Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-30
ANIMALTRADEC ENTERS
ONE ALWAYS TO BE FOUND IN A
BIG CITY.
Possible to Buy Anything, From a
Monkey to an Elephant-The
Hunt for Stock.
From the Philadelphia Record.

From the Philadelphia Record.
With all that science HAS done in expedit-
ing human industry and in perfecting and
shortening its methods so that the earth's
bounty may now be garnered in full while
considerable portion of its population are
people of elegant leisure. there Is one busi-
ness which. save for it's increase in volume,
has changed but little since the day when
Noah induced the animals to file into the
ark, two by two. in his torcally successful
attempt to perpetuate all living species.
This one business is that of trading in
wild animals 1t has grown immensely
since the comparatively recent time when
the fortunate man who had seen an ele-
plant lion could hold his hearers spell
bound by description of 1t, but it Is about
the same in method. Wild animals are just
as wild and just as strong as they used to
be, and the recent stories Of their being
overcome and captured through the medium
of hypnotism have almost as much basis in
fact as the famous method exploited in
nursery literature. that of putting salt on
their tails.
Method Of Obtaining Animals.
One of the largest dealers in wild animals
in this country is Jacob Hope Of Phila-
delphia, whose business includes. and. in
deed, consists principally Of their importa-
ton from their native habitats. Among his
patrons are numbered about all the circuses
menageries, exhibitions, midway carnivals
and what not throughout the length and
breadth Of the land, though he does much
business with geological gardens and even
with private families. AS for the importa-
ton branch of his business, Mr.. Hope does
not 20 personally to the animals lair and
catch 1t with his naked hands; neither does
any dealer in this country or Europe. The
animals are caught by the natives and
brought down to the coast, where they are
met by the importers. OF these men who
go out to buy, one leaves in October, sail
ing from New York. and another in Febru-
airy of the following year. The two meet
in Singapore or Calcutta. which are the
principal markets for jungle animals. and
the first arrival having gone into the in
terror and looked the field over, the goods
are ready and the purchases are made
About all that the natives bring down is
taken, irrespective of orders on hand, and
shipped to Europe. sales being made there
as we'll in this country. The natives
bring the animals down in cages of their
own manufacture, made of lakewood
These cages are mounted on wheels and
pulled by hand a distance of from 100 to
200 miles.
Trade in Europe.
The animals are kept In these cages not
only during the sea voyage, but also during
shipment about the country, so that 1t IS
possible for an expert purchaser to tell by
an examination of the cage just where the
animal was caught.
Though the catchers of animals are gener-
ally called natives, many of them are ne
er1es who have been employed by the trad
ers engaged in the work. These remarks
about cages apply, of course, to the larger
animals, such elephants, tigers and some
of the monkeys. Snakes and little monkeys
oa1i
lions in India. All the jungle lions of COM
merce come from Africa, but there are now
very few, If any, on the market. They are
principally got nowadays in Germany and
other parts of Europe where their breeding
is business as regularly established as Is
the breeding of chickens or sheep in this |
country.
does not pay for his purchases with money. |
Though Uncle Sans promise to pay is at a |
premium in most parts of the world, the |
East Indian wants something more tangible |
than paper gold, so the importer has to |
take with him from 200 to $4,000 worth |
of American products farming implements, |
hatchets and guns, and for such as may |
want 1t, wearing apparel, though many of !
the natives get along with less clothes |
than may be seen on the beach at Atlantic !
City during the bathing hour. This mer |
chandise is shipped from this country to |
Liverpool or Hamburg by freight, where 1t |
is reshipped to the Indian ports and stored |
until the trade is made.
Demand for Export Also.
AS for the storage of the purchased ami
mails, that Is not sc much Of an Item as |
might be supposed. Everything offered is |
taken by the importer, as before stated. |
but there are so many orders on hand and |
so many chances Of sale on the way home |
that very little stock has to be cared for |
here. Indeed. when an animal is not sold |
readily 1t Is sometimes rented. A small |
place Is, however, maintained in this coun |
try for the keep and care Of such animals |
as are on hand. Generally the animals are |
tended and fed during the voyage only by |
the importers own men, though sometimes |
when the purchase Is large one native |
comes along TO help In this case the ma |
tive on his arrival is at once deported
Mr.. Hope is also an exporter Of wild ami |
mails, this branch Of the business running |
largely to reptiles though sometimes lions |
and elephants are sent abroad. OF course, |
too. animals native to this country, such as |
mountain lions, wolves, wild cats and buff |
faloes, are In demand on the other side |
The constant traffic in animals after their |
first capture which goes on both here and |
In Europe, is due to the fact that many ex-
hibitors want them only IN certain seasons
and find It cheaper to sell and buy again |
rather than keep
The largest business is done in monkeys
and apes, snakes, lions, elephants and
tigers, but many much. rarer animals are
also handled, because, though not much in
demand, they are wanted by geological gar
dens