Omaha daily bee., 1909-06-06

Interesting Information Concerning
Inmates of the Travelling Zoo.

Interesting Information Concerning
Inmates of the Travelling Zoo.
One of the most annoying things to the
animal keepers in charge of a menagerie
is the surprising ignorance and i%ndiffer7
ence Of a majority of people toward the
beasts and birds OF the forests. There are
but a few geological collections in the
country, and about the only opportunity a
majority AVE to study natural history,
from real life, Is upon the occasional visit
OF some big show. Although the wild
beasts are vanishing before the advance
of civilization and the increase of the
earth's population. it is only a ques-
ton Of time until they become extinct.
The public generally falls to inspect the
animals which. are brought to their doors.
b. K. Wallace, the owner of the Hagen
beck, Wallace shows, paid $500 for a
giant hippopotamus several years ago. 1t
is a magnificent specimen of the river
horse and a most Interesting source Of
study for the student of nature. Very
few people can tell whether a hippopota-
mus is web-foot or whether it has teeth.
The average person does not know that 1t is
a MAMMAL allied to the elephant; that 1t
has a short, thick. heavy body. short legs,
terminated by four toes, a short tail, skin
without hair, except at the extremity OF
the tail, and that 1t feeds upon heritage
exclusively. George, the hip, knows his
value, and he knows that the public IL
not nearly so well acquainted with him
as IL pretends to be. When he first Joined
the circus. he seemed annoyed because
the pesky. cheap, sick, treaeherous little
monkey attracted more attention than he
did. Although he is not shown the atten-
ton and homage that are his due, George
has ceased TO show his disappointment
and lies conteptedly in the tank of water
in his big cage, and in the parade, he will
make goo-goo eyes at the crowd, or open
his mouth because some one told him to
do It,
The little fellows with human faces, are
generally sickly. Especially early in the
season or in the fall they are subject &c
consumption or TO attacks of pneumonia
B, Il. Wallace discovered a peculiar
method of protecting the lives OF this
happy family, He uses a common hog fol-
q ii~fe-saver, Whenever the weather
changes 20 rainy or chilly, and sudder
changes become the rule, Just before tn,
monkey cage is loaded on the train a
night, a healthy pig, weighing about 20
pounds is placed in the cage TO keep tn,
monkeys company during the night
WhenNthe cage Is opened the next morning
II the weather Is damp or cool, the PHI
will be found 20 be entirely covered witt
the bodies OF the little fellows. The ANNA
heat OF the pig has saved the lives o
scores OF monkeys for Mr.. Wallace.
From the time the show arrives in IN
city uhtn It departs late at night. Their
will be hundreds OF exhibitions OF ANNA
sense not down on the bills. and which ca
be seen free. What a circus horse know
"a aafoNfahfnR II aaapaa 40 he alp,ns
human, II knows the wagons it must pull
It knows Its place in the team; 1t can fin
its place in the horse stables and can g
10 the right ear and the right stall in IN
car when Il is time to be loaded at nigh
II IL is a ring horse It knows by the must
the band Is playing when IL iF time for
to go into the ring. The elephants d
more wonderful things In helping N
Bhowmen about the work than they do 1
the performance. They know what
wanted OF them and cheerfully do IT an
although Il Is heavy work, they seem 10 d
Il with as much ease as II It were spor
The wild animals in the cages also dispIa
at least some sense when II comes
placing OF their cages. The ends OF n
wagons are closed SO that the inmat,
cannot see one another, but they ca
scent. This fact Is the reason that n
cages ana dens are placed caresuly
the menagerie tent II is absolutely nece
sary for the peace and happiness Of Il
beasts and men concerned that the Gag,
be placed IN the same order they ha,
day after day. II by chance there Is
change, there is certain 70 be trouble.
the tigers are placed next to the seals fl
stead OF next TO the bears. there is SUI
- be q oonnotion and an emphatic pr