The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-25
GOSSIP OR THE CIRCUS zoo.
FROM THE PRESS AGENTS AND
THE "JUNGLE GAZETTE."
The Lion and the Lamb That Lie Down To-
gether-Heating the Monkeys-COCo'S
illness Explained-The KangarOOs
Expecting q Visit From the Stork.

Law 49, NNS JNNNo~
Of action, Is not as certain to the wild beast
as the restricted life behind bars in the
greatest show, where every animal gets
enough to eat without having to exercise
its hunting instinct and its love OF slaughter.
Much Of the sympathy for the Gagged is
wasted. They are satisfied as a rule,
and those that are not ought to be, from
the standpoint OF the keepers.
1T Is not unlikely said George Conklln,
who has general charge Of the menagerie,
that many OF the beasts here would starve
to death in freedom. / know that we
could not drive some Of them out OF their
cages II they realized that when grub
time came around there was nothing coming
their way. All our big cats, like the little
domestic ones, would come back if they
could IL we sent them to their ancestral
homes. Like q great many human folks
that talk about their old homesteads, the
lions and tigers prefer to them the COM
forts Of civilization
Nothing attracts bigger crowds in the
menagerie than the big fine looking lion
and the fat and homely looking sheep Gagged
together. Although they sleep In adj
joining compartments Of the cage, they
are always permitted to associate In the
hours when the show is open. The sheep
is very strong for one Of his kind. and his
fearlessness, due probably to his utter
lack Of knowledge of the strength and
mature of the lion, seems to awe the latter.
The sheep not only brushes up against
the lion, but also butts him out OF the way
at times. The lion not only manifests no
hostility, but ever ticks the sleeps nose,
just as a dog might lick the hand Of Its
master.
The Zulu who has charge OF the zion
and the lamb" as they are called on the
posters, believes that the lion will never
harm the sheep. Some spectators are in
clined to bet that the sheep will eat the
lion. The lion is q jungle native, and was
captured when almost a cub, 30 his docility
In somewhat remarkable. The Zulu takes
him out with the sheep n leads them
around together at times. Supt. Conklin,
who knows lion nature well, has a suspicion
that some time the sheep and the lion will
lie down together with the sheep on the
inside Of the lion. Even docile lions will
stand only a limited lot Of butting, even
from innocent sheep.
The lion and the lamb, Mr.. Coxey, the
press agent, says, are expected to prove q
drawing card on the road, particularly in
the country districts where Bible picture
books are still kept on the parlor tables,
Above all animals, except some OF the
elephants, Mr.. Conklin likes the monkeys.
He is lamenting the oldest monkey inhabi-
tant, Jennie, who was frozen TO death in a
recent cold snap. She was II years old,
which Is equivalent to rs years Of human
life. In the monkey cage. which has a
population OF about 100. is q little black
and tan dog, Niger. The chief use of a
dog in a monkey cage is to act as steam
radiator for the delicate monkeys. All
the monkeys who can huddle around Niger
when the temperature drops n he keeps
them warm.
Sometimes the miscellaneous boy monkeys
pull Mig gers tail and twist his ears, but
they are usually boxed by their elders,
even before Niger can map at them. When
the menagerle, is in winter quarters pigs
are also placed in the cage to help warm
up the sensitive little monkeys.
Matthew, the keeper Of the zebus, and the
oldest animal man with the show, has a
bad case Of rheumatism, but that does
not prevent him from hopping around and
telling all about his charges to anybody
who expresses an interest in them. He
assisted the veterinarian in saving the very
little zebu, Precious. the first ever born In
the m~enagerie, after days n nights of
careful nursing. Matthew was the keeper
of Jumbo, who tried to stop train and was
mourns the giant creature, saying that
thew loved eao b other like brothers.
Cyclone. the baboon, and Chang, a
monkey, almost as big as Cyclone. both of
whom ride ponies bareback In a race, are
the brightest simians in the nIena gerie.
Cyclone is gentle, but II anybody makes
a pretenoe OF striking MIR. Conklin Cyclone
will get in a rage and make an effort TO break
his wooden bars to reach the superintcn-
dent's make believe essailant. Cyclone
is the editor OF the Jungle Gazette, from the
latest edition Of which our exchange reader
has clipped the following:
aThe illness of Coco, the baby elephant,
caused the postponement OF the first herd
rehearsal set down for last Wednesday.
The elephants are pretty good at mathemat-
los, and when they found out hat there
were only seven of them going out they
refused to ascend the runway to the arena.
The leader Of the herd said we are seven'
and ordered all hands on strike; Prodding
There ought to have heen eight elephants
present. All were taken back and chained
up. Then the trainer thought a bit and
decided to take Coco along anyhow. This
and did their stunt. We advise the manage.
ment not to monkey with the acquired
habits OF elephants, and monkeys Also
I'VE regret to inform our readers OF the
death OF Lena, one Of the big four giraffe
combination and the consort Of our tall
friend Fritz, who is inconsolable. Lena
had a severe sore throat, and SO much Of
II that it could not be properly bandaged.
The management will, we are told, soon
nave another giraffe to take the place of
the Lena
sThe kangaroo cage Is mighty quiet these
DAVIS. We understand that old DIR. Grey
hound, whose advertisement will be found
in another column, is attending Mrs. Kan
CARGO. We need not say that Mr.. Kangaroo
Is expecting a visit from the storA, He
| hopes thai the little one will be a Manga
rooster. Our wife a y that Is just like
| the men, always looking for boys, oblivious
| OF the fact that they could not be married
II it we're not for the girls
sThe swinging Of the polar bear is much
commented on by our human visitors. His
peculiar motion is readily explainable, ex-
cept perhaps to the stupid men, He is a
physical culturist, and that movement he
affects Is strongly recommended for the
developemnt Of the neck muscles. The
polar bear needs no ice this weather, but
he felt very uncomfortable in February.
He hopes that Willis Moore will predict a
hot summer, so he may have some show