Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-11-06
CAPTURING WILD BEASTS
Task is No Easy Que and
Requiresd a Big Outlay
Of Time and Money

Ii Is probable that there Is no more
difficult or speculative business than
that OF dealing in Wild beasts. says the
New York Sun. Theoretically IL is al
very we'll 10 say to Cross of
Liverpool: llagenbeck Of Ham.
burg. or Bartels OF New York.
who have the wild beast trade
OF the world In their own hands: You
must make mint OF money selling
lions 10 shOwnen at $1,000 each. and
CRANES at $1,000. when these and ali
other animals may be had for moth,
ing prowling at large In the Jungle
ana only waiting FOR your agents &c
come along
Ii this were really SO more persons
would engage in the wild beast trade
Instead of leaving the entire business
of the world in this connection to tho
three dealers above mentioned Ger
tainly prices are large ana the goods
belong to any man atle to lay hands
ON them. But imagine what a bust
ness 1t is TO send out trained hunters
TO India and Genital Africa, and the
malarial jungles OF Sumatra and ia
va. as well as to the cannibal recessey
OF New Guinea and the desolate high
lands of Central Asia.
Each OF these men require n huge
and costly outfit of tents. arms. ammu
milton, canned foods. and car loads O,
brass wire, beads ana Other goods FOL
barterinS with the natives. The agen'
must engage tribal headmen ana ma
tive trappers and hunters and organ
lie a search on great scale for vii,
beasts with young. For obviously
liz almost IN itnpocpiidi 40
IN adult rhinoceros or hIppopotamus
although lions and tigers NAV occas
ionnlly be trapped In n staked nj
whose mouth is covered over with tn,
and twigs and is baitcd with n liv,
goat. But IL is usually the young one
which the Wild beast importers agen
dcyotes his attention to. killin,r IN,
parents outright, and taking only .hei
SKINS. In which. by the way. Il ve.7
large business is done.
The delicate babies" require yor,
careful feeding with goats milk am
other deilcacies; and when At Length
the agent has nmassed in his camp
great number of wild beasts, cratei
and cages are made for them by tn,
local natives under the white man.
direction, forest trees being cut dow
specially for this purpose. Elephant
are caught in much the same way tina
The Indian government takes them, IN.
"kheddahs.' or staked Enclosures. Blu
the ordinary wild beast man is
great disadvantage in not having an
tanned tuskers 10 subdue and concil
ate his colossal prisoners.
II Is n mistake to suppose that civ
ili2ation has made such strides in tn,
waste places of the earth that will
beasts are in danger of extinction
True. the British government has es
tabiiShed kind OF game preserve TO
elephants lions and rhinoceri in Mort
central Africa. and the French. Ger
man anti Portuguese governments
charge heavy fees for license I,
XIII or capture big game in their A.
rican colonies, but still in the Ath
Plains of Somallland herds oil zebr
ana antelope roam in thousands. an
after them. naturally, come the large.
carnovora. chiefly lions and leopards
and around about the sources OF til
Nile and the Great Lakes and In Eoua
toriai Egypt also there still renal,
vast regions unt.odden by white men
where it is known that elephants.
atfes and many other varieties O
scarce eSeat game roam In incredi
Bile numbers.
IL is worth noting that some of tn,
dealers now undertake the educatio,
of wild animals themselves at head
quarters, finding that their staff. /.
little trouble. can teach lions and IFS
plants various ingenious little feat
ana tracks which may vel add 80 De
cent. TO the selling price. Thus o.
ordinary lion might be sold for $3.50
while a performing lion might fetcl
sl'ZoO. A polar bear, fresh from tn
arctic might realize $50. but If laugh
10 perform 4 few easy tricks. in whic'
nature has aided him. n circus or priv
ate entertainer will glady pay $1,000
or SLIGO for him.
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