Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1906-12-20
WILL BREED zEBROIDS
NEW YORKER TO EXPERIMENT
ON A LARGE SCALE.
Flnancier Claims Cross Between Horse
and Zebra Greatly Superior to AMI
NAL Now In Domestic Use
His Purpose Explained.

New York.-From zebras which he
has imported at great expense Warner
M. Van Norden, president Of the Van
Norden Trust company Of this city,
cntertains great hopes that the re-
broid (as the hybrid offspring of the
horse and zebra is called), will come to
be generally and favorably known in
this country.
The zebroid," explained Mr.. Van
Norden the other day, makes an ex-
cellent all around animal for domes-
tic use and l hope to introduce it in
this country. 1t Is already used in
South Africa, where it has given sat
isfaction. / cannot say just how
speedy the zebroid will be but those
shall raise will be from the finest
stock, especially suited for driving
purposes. These animals are much
more strong and vigorous than the
horse and live about twice as long.
They will rank with any of the horses
in general use to-day and in value will
range from $500 to $1,000. They will
be very tough and able to endure
twice the hardship the average horse
can stand"
The parents, perhaps, of genera
tions of American zebroids yet I'M
born are now contentedly munching
hay in the barn at Mr.. Van Norden's
country place at Rye, N. Y, all un-
conscious of the weight of the re-
sponsibility resting upon their care
fully groomed backs.
In temporary quarters in one barn
are three zebras, said to be among
the finest of their species ever brought
to this country. One of them is de-
clared to be genuine Grevys zebra
from Abyssinia and this animal alone
is valued by Mr.. Van Norden at $4,000.
The other two zebras belong to what
is known as the Bohimii class. Two
more, equally as valuable as those
now in Rye, have been captured for
Mr.. Van Norden and will be shipped
to this country early next spring.
These animals are about six years old
and, inasmuch as the life of the aver
age zebra is about so years, they are
as yet mere babies and are full Of
more life and tricks than young colts.
So much for the zebra parents of
the zebroids. Their parents on the
other side will range from full
blooded Arabian mare down to little
burro jennies, through list of horse
flesh including piebald, hackney and
mustang
The zebroids will owe their appear
ance In this country, however, not so
much to Mr.. Van Norden's desire to
raise them for themselves alone as to
his determination to solve the problem
of telegony.
whether 1t is real, as breeders of
blood stock assert, or whether it is a
vagary of the breeders mind, as
scientists declare, Explaining the OBJ
ject of his undertaking, Mr.. Van
Norden said:
"All breeders believe in telegony.
1t has always been their claim that
If female animal is bred to one of
different species but of the. same
family and is afterward bred toVone of
her own species the second offspring
will show resemblance to the first
sire. Opposed to the claim Of the
breeders is that of the scientists, who
say there is no such thing as telegony
and that the breeders are mistaken
in their diagnosis.
"a man who stands near the head
Of the scientists in their contention
that there. is nothing in the breeders
fear of telegony is Prof w. Ewart, of
Edinburgh university, and for years
he has conducted experiments to sup
port the correctness of his theories.
Prof. Ewart is now experimenting
with pigeons and rabbits. He asserts
that no one has ever gone into the
subject of telegony in such manner
as clearly to demonstrate the truth
or falsity OF the many claims made
concerning it. The experiments OF
Prof. Ewart and others have thrown
some light on the subject. but there
| 10 still much m ha laarned "