Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-07-23
ANIMALS OF THE CIRCUS.
Some Geological Studies in. the Prob
lem of Handling Wild Beasts.

" . ! . + .
+ One of the most annoying things to
the animal keepers in charge Of a
menagerle is the surprising ignorance
and Indifference of a majority of peo-
Pile toward the beasts and birds of the
forest. There are but a few zoologi-
cal collections in the country. and
about the only opportunity majority
nave to study natural history, from
real life, Is upon the occasional visit
of some big show. Although the wild
beasts are vanishing, before the adj
vance of civilization and the increase
of the earth's population. 1t is only
question OF time until they become
extinct. The public generally fails to
inspect the animals which are brought
to their doors. b. E. Wallace. the
owner OF the Hagenbeclt-W Wallace
shows. paid $500 for a giant hip
popotamus several years ago. 1t Is
magnificent specimen of the river
horse and a most Interesting source of
study for the student Of nature. Very
few people can tell whether n hippo
potamus is webb-foot. or whether 1t
has teeth. The everage person does
not know that it is a mammal allied
to the elephant; that It has q short.
thick, heavy body, short legs. terminal
ed by four toes, a short tail, skin
without hair, except at the extremity
| OF the tail. and that 1t feeds upon
1 =
knows his value. and he knows thar
| the public is not nearly so well ac-
| duainted with him as it pretends to.
| be. When he first Joined the circus. he
seemed annoyed because the pesky
\ cheap. sick. treachcrous little monkey
/, attracted moro attention than he did.
Although he is not shown the same
| attention and homage thatlar his due.
George has ceased to show his disap-
| pointment and lies contentedly In
| the tank OF water in his big cage, and
| iii 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 to consumptlon or TO attacks
| of pneumonia. B. r. Wallace tdiscoT-
cred a peculiar method OF protecting
! the lives Of this happy family. He
| uses a common hog for a life saver.
Whenever the weather changes TO raj
! or chilly. and sudden changes become
is loaded on the train at night, a
/ healthy pig weighing about 200 pounds
| is placed in cage to keep the
| monkeys company during. the night.
| When the cage is opened the next
| morning, IL the weather is damp or
cool, the pig will be found M, to pc te en-. en-,
1 tirely covered with the bodies or IN
| little fellows. The animal heat OF the
4 pig has saved the lives of scores of
4 monkeys for Mr.. Wallace. From the
| time the show arrives in the city until
i 1t departs late at night. there will he
i hundreds of exhibitions of animal
/ sense not down on the bills, ana
which can be seen free. What a cir
1 Gus horse knows IS astonishing. 1t
i seems TO be almost human. 1T knows
4 1t must pull, it knows it's place IN the
/ team, it can find It's place In the horse
/ 10
4 and the right stall in the car when 1t
i is time to be loaded at night. If II
is n ring horse, il knows by the music
the band is playing when 1t Is time
4 for it to go into the ring. The ele-
i plants do more wonderful Things IN
helping the show men apouL5 tnel l
Il work than they do in the performance.
4 They know what is wanted of them.
Il and cheerfullS do 1t. and although i
"A is heavy work, they seem to 90 II Win
8 MS much ease as Il 1t were Sport ~ ne ne
wild animals in the cages also display
al least some sense when It comes TO
placing of their cages. The ENDS o.
the wagons are closed so that the IN
| mates cannot see one another, pnl
Ithey- can scent This fact is the reason
that the cages and dens are place.
Il carefuilyiin the menaseriei tent. IL II
absolutely necessary for the peace ant
happiness of the beasts and men con-
+ | cernetl that the cages be placed II
Inc same order they have day afte
day. If by chance there is q change e
4 there is certain to be trouble II TN
T ti,1ers are 5placetl next to the seals in
stead OF next to the bears. there !
sure to be a con,motion. and an EN-
S phatic protest in at least three cages
3 This may be instinct rather than sense
A INF II serves to keep the menageri
i 4 tent in the same order day after da;
During the winter months; the animal =,
+ of the cat tribe are led eS .!,e
! / with horse meat. II is not always ter
I der since the horses butchered .
. 4 Wallaca's slnughterhouse are the OIL
+ skates which the surrounding 1.i conn =
!. has worked for about 90 years an
, are ready 10 die from old age. Q
n the road the show uses about $50 pt
day 10 feed the animals, scarcely .s Ell i
week passes that! soIae Of the sno
!, horses are not killed or crippled
y that they have to be killed and thes
: Il arc always fed to the beasts with gre;
!, relish They perfer It to beef.
Il