of Lon
don. excepting in 1895 The receipts last
year were 323 tons for Antwerp, 2S for
London. and 20 for Liverpool, a total Of
81 tons.
The total receipts of these markets from
1894 10 1902 ranged between 524 and $40
tons a year. The receipts Of London are
slowly declining, while those of Antwerp
are rapidly increasing. although it is
probs bic that the height of its trade will
be reached before many years. Liverpool
cuts a small figure IN comparison with
its rivals, its receipts having varied in
the last nine years from thirty-two to
sixty tons year.
The ivory reaching the British market
comes from Zanzibar, Bombay, the largest
sources OF its supply; Egypt, West Africa,
and Abyssinia, very large amount also
coming from Benguela and the cape.
About one third Of the London ivory
comes from the west coast Of Africa and
Abyssinia and the supply Is decreasing.
The West African ivory has been chiefly
obtained from Senegambis, liberia, the
Guipea coast, and the Niger, which have
been extensively worked for many years.
The supply is failing, though il is now
being REINFORCED by ivory from the Hin
teriand
The receipts from Abyssinia reached
their maximum in 1909. The important
quantities exported from that oouHtry In
recent years have been due TO the organ
isation Of large hurts with the best
weapons Hunting the elephants in King
Menefik's Domain has thus been abnorm-
ally stimulate of late years. but the sup
pay OF ivory from this source Is now de-
creasing
About ( per cert Of the ivory sent to
London comes from the east coast OF
Indian. Its quantity has been nearly uni
form. bat the present prospects are that
1t viii slowly decrease. The ivory from
Egypt will probably Increase in quantity
for a few years, owing TO the reopenins
of the Egyptian Soudan.
The Antwerp market came into exist
ence only in 1923. and it has had very
rapid development, its great speciality be-
ing ivory from the Congo Free State. The
two great cIassifications of Antwerp ivory
are hard and soft ivory. About seven
Fights of the total supply is hard ivory,
which means ivory that mas been accumu-
lating in the country for many years,
much of it having been collected by the
natives before they had any idea Of its
commercial value.
In 1892 only eighteen tons of soft ivory
came from the Congo State. though 124
tons of hard ivory were shipped. The
soft ivory is the fresh tusks obtained from
newly killed animals.
The French Congo includes very large
oil M d,ora in he
in 1900 to export ivory from IL. The ship
ments in 1901 were thirty-two tons, and
they bid fair during the present year to
be fifty or sixty tons. The French Congo
will be the outlet for a great deal of ivory
In the next few years.
1t is not expected that the Congo State
can much longer keep up its enormous
shipment of ivory. The maximum TO an
appearances will be reached within the
next four or five years. Then there will
come a period of about uniform
shipments for a number of years. which
will be followed by an era of rapid de-
cline. The day is soon approaching when
the reserve stock of ivory accumulated
by the natives Will be exhausted
When that source Of supply Is at an end
the ivory INDUSTRY VIII decline until rail-
roads open up the fair interior of the
country in regions not now accessible by
steamboats,. Then there will be new fields
to exploit. for the elephant still lives In
herds in some parts of Central
Africa, as in the regions of the Upper
Sanss River. the Upper Mobangi. and
some large districts OF the French Sou
dan and the Egyptian Soudan. Perhaps
these now almost inaccessible sources of
ivory will supply the world for a century
to come
The Congo State is now enforcing laws
to prevent the determination OF elephant
herds within the states territory 1t Is
entirely probable that long before the sup
ply OF ivory threatens to fall below the
worlds demands the other powers inter- |
ested in Africa will also adopt measures
calculated TO place limits upon the de-
struction OF elephants and 10 insure. IL /
possible. the permanence of the ivory
trade.
A GIANT MUSHROOM.