The Savannah morning news., 1903-05-23

thians, who inhabited the vast region
known under the name of Tartary.
Slender accounts handed down concern
ing the manners of some of the ancient
natives of Hindostan also allude to
the custom. The idea of publication
by fire was in all ages universal, and
with good reason. Some believed that
the body was unclean after the de-
parture of the soul and it was, there
fore, deemed necessary that it should
be purified by fire. Ovid expressed the
general opinion of his time when he
said that the soul was not completely
separated from the body until the lat
ter was consumed on the pyre. The
Athenians invariably, after a battle,
burned the slain.
Dealers in wild animals get most
of their lions from Nubia. There the
natives search for a lioness with new
born cubs, kill the mother and bring
up the young beasts on goats milk.
When they are two months old they
are taken to the coast on the backs of
carnels and shipped to Europe Lions
are also obtained from Abyssinia and
Senegal. Formerly the Atlas noun
tains furnished the finest lions, but the
species now no longer exists except a
few specimens in the menageries. Adult
Nubian lions are worth $1,000 apiece,
while Senegal lions range in price from
$500 to $3.50. Tigers vary in price from
$S75 to $1,000 apiece and more, accord
ing to variety and rarity of the animal.
Siberian tigers, for instance, sell at
the latetr figure. They are large, beau-
tifully striped creatures. In the winter
they grow long, woolly winter coat.
Some full-grown tigers are captured
in pitfalls, but most specimens of these
animals are caught while small cubs
and raised on milk. The hippopota-
mus, the rhinoceros and the giraffe are
difficult to secure. 1t is practically inn
possible to capture a full-grown beast
of these species and the young ones
are hard to rear. A baby hippopotamus
will drink thirty pints of milk day
and baby rhinoceros almost as MUCH
Thus it requires the presence of large
herd of goats in the wilderness to sup
ply milk for such creatures. A hippo
potamus is worth from $4,000 to $4,000,
a rhinoceros slightly more, while vi
RATES. sell at $1,000 or more, according
to size, age and condition.
"A curious discovery which has just
been made in Kieff, in South Russia,
is the theme of conversation in ladies'
circles throughout the length and
breadth of Muscovy. 1t Was made acs
cidentally by the administration of the
railway which had just promoted one
of its most devoted and Woodworking
servants, Alexander Rodishevsky, from
the post of Waterman to that of fore
man. Alexander entered the com
pany's service four years ago, had
worked hard and was distinguished by
honesty, punctuality and unfagging
industry, and people prophesied that in
time he would rise to become Minister
OF Ways and Communications, like
Prince Khilkoff, who at present occu-
pies that exalted post. But the proph-
ecy will never now come true, for, ow-
ing to an untoward accident, it was
discovered that Alexander is not a
man, but girl, and a girl of the high
est class to boot. That, however, is
not the most curious part of the story
1t appears that a respected official in
st. Petersburg had an only daughter
whom he idolized. She was carefully
educated by the best masters and then
studied in the state gymnasium, where
she distinguished herself, finishing the
course with the highest marks and a
medal. She next passed university
examination and was about to continue
her studies at the university, where
great things were expected of her,
when she suddenly vanished The sor-
rowing parents Of the charming girl
were left for four years without any
tidings of her fate. They had given
her up for dead and might never have
heard of her again had it not been for
the unreasonable accident to Alexander
Rodishevsky, who, inquiry made, turn
ed out to be the long-lost girl. Her in
tention was, she says, to rise to an
eminent position in the state by her
own unaided efforts and then to give
a brilliant example to the world of the
feats which woman, when she really
wills, is capable OF achieving.