The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1905-11-24

pa Nobody need tell me that ant
mails have no human instincts. ana a
not know how 10 take joke We
are apt 20 think that Wild animals in
captivity are worrying over being
confined in cages. and gazed az and
commented on by curious visitors. and
that they dream OF the free life they
lived IN the jungles. and sigh Ia 10
back where they were captured. and
prowl around for food bur you can't
fool me Animals that formerly had
20 so around In the woods. hungry
half the time. and occasionally gorg-
ing themselves on a dead animal. and
sleeping ont In the rain in all kinds
OF weather, know when they have
struck a good thing in a menacsrle.
with clean straw 20 sleep in. and when
they are hungry all they have 10 DO
is 70 sound their bugle and they have
pre-digestcd beefsteak and breakfast
food brought 20 them on a silver Mat.
ter. and II the food is not TO their lik-
ing they set up kick like star
boarder az a boarding house. Their
condition in the show. in its changed
condition from that OF their ne i've
haunts, is like taking a hobo off the
trucks OF a freight train and taking
him 70 the dining car OF the limited
and letting him eat 10 a flush PEG.
pie talk about animals escaping from
captivity and going back TO the jun
giles. and humane societies shed tears
over the poor. sad-eyed captives. sigh
ing FOR their homes. but you turn
them loose at South Bend. aud run
your circus train 10 New Albany
without them. and they would follow
the train and overtake il before the
evening performance the next day. and
you would find them trying to freak
into their cages again. and they would
have to be fed.
When pa and | went into the harm
where the cages were. TO take an ac-
count Of stock. and get acquainted
with our animals. they acted just like
the circus men did when they saw
pas clothes. The animals were about
half asleep when We went in. but a
big lion bent one eye on pa. and
then he rose up and shook himself,
and gave roar and a cough that
sounded like he had the worst case Of
pneumonia. and he snorted a couple
OF times as though be was say
ins 10 the other animals. Here's
something that will Kill YOU dead and
want you all 10 have a piece os il.
raw. and he brayed some more. and
all the animals joined in the chorus,
the big tiger lyins down on his SOM
ach and waving his tail. and sueilins
and showing his teeth like a cat hat
has located a mouse hole. AMI the
tiger seemed 20 say 20. | saw il frsL
and IT'S mine.
The hyena set up a laugh like man
who is not tickled. but feels that I
is up TO him 70 laugh at q funny
story that he can't see the point OF at
a banquet where Chauncey Depew tells
one Of his crippled jokes. and pa was
getting nervous. A big grizzly bear
was walking delegate in his cage. and
he looked at pa as much as 10 say.
you called in Colorado. but you get
in this cage. ami viii make you think
the Spanish war was a sunday school
picnic beside what you will &c, from
your uncle Ephra.m." and a bob cat
jumped up into the top of his cage
and snarled and showed his teeth. and
seemed to say: Bring on your mole
pack Of dogs and Will eat them
alive"
Pa threw out his chest in front OF
a monkey cage. and a monkey snatC he'd .
his watch. and then all the animals be-
gan TO laugh at pa just like a lot OF TAD /
boys in school when visitors make call |
Pa went around 10 visit ali the ami /.
mails. officially. while | got interested I
in a female kangaroo. with a couple 1
Of babies. not more than three weeks /
Did. and | noticed the mother kan
,aroo made the old man kangaroo. her
husband. stand around, and he acted 4
ust like some men have seen who \
we're afraid 20 say their souls we're \
heir own IL the presence Of their \
wives
Pa showed UP without any coat,
While was kangaroo.ng. and there
vas rip in his pants. and asked him
What was the trouble. and he said he
got too near the cage OF a leopard.
hat seemed 10 be asleep. and tho
raitor reached out his paw and gath
red in the tail OF pas coat. and just
matched it of his back as though il
vas made Of paper.
Pa IS a little discouraged about his
experience in the circus the first day,
nut he says il will be great wheL we
.et the run Of the business. lie says
very day will have It's excitement. To-
morrow they are going to extract
Doth from the boa-cOnstrictor. and
"a and are going to help hold him.
shile the animal dentist pulls the
Doth and then we scrub the rhinoce-
os. and oil the hippopotamus. and
ct everything ready TO start out ON
be road, and can't write any more in
~ diary until after we fix the snake.
zee. but he IL as long as a clothesline.
-