The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-02-13
NATURAL HISTORY.
a Few Instances from a Different
St nd oint.


The rhinOceros was not intended by
nature to so bounding Ger the mead
ows in company with the gazelle, but
to I'll a particular place by himself. In
the first place, he is built on solid prin-
ciples like CrOtOn reservoir dam. He
is one-stOry and basement high, and
he is riTeted and cemented from top to
bottom Ava1anches and cyclones have
tried their hands against him, but he
has always come out on top OF the
heap. Ia the next place. he was no
sooner created than he got mad at ev-
erything else on EARTH and he has re-
NAMED so UP TO the present time. He
IS the only thing on legs that is mad
from Sunday morning to saturday
night and cheerfuuy willing TO get up
from the dinner table and go out to
scrap. Instances have been known
where a rhinoceros found 1000 acres Of
land or mountain half a mile high il
, his path and didn't rush in to conquer
or die but they are very rare. Once in
q great while. unless travellers lie
about it, five or six of these great
beasts may be seen feeding together as
lovingly as so many Russians and Jap
anese, but as a rule, they are only
found alone, and don't even like their
own company
The rhinocerous may be asleep in
mud-hOle and dreaming the dreams of
q babe, but no sooner does he hear the
fOotstep OF q wild buffalo or the voice
of a man than he scrambles up and
goes charging around to tear something
up by the roots. He is boss of the land
and he wants everybody to know it.
1t is generally supposed he lives to be
about 100 years old, and that the older
he grows the crankier he becomes, but
no one can tell anything about it, as
he keeps his birthdays to himself If
the beast could be dOmesticated one of
them would do as much work. as four
oxen, and Uncle Reuben would never
have to yell at him, but all efforts to
get him TO work for living have
proved without avail He does not roar
like a lion or trumpet like an elephant
The sound he makes when after q small
boy who is out late at night is a sort
of grunt, like that of a man coming
down on the floor of a roller skating
rink, and once heard is never forgot
ten. The rhinO was once an inhabitant
of America. and he beat the tramp in
his Wanderings and made things warm
wherever he appeared, but hard times
and q desire to travel and see the world
finally landed him in Africa, and he
decided to settle there for good. Should
q rhino break out of his cage in a zoe
when You are present the best thing
you can do is to step into safe de
post company and ask them to take
charge of you for 4 couple of hours al
regular rates.
The humble bee is found in every
country under the sun, and he is tn,
same old humble bee in Persia, Alaski
or Germany as in America. There ar,
two ends 10 him; one contains tn,
head ana eyes, and the other the stin
geT. no boy has ever yet been able i,
tell which end is which until he ha.
picked the bee up i'm his fingers u
dropped him down his hind pocket
Tho singer is about as large as a cam
brio needle and only half an inch long
and yet thousands OF people who haY,
felt 1t have taken their affidavit tina
It IS as large as a darning needle an
a foot long. Il the humble bee Ner,
not an intelligent insect he would stin;
q man on the sole of his boot or tackI
his hat, but he makes no such mis-
takes. He knows Just where to pu
that singer in TO lift his victim twi
feet high, and if it is large. fat wo
man or man he adds an extra lab. !
farmer may arm himself with a fenc
rail and fight until he is exhausted
but he must fan victim at last.
In Alaska the principle business q
the humble bee is to go buzzin;
around and make the people think O
home and pumpkin pies and hot cider
and one bee will often make fifty diff
ferent men shed tears of homesicknes
and wonder why they were fool
enough TO come out to such a country
Next TO making them homesick, tn
business of the bee is to arouse Their
to new aiIns anG ambitions He doe
this by finding a tender SPOT and t1riy
ing In his singer, and he never eafl
to produce the result desired Whe
the bumbla bee fist reached Perst
they took him for q new kind of Dir.
and he was Gagged up and De Ople sa
up all night to lear if he would SIM
IT was the people Who did TIE singing
however, and they finally decided TIM
enc end Of the bee was loaded wit