Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1904-08-25
ANIMALS IN QUARANTINE.

ANIMALS IN QUARANTINE.
Government Subjects Incoming Quad
rupeds to Strict Medical Inspection.
! New York Tribune-At Athena, a lit.
tie out Of the way place in New Jersey,
the United States government owns
fifty acres of land, on which have
been erected within the three years the
government has maintained the animal
quarantine station there twenty-four
buildings. constructed especially with
view to the effective quarantining
Of animals from foreign countries. The
station which is officially known as
the animal quarantine station for the
port of New York, is under the direc
ton of the bureau Of animal industry
of the United States Department of
Agriculture. 1t is conducted as rigor
ously in compliance with every letter
of the law as is any quarantine station
in the land. The Stars and Stripes
flies above the grazing camels, deer
giraffes, llamas antelope or yake as
the case may be and no one may be
admitted to the station without special
permission, as at all other government
stations.
The incoming ship laden with con-
signment of animals is met at the
wharf by DR.. George w. Pope, super
intendont of the station. After pre-
liminary examination of the animals
they are hoisted from the hold of the
vessel, still in their crates, and are
placed aboard especially prepared
box cars and taken to the station at
Athena. DR. Pope says the animals
often act strangely when they find
themselves upon the earth again. They
are oyerjoyed at finding themselves
free from the motion of the ship, and
plainly manifest their delight. Llama,
deer and such animals sniff the air as
if they could not get enough of it, and
frolic and gambol about in exceeding
joy.
THE camels act the funniest" said
DR.. Pope. These animals are so large
and ungainly that they are not confined
to cages They dislike the motion of
the vessel exceedingly, and oftentimes,
when they finally find firm footing
beneath their feet they actually dance
for joy have seen them, when they
realized that they were at last free
from the ship, huddle themselves to-
gether awkwardly, and jump up and
down in a kind of dance"
The animals hardly know what to
make of it when they find themselves
at the spacious government farm at
Athena. The farm is in reality an
animal city. The fifty-acre Enclosure is
surrounded by high wire fence, and
the streets are laid out at right angles,
on which the buildings front.
1t is at this season of the year and
in the fall that there is greater activity
at the animal quarantine station, for i'm
portations of animals for show pur-
roses are Just now being made in con-
siderable numbers. In fact, this may
he called the wild animal season at the
farm. and Jersey and Guernsey cattle,
the more or less regular boarders there,
gaze in wide-eyed establishment at the
strange shapes of the newcomers.
All Illuminating animals other than
cattle must be held in quarantine a
period of fifteen days. If they are
then free from disease. they are re-
leased Should an animal be found
to be suffering from any infectious dis
ease, it is promptly destroyed OF
course, the greatest fear is of any in
lection among cattle received from
other countries, and the quarantine
laws affecting them are especially
strict. Next to cattle the greatest
concern of the quarantine officials is
probably with regard to camels. These
animals frequently suffer from the
! dreaded foot and mouth diseases or
apthous fever, as II is known among
experts in animal disease. DR.. Pope
and his assistants are constantly on the
alert to guard against any outbreak of
this disease in this country. During
quarantine the animals are practically
under a military regime. If perchance
an owner has elected to pay the board
of the animals at the Hoboken stable
rather than bear the cost of transporta-
ton to the farm at Athena. the animals
are placed under lock and key NO
one save the keepers is allowed near
them during the quarantine period, and
many other precautions are taken,