The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-04-22
I TIE ANNALS
GOULD Tell I'LL
Authentic Stories of Lives of
Zoo inhabitants.
MANS LIFE UNEVENTFUL
As Compared With Dan" or
"SmiIeS" Career.
MANS LIFE UNEVENTFUL

Were it possible to collect authentic re-
cords of the capture of each Of the big
wild animals in Central Park menagerie,
in New York, there would be material
enough 10 write one of the most absorb
inglv interesting and varied collections OF
big game hunting stories ever published
Even from what reliable data IL at hand
concerning the hunt and the capture OF
some of the individuals in the rocky
bears dens, in the long, narrow mons
house and in the framed elephant mouse
fwhere two huge rogues were eXecuted)
a panplet of spirited and thrilling stories
could be written. Some of the splendid
beasts weer captured only after the most
st,,bborn of fights, and in one case human
life was sacrificed before a capture was
made.
Ever hear how Dan, the polar bear.
happened TO reach New York; asked
a visiting animal man who had come to
town to visit his friend. Elephant Keeper
"Riuv'' Snyder, and who was rounding
up" the exhibits for his own satisfaction
ION the books of the menagerie superln-
tendent you'll find an entry that Ian was
received in part payment for one OF the
baby 'hippos traded with Hagenpach'
But how Hagenback got the bear, that is
the story. Most polar bears in captlV-
,tv have been caught while young by
whalers who venture too far north to es-
cane the ice and who hunt the big whlte
beast for the sport of the chase and for
his skin, and who pick UP cubs left De-
hind by mothers that have fallen as
game. Dan, however, is an historic pear
having been brought into civilization by
a seaman on a Peary North Pole eXpe-
dition two trips ago.
Way up toward the pole, where
names Of lands and countries cease, ana
where you head your letters by LATITUDE
and longitude never expecting them to
be read except by ice bears coming upon
vour well-preserved bones some decades
later. Dan was caught at the close Of a
long arctic night. The hunt proved I'M
eventful. Surprised as all wild beasts
ere that heve never seen a human crea-
ture a group Of great, white bears were
made out not far from the camp, and
they stood, anxious to investigate the
strange intruders on their domain until
half dozen rifle balls laid three of them
low and sent a fourth bear limping pain
fully and leaving trail of red upon the
hummocks of ice. When the hunters
drew near to investigate they found a
tiny. month old cub, shifting and squeal-
ing about its dying mother. licking her
about the face and the wound al her
shoulder. and poking her with his nose
as If anxious to arouse her to flight.
Without much trouble the baby was
caught. taken aboard ship, and by spe-
cial permission from the commander, be-
came the property of Henderson, the sea-
man who had stretched the mother low.
The youngster took readily to con-
densed milk. and became the pet of the
crew. BY the time he landed in New
York he had grown nearly as big as
Newfoundland dog, with an appetite big
as all outdoors. Henderson realized he'd
have trouble storing the bear in a sailors
boarding house and also that he'd eat
him out of house and home and pocket,
and decided to sell him. He came TO the
park here to try to get rid of him. and
met an agent of Hagenback. who was up
here looking around for himself and get
ting posted. The deal was SOM closed at
the absurd price Of $50. and the bear was
shipped to Europe. only to be shipped
back to New York a few years later when
the exchange of the young hippopotamus
was made"
Great big white Dan. who may be seen
on his launches begging peanuts from
any one who comes to his den, is. there
fore distinguished citizen. He has
heard the crunchinS of the foes of noun
tain-tLick ice as the vast fields broke UP.
ne has seen the aurora borealis in all its
magnidcence and grandeur. and has tried
10 climb the steep. slippery face of ice
bergs; but, above all. he was on a regu-
lar polar expedition.
one Of the most interesting stories
about any wild beast in the menagerie is
the yarn" which clings to Smiles. the
twO-horned two-tongued rhinocerous,
said to be the only specimen of his fast
disappearing kind in captivity. The
strange brute-about the last living relic
of the creatures that connect US directly
with the beasts of prehistoric ages-is so
rare that wherever she went the tale Of
her hunt and capture follows her She
was caught in the jungles Of Africa. not
far from the River Sibo. 10y native Ahsvs-
sinians led by a pair of Englishmen hunt
ing and Strengthening right and left all
that was big game. Not in the history
OF modern animal trapping has a full
grown rhinoccrous been taken alive No
lion. no tiger. is more feroeiouslv vicious
than the ''rhino Unlike the intelligent
elephant who realizes when further re-
sistcnce is useless and when IL is best
70 follow the pigrly who has outwitted
and trapped him the rhinoCerous. with a
pigs stupidity. remains wild and untam-
able. making II impossible 10 lead him
over hundreds Of miles through a Jungle
country TO coast where he may be
transported
Smiles" however had been seen by
natives about the Sibo. and when the two
hunters. named Hiu and Saunders. hired
heaters 70 scare Up their game. the young
rhinoccrous was the first marked as want
% Smiles IN those DAYS was no larger
than a good-sized heifer. and at first SIGHT
" was decided 20 catch him alive. The
method used was the same as that often
employed 20 catch fuT-sroyvn rhinoceri
which the natives prize greatly. as they
use the hides for shields. The nightly
run 70 the waters edge where the
young animal regularly stilIeS its thirst
shortly after shutdown was noted and
prepared. The method Is 70 get rope at
tached 70 heavy log around one Of the
beasts less. after which the dragging Los.
the struggles Of the frightened and irf,lr-
lated brute and the spears of the natives
DO tho rest To dig hole a foot in d.,
ameter and foot deep. TO string a run
ming moose OF n strong cable around the
edge Of the hole and 10 hide the entire
snare, seems an easy matter. hut in this
case II is necessary 20 provide 2 CON